In early 2023 I returned to live in London after 21 years living in Devon where we brought up our children. This was a huge life change and alongside everything else, I had to leave my studio and my kiln behind. I was having sleepless nights about how I would manage without making in clay until I got settled so I started to google studios in west London where I was going to live temporarily. I wanted to see if I could find a place to go and sit with clay in my hands. Those of you who follow me will know how important the clay is to me and how it has brought me solace and healing over the years, but pathways are never, or at least rarely, straightforward and this one wasn’t either.
I found The Clay Garden under the arches in Hammersmith and I knew it would be perfect for me but they had a long waiting list for members. In the meantime I could do drop-in sessions there as I was an experienced potter except, I couldn’t, because 4 days after arriving in London, I tripped on the tube steps at Hoxton and broke my arm. Life has a way of working out though … as my arm began to recover, a space came up to be a technician in the studio one day a week in return for a full membership. The timing was perfect; I applied and I got it.
I have always done my pottery alone and I wasn’t sure how I would feel, putting my workings out for all to see alongside others on the huge communal work tables, but being part of a studio was a revelation. I had a shelf and a cubby hole for my clay and an instant sense of belonging. Here I was, for the first time, surrounded by other potters, a whole community of like-minded people, all making and creating their own things, and it was wonderful. So many of these potters and other technicians (all potters like me) have become my dear friends; we all share a deep love of this extraordinary material, we share our doubts and fears that we are rubbish at pottery, how we manage imposter syndrome, frustration and disappointment when things don’t turn out the way we had hoped, and we share our joy when they do. We encourage and push each other and revel in each others’ progress; we share skills, tips, tools and advice and we laugh, a lot!
The support is immense and it is always there, in this special studio of clay and kindness. I am learning and expanding my practice through my weekly technician job and, in the studio in my free time, I can experiment with new ideas, clay bodies and glazes, something I could never have done before on my own. At a challenging time in my life, I found a healing artistic community where I could continue to put my heart in my work. And, once again I was led by the clay. How lucky am I?!