What We Learn from Clay
For the artist who chooses to slow down and look closely, there is no ugliness that cannot be redeemed. One of the most wonderful mediums with which to work is clay. Clay is one of the oldest materials in human history. It's one of the most malleable, too, which means it is easy to form and reform. Its plasticity makes it easy to maneuver, whether you're making a vessel or a statue, and if you are dissatisfied with your work, you can always start again. Every iteration of the clay's shape is an opportunity for the potter to learn. And yes, the potter's hands may grow coarse and tired, but every time she returns to her wheel, she has an opportunity to make something even more beautiful than before.
I like to think of my life's story as clay. Every adventure is bound to come with mistakes, some big and some small. If you ever feel like you made a mess of yourself, you may feel like your story is set in stone. Like you can't ever forgive yourself. You might see the past as fixed, with no room for a new way of seeing that chapter of your life. Mistakes, failures, and what-went-wrongs are inevitable. But what's important is that we learn from them. This is what forgiving ourselves looks like. Forgiving ourselves is recognizing that feelings and attitudes toward ourselves don't have permanent shapes, and like clay, we are allowed to change the shape of our pasts into something new, beautiful, magnificent, and maybe even purposeful.
