Settle your nervous system and spend some quality time with clay.
CLAYBODY is an introspective, trauma-aware arts program that I created in response to my experiences in the studio working with folks who are burned out from work, exposed to trauma regularly and feeling depleted, hopeless and in need to quality time with the material world (and themselves).
CLAYBODY is for healthcare workers, folks working with the environment or animal services, caregivers, educators and others in the helping professions who are feeling burned out and stressed.
CLAYBODY is also for self-acknowledged perfectionists and recovering people pleasers looking to practice failing and making a mess in a supportive, nurturing environment.
I'm not a therapist, this isn't therapy, but it is therapeutic.
CLAYBODY adds a layer of introspection, relaxation and emotional support to my usual pottery courses. It also creates a peer-support opportunity: when you sign up for CLAYBODY, if your session fills up you'll have others with similar life experiences keeping you company and learning alongside you.
Fear is a common emotion people express when they try throwing on the wheel for the first time. By the end of our hour together, many of the students who were originally nervous or fearful tell me the session felt therapeutic. Moments like these, and so many more experiences have inspired the creation of a program that helps people address creative blocks, feelings of “stuckness” or other emotional pain points through a connective practice that integrates mind, body and material.
CLAYBODY combines my love of neuroscience and psychology with my experience of the emotions that come up when people engage with clay in motion. The curriculum blends tactile sensations, imagination and movement to provide a spacious setting with creative tools for people who are intrigued by the opportunity to combine self-reflection with the processes of centering and throwing with clay on the wheel.
CLAYBODY programming includes...
· Creative writing & journaling
· Movement - stretching, exercises, dance
· Music and sound healing
· Clay, and throwing on wheel!
CLAYBODY is for…
· Folks who want support connecting with their creativity
· Knowledge workers who feel stuck or uninspired
· People who feel a disconnect with their bodies
· Trauma stewards (those in helping professions like social work, education, healthcare or environmental justice) in need of protective remedies for burnout
· Recovering perfectionists in need of a safe space to practice failing
How is CLAYBODY different from Waveform’s regular clay classes?
· Time for intentional self-inquiry through play, movement, metaphor and process
· Emphasis on exploring through supported failure
· Multiple sessions where we build out a mind map, set goals and explore your inner world, fears and aspirations
· Ongoing writing reflections for integration and growth
How much does it cost?
· The program features 2-5 private 90 minute sessions, plus a phone call before we get started to see if it’s a good fit. The fee is $55-200 a session - CLAYBODY offers sliding scale, with an invitation to tip to help cover for the spots of others without the means.
