Tips

Idea of workspace set-up. Have all your materials in easy reach, including a cup of water for your clay or paint brushes.

• I highly recommend that you start and finish this workshop in one sitting. The workshop is approximately 3 hours in length, and has a specific flow designed to take you deeper into your creative self exploration.

• I recommend taking a 10-20 minute break to stretch your legs after the Journal Prompt in the "Lessons in basic clay hand building techniques, and playing!" section. Don't worry, I'll remind you then.

• Please don't consume alcohol or take any mind altering substances before or during this workshop. Unfortunately this isn't a glass of wine on the side type of workshop! Your full presence is required.

• It's really important that you complete the lessons in full before moving on. Each lesson is carefully constructed, and the timing matters. If you feel bored, frustrated or uncomfortable, I want you to sit with that feeling and observe it. Those moments are essentially creative blocks and we want them to surface, but then also learn how to move through them.

• Create a safe, comfortable space for yourself. Grab a cushion to sit on, light a candle, burn some incense, make sure you're happy with the temperature of the room.

• I do recommend listening to gentle soothing background music on low volume throughout the entire workshop. My workshop playlist is available via my Spotify feed here.

• Very important - turn off or tune out any distractions. Make sure your phone is off, turn off any notifications on your computer, and let anyone you live with know that this time is for you and that they should please not disturb you. Close any doors that need to be closed in order to create a peaceful, quiet space for yourself. Think of these next hours as one long meditation - being disrupted mid-meditation is very disturbing.

• Please do this workshop on your own. You want to create a completely safe, private, non judgemental space just for you and your exploration. This is very important to how transformative this work has the potential to be.

• Set up your workstation so that you can easily reach everything. Make sure you have a cup of water nearby, in case your clay becomes a little dry. You’ll also use this water to clean your brushes when you start painting. 

• Keep the clay you aren’t using covered in airtight plastic (the plastic it came wrapped in) beside you until you use it to prevent it from drying out. You can then grab clay as is needed as you go, keeping the rest covered. Should your clay become a little too dry and therefore harden, simply moisten and soften by adding water, a little at a time, until you reach a consistency you can easily work with.

• Some people don’t like the feel of dry clay on their hands. Have a bowl of water & a hand towel next to you should you want to give your hands a quick rinse every now and again.

• Clay is the greatest lesson in non-attachment! There is only so much control we have when working with clay. Surrender to the process.

• Have a box of tissues handy. At times you may feel emotional and I urge you not to suppress any emotions or feelings. Let them come up, flow and then let them go.