Found my solace in pottery!
When Clay taught me a thing or two - in Seoul!
It all started in the fall of 2021, my first year in Seoul. I had quit my well- established career in Bangalore to relocate to Korea—a significant decision! I knew it would mean a reset and restart for both my life and career. While it eventually turned out to be the best decision, settling in was not easy. Figuring out where to live, finding a grocery store, learning basic Korean to navigate daily life, making friends in the neighbourhood, and handling all household chores on my own was exhausting.
During the days of my endurance, I realized that being dormant socially would not help. I took up art classes for the first few months, even though they were far from my home. I also enrolled in a sourdough baking class where I made a few German friends. Eventually, I stumbled upon pottery classes in my neighbourhood, and that was it!
I started looking forward to Saturdays like never before. Those four hours with my hands in clay on the wheel changed my life for the better. The tactile nature of working with clay is incredibly soothing and stress- relieving. The repetitive motions and the focus required help calm the mind and promote a sense of well-being.
Papago came in handy for interactions with my tutor, but mostly, it was my broken Korean and the practical demonstrations that helped me in my classes. Simply put, step one in wheel throwing starts with coning or centering the clay. This creates uniformity in the clay and forms a stable, symmetric base. I found this the toughest to master. It’s followed by creating the base with horizontal pulling and shaping the walls with vertical pulling. Once the piece is leather- hard, it is trimmed to perfection.
My tutor was unreasonably harsh at the beginning— or so I thought. Pulling for hours and trimming with extreme caution to get the piece smooth to eventually see the piece smashed was painful. Any unevenness in the walls, whether too thick or too thin, incorrect shaping, or trimming abnormalities resulted in the piece being smashed and starting over from scratch. After all the hard work, once the clay is shaped, you can still be in for a surprise during the firing process—both good and bad. I’ve had many pieces broken in the kiln.
But isn’t it a blessing to have the chance to restart, to learn, and to create something better each time?
This Saturday routine became a habit that kept me occupied and gave me purpose during the months I spent waiting for my work visa. More than anything else, it taught me Mindfulness—being aware in the present moment and Detachment — a virtue so important to maintaining inner peace and avoiding being swayed by life’s ups and downs.
I keep going back to my wheel in moments of despair and confusion. It calms me, grounds me, and gives me the confidence to create something better—every time.
- Ritu Maheshwari (Ritu is from Lakhimpur, a small town in Assam. She is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a travel enthusiast, foodie, and a part time artist.)