Learning to Play Again — With Mud

Pottery is simply mud finding its shape — clay being coaxed into life.
I have always been fascinated by sculptures, especially ceramics, because they can be colourful and intricate, bold and earthy all at once.

My curiosity ran so deep that I even worked at a boutique for Japanese crafts and ceramics, just to learn more. I read books too — from Taiwanese masters to Japanese artisans — trying to understand how different cultures see the same humble clay.

But honestly, nothing compares to making it myself. I had the privilege to learn under a local ceramic artist, Ms Delphine Sng. Once I touched the clay and shaped my first piece, I fell completely in love. It reconnected me with my inner child — the part of me that delights in creating something with my own hands.

Pottery is a wonderfully messy art — from preparing the clay, to shaping it by hand or on the wheel, to glazing it just right. It demands a strange mix of sensitivity to moisture, timing, pressure… almost like balancing science and art at the same time. And no matter how much we plan, randomness always sneaks in during the firing. That unpredictability is exactly what charms me. We can put in all the work, but we must also be ready for the final twist.

After a few lessons, I realised something: the more I worried about doing things “wrong,” the more things actually went wrong. My better pieces came from moments when I simply explored, let go, and dared to try.

Working with clay helped me let go of the illusion of perfectionism. It taught me to embrace uniqueness — my strengths, my quirks, and even the weaknesses I used to struggle accepting. There are certain tendencies I have, and not all of them are easy to change, but pottery helped me make peace with them and enjoy the simple joy of creating something with my own hands.

Clay also taught me when to act quickly and when to slow down. There is truly a time for everything. In pottery, patience and speed both matter — and learning when to switch between them feels a lot like learning how to move through life.

There is so much wisdom hidden in this playful craft. Would you also try your hands on clay someday?