> [!NOTE]+ Meta > Author:: Dominic Lutyens > Reference:: Lutyens, D. (2022, February 24). _Why the slow, mindful craft of pottery is booming worldwide_. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210428-why-the-slow-mindful-craft-of-pottery-is-booming-worldwide > Date:: 2021-04-29 > Tags:: #warp #ceramics > WeftLinks:: [[Psychological value of craft]] > Claim:: [[Claim - It is reassuring to touch base with the material world]] > [!SUMMARY] Summary > Stressed office workers find relief in pottery classes. ### Highlights >In the UK, the popularity of open-access studios is a nationwide phenomenon. Such spaces include [Turning Earth](https://www.turningearth.org/) in Leyton and Hoxton, London, [the Clay Room](https://www.theclayroom.co.uk/) in Leicester and [Clay College](https://www.claycollegestoke.co.uk/) in Stoke-on-Trent. In Spain, which has a rich tradition of ceramics that encompasses the work of Picasso and Gaudí, pottery is popular in Malaga, Madrid and Barcelona, while in Hungary, there is the [International Ceramics Studio](http://icshu.org/) in Kecskemét. In Brooklyn, New York City, there is [Bklyn Clay](https://www.bklynclay.com/), a pottery studio founded in 2018. >"Clay acts almost as an antidote to the overwhelm of the digital world," says Jennifer Waverek, owner of Bklyn Clay. "It interrupts your compulsive email-checking. Your mind has a single focus, so the practice can feel meditative or therapeutic. There is no way to speed up clay-drying or firing, there's no 'clay-microwave' – ceramics take as much time to make today as they did 2,000 years ago." >Tallie Maughan, co-founder of Turning Earth, believes many are attracted to making pottery because of the satisfaction they derive from ending up with practical pieces: "Careers that come with seeing the end result of your work are becoming rare. Working with clay allows people to create something satisfyingly functional. Within a year, you can even populate your kitchen with usable, self-made crockery." >The success of TV show [The Great Pottery Throw Down](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClUqKUQZqJk) – which sees amateur potters compete to make the best ceramics – has also stoked an appreciation of pottery. "The reason for such an avid interest in pottery is because the material lends itself to a personal experience that the potter takes on throughout the series," says [Keith Brymer Jones](https://www.keithbrymerjones.com/), a judge for the UK series and an established potter. " >"One reason for the interest in pottery among men is knowing that celebrities Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are keen potters, while actor and director Seth Rogen has his own line of expressive pottery," says Brundin >However, experienced potters also talk of entering a calming, trance-like state when making their pots. "There are moments when I completely switch off, such as when I’m throwing a batch of identical bowls I’ve made thousands of times," says [Florian Gadsby](https://www.floriangadsby.com/), who works from his studio in London, and is [an Instagram sensation](https://www.instagram.com/floriangadsby/) with around 460,000 followers. "