My pottery journey

On the 16th of October 2018, I had a serious domestic accident, whilst on holiday in Copenhagen, Denmark. Just a few weeks before, I had just started a new pottery course. I always wanted to explore pottery, but it was never the right time. But then I realised that the right time was not going to happen soon or without my making it happen. I got a call from my local pottery centre, to inform me that a place had become available. Ready, steady, throw! I went and sat at the pottery wheel and started talking to the clay. With not much result, really. I didn’t need to talk to the clay at all. I just needed to follow the clay and the clay will talk. Since I started to welcome this opposite approach I found myself in love with making with clay and ceramics, more and more my calling. Or this is what my husband calls it for me. Yes Mari, this pottery journey is your calling! It’s true that you don’t know what to do with your life for most of your adult life without even mentioning the attempt to “fit the mould”, or pursue a professional career or the change of direction that life is taking you on. And you are the driver.
So, I was writing .. that a few months ago (16 October 2018) I had a dramatic accident while holidaying in a gorgeous house in Hellerup. I wanted to rent that house so much; it offered space to our Danish, Swedish and Italian friends there. A place to gather, to spend time together during a gorgeous autumn. But life is not always flat (quoting one of my ex boyfriend when I was young(er). In fact .. it wasn’t flat at all. I don’t know what happened but it seems I landed with my head one floor down via some steps. They always say step by step literally. I can say now, yes. I don’t know what happened. I think I slipped then missed a step. That miss is still with me. I don’t remember most of the two weeks in the Hospital in CPH. What I do remember is the colour of a stunning top a dear friend was wearing when she came to visit me from London (and to comfort my family) plus the stitching kit for a lavender cushion given by a Swedish friend. . . . and their voices…together with my husband’s and young son’s unconditional love despite his understandable lack of desire to stay in the hospital for long. I can’t blame him the distinct smell of hospital (nicer than in the UK but all the same a hospital smell) compared to the allure of the Danish capital, the magic of Tivoli over halloween? Then we were three of us together again, living (strangely) the Danish way. It put a smile on my face because in the last few years we have been thinking of relocating to CPH and buying time (perhaps scared of the Danish Language?), but we never thought of experiencing life in a less hygge way. We all survived, we are still struggling whilst surviving. We are mending, together and individually. But yes, the clay!! The magic of the clay is what together with love from family and dear friends is helping me recover good and strong. I am so grateful I am still here on this planet and I can see my son growing into a man, loving him together with my husband (he is a rock). Yes, there is still a long way to go and I am embracing the journey with clay. And open to explore my own life, the inner and less hidden with my new making. I am still finding it difficult to accept the accident and the part of me that ‘forcibly’ is gone, the trauma and the new life ‘within’ my own life yet at the same time I do realise how much I need to practise my pottery, with ceramics. And I do believe the two things have a strong link. Perfection doesn’t exist and we are what we are every day. Step by step, indeed.  
I wanted to convey my two strong interests under one website because I do love writing – and I do write for a living – but I also do pottery and this is the perfect combination – and the only one – I would like to do whilst ageing nicely, making and exploring, researching and questioning. And to let it go when the answer is not there. Just let it go!! Is not that important. The journey is the key. Embrace fully…

My pottery path is my new life journey. You can follow me with my (visual) journals on Instagram, soon with my writing here…and maybe some pots!