Why Pottery Classes in Melbourne Improve Your Wellbeing

Experience the soothing effect that being creative can have on your mind and body at pottery classes in Melbourne. Guided by a friendly teacher and your own intuition, with these indoor activities you’ll be able to sink into relaxation in a unique and tactile way. 

Hop on the pottery wheel and observe the clay in your hands as you spin and mould it into a particular shape—allowing your body and mind to work in sync together. Pure bliss!

This is probably why celebrities are now getting their hands dirty with hand building clay too. Even Brad Pitt and Leonardo Di Caprio were reportedly sculpting clay together recently! In an interview with GQ, Brad Pitt said, “I’m having a moment of getting to feel emotion at my fingertips” when discussing his newfound passion for pottery. 

The good news is, that you don’t need to be a celebrity to reap the benefits of this mindful practice. Pottery classes in Melbourne, Australia’s art capital, as well as every other state in the country, are super accessible. Plus, it's a must do in Melbourne, for both your wellbeing and as a creative treat to yourself!

The science behind DIY pottery as therapy

This mindful trend of ceramics and pottery classes Melbourne has not just gained popular status because of celebrities, but also because of the increasing scientific evidence and research that proves art enhances brain function. Participating in art has an impact on brain wave patterns and emotions, the nervous system, and can increase serotonin levels and reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone. 

In fact, just 45 minutes of art can have this effect on the body with 75 per cent of participants in a study who engaged in artistic production experiencing this decrease in cortisol, according to a 2016 study published in Art Therapy. So when you feel an overwhelming calm come over you at your first Melbourne pottery class, painting class or any other form of art, you aren’t imagining it. These simple creative acts are actually having a really positive effect on your mental wellbeing - even if it’s only getting out of your head for an hour or so.

Historical art therapy research has been heavily focused on art-making using two-dimensional materials. Research has been popping up in the past decade around the use of hand building clay as a medium in art therapy. In a 2012 study, the effects of creative clay work were examined on participants who experienced an induced negative mood and then went on to achieve more than a 50 per cent greater improvement in mood after simple clay sculpting.

Our fingertips contain some of the densest areas of nerve endings on the body. Just playing with the clay and stimulating these pressure points is bound to have considerable therapeutic benefits. The malleability of the clay itself distinguishes pottery as a pretty special form of art, immediately syncing up our mind and body.

So if you’re considering taking up DIY pottery as a mindful hobby, then these proven health benefits might convince you to do so!

Pottery classes can reduce stress

Hand built pottery requires a lot of focus and presence, with every subtle movement requiring attention and precision. This in turn reduces the distractions of the outside world which may have been causing you stress. 

The sense of touch can be enough to distract your mind and just 45 minutes of working with clay can significantly reduce cortisol levels, the body’s stress hormone. So if meditating at home or exercising at the gym is not helping to switch off your mind, pottery might require the right amount of presence to melt all your outside stresses away, without the sweat.

For all of these reasons, pottery making in Melbourne is one of the best team building activities you can try to reduce stress in your workplace and avoid burnout. Craft clay creations with your team at a beginner-friendly clay workshop in Melbourne and watch as everyone’s work-related worries wash away!

Pottery can improve focus and concentration

Making ceramics is a very precise art, and so it requires a lot of focus and concentration. If that’s not something you’ve previously been great at then pottery is a fun and creative way to help improve those skills. The more clay play you try, the easier you will find it to get in the zone and slip into a sharper focus and be able to concentrate for longer periods of time. 

You will be able to apply this to the rest of your life outside of a ceramics class, which will not only assist your productivity in life but also your mental wellbeing. Focusing on other self-care practices like meditating, will become a lot easier and it will be much simpler to reap the benefits from these practices as well as in your pottery at home. 

Ceramic courses can provide a great creative outlet

Expressing yourself through creating art has significant physical and mental benefits. Not only is it a fun and mindful hobby but it also offers a break from the anxieties and stresses of life and is a scheduled time for yourself to reset your focus and mental state. It promotes a healthy mind but also a healthy body, as research has found that having a creative outlet can also lower blood pressure. 

When you allocate consistent time to a creative outlet, such as pottery, you feel refreshed. You might even find yourself more productive, engaged and creative and discover a passion you never knew you had. Now you're probably starting to understand why ceramic workshops are one of the best things to do in Melbourne.

Clay hand building exercises the hands, wrists and arms

Unlike painting, drawing or other forms of art, which stay where you put them, hand building clay fights back. The resistance the clay gives back to you is actually a really great way to strengthen the hands, wrists and arms. The movement of making pottery is gentle enough that it doesn’t feel like an actual workout but resistant enough to strengthen and exercise your upper body. This is beneficial for everyone but is particularly valuable if you’re prone to arthritis as it helps to promote joint movement and dexterity.

Pottery classes in Melbourne are social and fun!

While pottery is something you generally make on your own, that doesn’t mean you have to do so alone. Getting involved in casual pottery classes in Melbourne or joining a ceramic studio where you can work on your own pieces in the company of others, not only helps you creatively get inspired and motivated by other people’s work but it can also be really beneficial to your mental health. 

The casual atmosphere in pottery classes and pottery studios in Melbourne allows everyone to relax and all social anxiety woes are forgotten. You will get to meet and chat with some other like-minded potters and the necessary silence in between conversations will never feel awkward as you work on your own pieces.

On the search for classy hens party ideas in Melbourne? Get the girls together for an upbeat clay and sip class and learn how to sculpt as you sip your favourite drinks. Or looking for fun team building activities? Join a casual wheel throwing workshop and get the team involved in a relaxing crafternoon activity.

Whatever special occasion it is, you can reap all of these therapeutic benefits yourself by trying our range of different pottery classes in Melbourne, suited for everyone from beginners to more experienced potters!

References:

1) tandfonline.com