Скачать или смотреть The Life of a Candleholder

From raw earth to refined form, clay goes through a remarkable transformation. This process has always been one of the things that draws Shea and I into the art, as it is a gentle reminder that change is not only necessary, but meaningful. I first fell in love with ceramics in 2016, and even after stepping away for a time, this transformation and the opportunity to create are what kept calling me back. When we take a step back and compare the events of our own lives to those of a candle holder being made, it’s hard not to see the parallels in what the clay goes through along the way.

As the clay moves through each stage of being thrown, carved, fired, glazed, and fired again, it is shaped by pressure, heat, and time. During throwing, it is pushed, pulled, and stretched. While there is some level of finesse, the process itself is not gentle. Yet it lays the foundation for what the piece will eventually become. In many ways, it mirrors the seasons of our own lives, moments that feel overwhelming or uncomfortable, yet often mark the beginning of growth.

When making our candle holders, the next stage is carving. Each hole is punched by hand, one by one. It is a process that strips away much of what was originally there, and in a literal sense, adds nothing. This has always been one of my favorite parts of the process. It reminds me that sometimes growth doesn’t come from adding more, but from letting go, being shaped and trusting the process, as more often than not it allows a small light to shine through.

By the time the piece is glazed, fired, and finally lit, it carries the evidence of every stage it has passed through. And like the clay, I’ve found that the obstacles I have overcome, and challenges I have endured, leave me changed for the better.