Mio’s Pottery Experience
Mio was looking for a new creative activity, so she visited a pottery studio located on the outskirts of Kyoto. As she stepped inside on a soft spring day, the earthy smell of clay and the warmth of ceramics welcomed her.
The studio’s owner, Yosuke, greeted her warmly. “Pottery is an art of communicating with clay. You can express your feelings through the shapes you create,” he explained. Excited about her first pottery experience, Mio began to knead the clay and shape it under Yosuke’s guidance.
Mio chose to make a tea bowl. Using the pottery wheel, she slowly shaped the spinning clay with her hands. In that moment, Mio forgot the busyness of everyday life and immersed herself completely in the work.
Yosuke watched her work and encouraged her, saying, “Pottery is not just about making things. It’s about infusing your soul into the pieces. The tea bowl you’re making will become precious to whoever uses it.”
While waiting for her piece to be fired in the kiln, Mio walked around the studio, interacting with nature. She felt that something inside her had changed during the process.
When the tea bowl was finally ready and she held it in her hands, Mio felt a deep sense of fulfillment. She appreciated the weight and warmth of the bowl, and the tangible sense of having shaped it herself. This experience ignited a new spark in her creativity, influencing her future art activities.