Making Space

Why I do what I do: Form and Function or Making Space and Connections

I came across this quote not long ago in Jordan Peterson’s book 12 Rules For Life, and the perspective struck me. It is shorter than the original quote, but this part coincides with what I have thought for a long.

It is not the clay the potter throws, which gives the pot its usefulness, but the space within the shape, from which the pot is made. 

The Tao Te Ching, Lao-Tse (1984)

If you are familiar with my work, then you know that I am a functional potter.  I make useful pots.  My pottery is sturdy enough to be used daily. My work includes everything from plates, bowls, mugs, and a wide variety of serving dishes.  There are several reasons that I do that.  One of my core beliefs is that people need a human connection to the people who make the things they use every day.  It is essential to know who made the coffee mug that I use every day or see the potter’s face that made the dinner plate I use.

So I make space for not only food and drink but also beauty and human connection.  Something I would call Holy moments in our lives.  If during Covid, you have been isolated at home, you know what it means to be missing those Holy moments like human touch and conversation.