It’s official, pottery relieves depression because it works on a neurochemical level.
Losing yourself in a sustained creative activity like pottery rewires your brain to find pleasure and balance.
“It quietens the background noise in my brain,” says Stacy Klein a student at The Thrown Room Pottery. This is largely due to the huge amount of energy your brain devotes to manual dexterity. Researchers agree; Kelly Lambert, behavioural neuroscience expert says: “Considering the amount of brain area devoted to the sensitivity and movement of the hands, it is likely that behaviour maximising the use of the hands may be the most engaging.”
“Pottery calms me because I’m focusing on what’s in front of me.” says Jade Calmeyer, The Thrown Room Pottery student.
MANAGE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Many of my students say they have less anxiety and can manage depression far more effectively since they’ve started pottery.
“I sleep really well because I’m so unwound after an evening of pottery,” says Roxanne Van der Schyff.
Doing pottery stimulates a neurochemical reward you’re completely responsible for creating yourself. It’s a much more sustainable sense of contentment than the one you’re going to get from a chocolate binge. (Having a chocolate while you’re doing pottery, well, that’s another level…)
“Having control over what you’re creating that gives you a sense of power or capability,” says Stacy Klein. “But when a pot goes wonky, it’s still ok . It’s not the end of the world and that’s also a valuable lesson.”
Pottery is the reward that keeps rewarding. And your brain circuitry is giving it all a huge thumbs up.
Sign up for a class and start building brain bliss.
