The run-up to a wedding can feel like a high-speed roller coaster, hurtling over bumps and bends at a dizzying pace. During this chaotic time, stress is often the first thing you wake up with and the last thing on your mind before bed. That is why finding a moment to breathe and unwind is absolutely essential. Enter the pottery class—a perfect escape where you can play in wet clay, unplug digitally, reduce stress and truly quiet your mind.
Once just a humble hobby, pottery has officially joined the ranks of essential wellness rituals, earning a top spot on many bucket lists. Take actress Kriti Sanon, who recently shared her own inspiration from the clay session that she undertook. As a first timer, she showed why getting your hands messy may be just what you need as she had fun creating something lovely from scratch.
The Bollywood actress seemed to have fun as she took to the clay experience and shared photos of herself during a practice session, on Instagram. Sanon was seated at a pottery wheel in her class where she moulded the wet clay into different bowls and cups. But more than just showing how she managed her first experience with clay, she shared a larger thought: “That thing you’ve been wanted to do or learn for years, the one that always made it to your “Things I wanna do this year” list but you never made time for it..Instead of saying “One day”, yet again, make today your “Day One” ! 🦋💛 One of the things on my list was Pottery! 🥰🏺 The joy of learning a new skill.. its something else! ☺️I love being a Work In Progress! 😌🤪”
If you’ve been silently musing over the idea of trying take up a pottery class, it’s time to tick off that bucket list. We got experts to share why this something that can anyone can take up.
There is also something deeply immersive about working with clay. Your hands are busy, your attention is on the wheel and, for an hour or two, the notifications can wait. The process demands patience, and you learn to embrace it. Kosha Shah of Studio Mittti, who conducts pottery classes and workshops, affirms this. She says, “I think the reason why people are taking to clay more than ever is because they are losing control of reality in an AI world. Clay counters that. It helps you ground yourself and gives you a connection with natural elements like earth and water. It also makes you slow down as you are not looking at your screen and have to stay mindful in the moment. And it is this moment that takes you away from screen anxiety.”
She adds, “People think of clay making as a hobby, but it’s a skill and easy to follow once you have instructions.”
For dwellers in an urban city, with little in the way of creative leisure, this comes as a manifold treat. Vidhi Dedhia of Vida Ceramics and Pottery also enthuses on how her classes of late have been packed. “People are taking to pottery for different reasons. When people come in on a Saturday it’s with a partner on a pottery date or they come in alone to release after feeling job burnout and want to release pent-up stress. We also see groups of friends wanting to try this as it makes for a way to reconnect.”
Vidhi, who was advertising for over 18 years, moved out of her role and found her calling here, in tactile clay.
She continues: “I was so tired of staring at a screen back then ad my eyes used too water a lot due to this. I had earlier tried a pottery class and on a whim, I began making cups and bowls for my friends and family and they loved it. I realised this was what gave me the best feeling and I have no regrets.” Pottery gave her that reset. “For one, it’s been easier on my health and there are no deadlines,” she smiles, adding. “One of the students told me they feel a little less busy in their heads when they are doing pottery. I also feel it’s great for that pre-wedding time when you want to slow down.”
Shah shares how younger age group is embracing the slow rhythm of a pottery class and its become a weekend ritual for them. “Actually, I feel Gen Z wants to go back to the simpler life. They want to elevate the quality of their leisure and escape digital fatigue.”
The classes provide students with materials. “After a month, whatever is made with the stoneware clay is glazed, fired and given back to them, which makes for a special keepsake,” she adds.
For anyone who’s glued to their phones and laptops, it’s an apt antidote that engages all senses and brings about a reset. Think beyond the usual cinema escape or dinner out, don an apron and sign up for a pottery class, like Kriti did. It’s an apt way to get off the screen.