Inspired by Pottery

As a writer, it’s easy to focus only on writing and learning the craft of writing. That's why it helps to take a break and explore another type of art to boost your creativity and find inspiration.

At the end of March, the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) held its annual convention in Minneapolis. Since I know a number of potters, I was surprised that some exhibitions were free and open to the public.

The annual cup exhibition where potters donated cups for people to purchase (and waited in line for an hour to view and buy them) delighted my spirit. Who could imagine so many different ways to throw or hand build a cup? With how many different glazes? And so many choices? (There were more than 1,500 entries.)

Kip O’Krongly’s ceramics in the vendor hall made me giggle. I loved the cows, the sheep, the geese. Art—like writing—is meant to move us. That’s why I take artist dates (which Julia Cameron suggested in her book, The Artist’s Way), even though I’m a writer. Art feeds a writer’s soul as much as books do.