[sm]all things
handmade
~ CLAYBEADS | JEWELRY ~
Not one is as another, every one unique.
In early spring 2020, I began to prepare a little piece of land for gardening. Partly because I love it, and partly because I needed it. Apart from, being close to the growing process; sowing seeds to harvest, and creating something beautyful fills and calms me in a manner few things can, it served as support through the loss a dear friend and served as a means to find solace and appreciation in what life offers. Even when it takes. Indeed especially through what it takes. While working on the ground, I found lots and lots of dense, clayey soil. It sparked an emmense curiosity to see if I could extract the clay from the soil. This would turn out to be the a seed to the beginning of an incredibly wholesome project; Stories of [sm]all things. All Clay Beads throughout the handmade section of Stories of [sm]all things I’ve created from that clay. Another two buckets of soil await processing. Whenever I spend time in the forest, I bring fresh clay or already made and dried beads and pieces to burn in the fire. I love how the the imprints of leaves, grasses, snails, and stones in the material, capture the co-dependency and interconnectedness of lifeforms and elements.
LEANING IN TO SLOW PROCESSES
A forest workshop near the fire, and a seeming unending pool of inspiration and potential.
It´s incredibly satisfying to work with clay as a medium. As it transforms from rocky, dense lumps, into a thick, brown, jellylike fluid, and onwards into a sort of spongy, flexible material which can take all kinds of shapes and forms. Harden or soften again, to eventually burn into its lasting shape. Changing color along the way. The process is tactile, juicy, and raw. It allows for sensations to take the front seat. The reward of such processes, the ones that transform our inner worlds, and which allow us to be entrenched with the simplicity of being, is beyond measure.
Patience and listening are being asked for; softly, as the process moves at its own pace, firmly because of that very same reason. There´s no way to rush the process, to move quicker, nor slower… It simply takes the time it takes. Creating, and being part of these creative processes, are the very nectar of life. Without, life would be a whole lot greyer, quite possibly unbearable at times…
It’s the reminder of presence, of silence, of peace calling itself, and reminding of innate trust, and leaning into what is, and isn’t born yet. In a way it is a playground to learn and practice life, of healing too.
The clay embodies both the firm and the soft. The soft, sort of mending qualities of presence; acceptance of what is, by its “being here”. And the firm, to pull me back to center. A kind of discipline that perhaps derives from understanding ourselves as innately good, innately deserving, and being love. Back to ourself. A shapeless shape. Regardless of what any of our life stories have taught us.
Gift yourself, or someone you love.
Clay pieces and beads will become available here. Some in the form of jewelry, some woven into a dreamcatcher, and some simply as their own single self. If you have a wish for a particular piece or want to place a custom order, please reach out so we may discuss the possibilities.
PHOTOGRAPHY | DRAWING | PAINTING | WRITING
