Feelings of Raw River Clay
Raw Clay
The last post looked at when you feel you are not enough. Not good enough, smart enough, not …enough.
There were three key ways to approach this,
1. To dominate. To tell this part of you to be quiet
2. To make friends. To say “Yes, I see you.”
3. To use this strength. To find ways to become stronger with this negative thought. To change perspective.
It is the third one which is my favourite method, because of its potential. The potential not to conquer or appease but positively work with yourself.
Our most exciting selves are a balance of light and shadow, and this enables you to look at the shadows, understand them, and move forward in balance.
So how?
“You can be defeated and disorientated by all these feelings….,or you can see the paranoia for instance, as wonderful material.
You can use it as the raw clay that you pull out of the river
…you get to use it, shape it into something true and funny”
Anne was referring to how when writing, you can use your paranoia to give depth and detail to your characters. The technique can also apply to us when we’re saying we’re not enough
So take the feeling of “I’m not able to make changes happen”. This feeling is raw clay. When taking clay from a river, you need to sort it before it can be used to make pottery. Sand and rocks weaken the clay in the kiln, and so you need to sift them out. What are the other distractions in your thoughts?
For example,
I’m not able to make changes happen, I’m not smart enough, maybe I'm just superficial, I’m not sincere enough, maybe other people have a responsibility to change. I’m not a good enough leader. Go through, take each one and write it down, see it, let it speak.
Then what are you going to focus on, which part is the clay that you’re going to use?
Then consider how you are going to shape this, where is "true and funny"? The source of connection we can all identify?
Changing perspective.
Everyone has wondered how to make changes happen; you now have a connection with others; you are not alone, start slow. I am in a phase where I want to make a change.
This is a strength.
Show Your Work
River clay 4directionsbushcraft.com for how to collect river clay. This video has the brilliant title “Finding good clay, primitive pottery & Dakota fire”
ACWU Associated Clay Workers Union. Transience & Transubstantiation memorial to those passed through London Bridge station over the last two centuries. Bea Denton used unfired London Bridge Clay to create an ordinary memorial
https://www.acwu.co.uk/London-Bridge-Clay-Project
Challenging the stigma of mental health by being inclusive. How working with clay can give welcome respite from thoughts.
