what i learn from clay
Returning to Clay, Reclaiming Myself
When I left my full-time leadership role, I joined a local ceramics studio and returned to working with clay after a 20-year break.
Like many of the women leaders I work with, I had put parts of myself on hold to pursue professional success. Earning an advanced degree, growing my career, traveling for work, raising a family—it all left little space for anything else. Pottery, like other pursuits, was pushed aside.
Reclaiming my time and creativity has taught me lessons that can help my clients achieve their goals—both personally and professionally.
Growth takes time—and self-compassion.
I’ve spent hours watching clay collapse, crack, or turn out completely different than I planned. My fingernails have worn down, pieces have flown off the wheel but it hasn’t stopped me. Leadership growth is similar: it’s rarely linear, never perfect, and always a process. It requires patience, persistence, constant learning and adaptation.
Letting go of perfection opens space for possibility.
When I walk into the studio, I feel calm and fulfilled. What I create is never technically perfect—but it’s meaningful because I showed up, enjoyed the process and allowed something new to emerge.
I see the same thing happen with my clients. When they finally make space for themselves—whether it’s picking up an old hobby, starting an exercise routine, or reconnecting with people who matter—they rediscover what fuels their clarity, energy, and leadership.
This is what I want for you as my client:
To reconnect with neglected aspects of your identity. To recognize that taking time for your development isn't selfish—it's essential. To approach your leadership challenges with the mindset of a craftsperson: patient, resilient, and open to possibilities that might differ from your original vision.
The most effective leaders, like the most accomplished potters, understand that mastery comes not from avoiding imperfections but from learning to work with them constructively, honoring impermanence and knowing when to let go. They know when to apply pressure, when to ease up, and how to transform limitations into distinctive features of their work.
Are you ready to reshape your approach to leadership and reclaim the creative energy that first drew you to your mission?
“When all of our selves is present in what we do, then we can be said to be ‘on Center’.”
— M.C. Richards, Centering in Pottery, Poetry and the Person
