Create, Wait, Celebrate
Potter Lauren Shin teaches classes at her tranquil Norae Ceramics studio in Kāne‘ohe.
Lauren Shin teaches ceramics at her tranquil Norae Ceramics studio in Kāne’ohe.
“I was selling my pottery for a while, and I had a lot of people ask if I teach classes. There’s a different kind of joy and fulfillment in sharing something that I’ve made with somebody, as opposed to teaching someone else how to create their own work,” says Shin.
She offers both a one-day class and a six-week course. After graduating from the six-week course, students can become members and continue making ceramics at the workshop during open-studio time.
Shin says ceramics is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness. “When you’re doing ceramics, it engages all of your senses and you have to be present. You can’t be off thinking about something else, or the clay just flies all over the place.”
The waiting stage sets ceramics apart from other art forms. After shaping the clay on the spinning wheel and glazing it, you must wait a month for your piece to completely dry before firing it in the kiln.
“Every time we unload the kiln, it’s like Christmas! And it’s nice that you have to wait because it builds that anticipation,” says Shin.
