Dialogue with Clay

"Sometimes our hands have something in mind that energes only when we stop giving directions , telling them what to do." (Bankson, 2004, p. 64)

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The practice of pinching not from a ball, but from a flat slab with the eyes closed offers a unique sensory perspective. Bankson (2008) encourages the offering of prompts to have a conversation or to create a dialogue with the clay as it is being pinched. Participants in the retreat were given a flat slab of clay in which to work. Prompts were suggested such as write a letter, create a gift, or write a poem, among others. Participants were invited to write after the experience if they wished to record their dialogue, story, or poem. As participants worked with their clay, calm music played and they were encouraged to find a comfortable posture and space.

This participant stacked pieces into cairns. Cairns are often used in the wilderness to mark the way back home.

Prompts For Dialogue With Clay Slab

• a letter to a friend

• a gift for someone who has died

• a wish

• a song or poem

• a family outing

• a secret treasure

"A Bag of Hope", this participant added words to their slap of clay with an etching tool and then bundled the slab.