Soulwork of Clay

Drawing on her first-hand experience of working with clay, Bankson takes her readers through the seven-step process of making clay into a pot, drawing parallels at each stage to the process of spiritual growth: Grounding: Connecting with our core elements. Kneading: Awakening to the inner realm. Centering: Gathering everything together. Shaping: Focusing inner and outer pressures. Finishing: Trimming away the excess. Decorating: Celebrating our creativity. Firing: Making an act of commitment. Because clay is such an elemental substance, Bankson proposes that it calls us to let go of our pretensions??????"it's just mud!"-and play as a little child. This simple connection with the earth, however, has the potential to put us "in touch with the whole of creation and, at the same time, our soul's longing to participate as an artist, creating something new and unique." A series of end-of-chapter questions and simple exercises invite readers to use the images of clay...