Written by Anna Boland
My name is Anna, and I’m a third-year Occupational Therapy student living on campus in Albury. During my early years at university, I often felt guilty for not spending every spare moment in front of my laptop, working on whatever assignment or task was next, overtime this got exhausting. I noticed I was losing touch with my hobbies, my relationships, and my creative side.
At the start of last year, I made a promise to myself that I would create a better work life balance, so one afternoon I booked myself in for a pottery lesson.
I quickly fell in love with it. I now attend regular classes at Workshopp Ceramics in Wodonga, where my wonderful teacher, Simone, has guided me through wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques to create teacups, bowls, pots, and more. Each week, I genuinely look forward to those two hours where I can switch off from study and fully immerse myself in something creative and sensory.
Pottery has given me a sense of creative freedom I hadn’t felt in a long time. While I love my course, university life can feel highly structured and I’m often guilty of putting pressure on myself to perfect everything. Pottery has taught me to let go of perfection, what I used to see as mistakes now just feel like little quirks that add character to each piece. There’s an inherent unpredictability to the process, your piece might crack in the kiln, or the glaze might turn out differently than expected. Initially, this was frustrating, but it’s now my favourite part. Learning to enjoy the process, rather than fixating on the final outcome has been one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned.
So, if you’re looking for a creative outlet or just need a break from the stress of university, I highly recommend giving pottery a go. Who knows? You might fall in love with it too.
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative
