For the June, July, and August months of my summer, I was gifted the opportunity to further deepen and reawaken my love for the art of ceramics and pottery. The Kiln Room Columbus is a ceramics studio that offers intimate ceramics classes to artists of all backgrounds and experiences. I was in a 4 week ceramics class instructed by a ceramics student from the Columbus College of Art and Design, with 5 other students alongside me. This course retaught me the art of making clay art and pottery on the throwing wheel, trimming techniques, the ins and outs of how ceramic pieces are fired in the kiln, and the chemistry behind glazing ceramic pieces. As a first-generation pre-physician assistant student, I had always felt a subconscious guilt that I could not grant myself the opportunity to enjoy activities if they did not further my professional career.
As a first-generation student, I had always felt that I could not allow myself the opportunity to explore outlets of my identity that went beyond my academics. However, this STEP Project and funding allowed me to give myself grace and fuel the artistic and creative aspect of my identity–that had been hidden for many years. The medical field is a demanding academic journey, and while it is essential to dedicate time to your studies, this STEP Project transformed my thoughts on how I now want to allocate my time and fuel aspects of my identity that go beyond academics. I used to identify myself as a student, but this STEP Project has transformed how I perceive and respect myself, and the activities that fuel me. Having identities beyond academics is a crucial experience to work through and has benefitted my well-being. While my academic achievements are undeniably important, this STEP Project allowed me to relearn that they only represent one aspect of my multifaceted life. This STEP Project has fostered personal growth and allowed me the opportunity to explore my identity more deeply. I was able to tap into my artistic passions, which contributed to a stronger sense of self. As well, by pouring into my interests that are non-academic related, I am relieving my burnout and am building a stronger foundation for myself as a person, rather than just a student.
During my ceramics course, I was accompanied in class by people from various ages and backgrounds. I was lucky to meet and learn from many different people from various walks of life. Different from sitting in my STEM courses at Ohio State University, this ceramics course allowed me the opportunity to talk to peers my age who had interests beyond medicine and science. I had become extremely comfortable having conversations about academics, that my interactions and newly developed friendships from this STEP Project allowed me to be more ever-curious about peoples’ upbringing, identities, vulnerabilities, hobbies, hardships, and more. I was the youngest student in that class by far, with the oldest student being in their 70s. Overall, this STEP Project allowed me to be put into a new environment with people I would not typically engage with, but I am too grateful for the conversations and relationships that developed from this ceramics class. There is always so much to learn from the people around you, but I was extremely grateful for the chance to talk deeply to my older ceramic classmates and get to know more about their lives, perspectives, and advice.
As well, the act of making ceramics on the pottery wheel was extremely therapeutic and calming. At the beginning of my class, I had felt incredibly anxious that I was wasting a few hours of my day engaging in a passion project, when I could have been spending that time furthering my professional goals and career. I had always put this subconscious pressure onto myself that I could not relax and work on any activities that would foster personal growth, rather career growth. However, after a few classes and falling in love with the process of pottery making, I was able to spend hours at the ceramics studio and fully allow myself to enjoy my time there. I gave myself the mental break from academics and summer school, and I would be extremely excited to drive to the ceramics studio and begin experimenting with different ceramic shapes, techniques, glaze combinations, etc.
While I would be at the pottery wheel during the class, I often times would turn on mindfulness podcasts to listen to in the background. Through this STEP Project, I was able to give myself the space and time to also nurture my mind and personal growth. With all of this time that I was enjoying at the ceramics studio, I was also fostering a sense of peace and mindfulness as a practice. This experience overall allowed me to realize the importance of personal time, breaks, and developing a stronger interpersonal connection with myself.
This ceramics course STEP Project has been transformational, especially in the sense that it gave me the opportunity to develop a deeper interpersonal connection with myself. Not only was I able to build meaningful relationships with people who came from all walks of life, but I was also able to learn the importance of building time to nourish my mental health and wellness. As a student at Ohio State, pushing to do my best within academics will always be a main value of mine, but this ceramics STEP Project has also taught me that fostering empathy for myself through taking breaks and also doing non-academic related activities will only benefit me, rather than be seen as “a waste of my time.” Through my newfound love for listening to mindfulness podcasts, I will also develop effective communication and understanding skills, which is critical for any professional problem-solving or team collaborations that I will eventually face in my student and professional careers. There are many aspects of our identity, and I am extremely grateful for STEP to have allowed me the opportunity to rediscover my multifaceted identity and experiences.