Moments Of Zen: John Julian In The Studio

• Posted on 11 September 2021
• Posted in Meet The Maker, On Our Shelves
• 0

We take great pleasure in the simple, brilliant, meditative quality to working with our hands.

The act of washing the dishes, of working the dough, or clearing the garden bed take on a soothing repetitive physicality, the working, the doing, the creating. In these moments our breath matches our bodies, our minds are made quiet as our waking selves are lost in the hand's work. Sometimes, especially if we are feeling a little unmoored, the simple pleasure of working with our hands can be the touchstone that anchors us back into our bodies and reconnects us to both beauty and purpose.

Perhaps this is also why we take such sincere and awe-struck pleasure watching the artisans at work in the John Julian studio. The working of luminous porcelain clay into John Julian's beautifully functional forms is indeed a delicate thing, a true art, made to seem—in the mystical way of artistry—effortless. There is something deeply satisfying about these repetitive actions, as simple and natural as our own hands on the dishbrush, and these moments of breath-and-body synchronicity have a delightfully calming effect.

Here, in celebration of the serene, certain, beautiful quality of mind, body, and breath aligned with hands that know their way about their business, we've put together a few moments of workmanlike zen. Watch until your breathing slows and your joy syncs up with your heartbeat: 

Ahhhhhh. And for those of you who may get a satisfying zen thrill from things being masterfully packed and unpacked, please enjoy these time lapse videos of loading and unloading the John Julian kiln:

To bring some finished zen to your zone, get your own hard-working hands on some John Julian porcelain here.