Seeds of Care: When Slowing Down Creates Better Art

Freshly marbled silk. Photo by Robin Birdy

There was a moment when I looked around my studio and realized that I had been unconsciously gathering. For months, I'd been following my instincts and flowing in the studio without any grand plan, staying quiet in my space and making whatever called to me. When I finally paused and took inventory of some of the finished pieces, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had created a beautiful collection of work without even noticing. On Tuesday, May 27th, I'm sharing these pieces in my shop update, but at this moment, I ‘d like to share what this process taught me about slowing down and creating space for better art.

I've been redefining what productivity means in my art practice. Instead of measuring success by how much I share or create, I'm learning that intentional slowness yields something deeper. I started scheduling "appointments with myself"—museum visits penned in my calendar like important meetings, stretching breaks between studio tasks, and afternoons spent baking instead of making pottery. These aren't distractions from my work; they're the foundation of it. In these moments of care, I watch myself become more focused, happy, and appreciative. It's sort of like feeding the soil that grows the art.

A marbling timelapse, laying down the ink and patterns to marble silk scarves

The collection that emerged from this practice feels different. Each piece carries the energy of unhurried creation—pottery that was shaped during quiet mornings, kilns preheating while I take the dogs to the park, and silk scarves marbled between stretches and tea breaks. The work feels more intentional, more interesting, and somehow more fully formed. It's as if slowing down allowed each piece to fully express what it wanted to become, rather than what I thought it should be.

This month's shop update isn't just a collection of new work—it's my first harvest from a completely different way of creating. I'm no longer forcing productivity or feeling guilty about the quiet days. Instead, I'm trusting the slow rhythm of making, believing that the seeds of care I plant today will grow into tomorrow's art. As I continue this practice, I'm curious to see how many more unexpected collections might bloom from this gentle approach.

This isn’t a swift change that happened overnight. This is a practice that I’ve been taking small steps towards for years that is just now beginning to click into place.

Nothing quite beats the feeling of loving the work you do. Just me in the studio, crushing on these new pieces. Photo by Dayglow Photo

Shop Update Details: Tuesday, May 27th The shop update goes live at 6 pm Eastern, featuring new hand-built pottery and flowing marbled silk scarves. These pieces represent many weeks of intentional creating and caring, and I'm excited to share them with you. You can also find more market dates and behind-the-scenes content in this month's newsletter.

What role does slowing down play in your creative practice? I'd love to hear about your own relationship with pace and productivity in the comments.