As part of our Christmas party last year, we decided to do something a little different and booked in a session at a local spot called Clay Friends, where you can sit down and make your own ceramic pieces. The intention was for it to be a relaxed, hands-on activity, something a bit more tactile than what we usually do day to day.
That changed quite quickly once I introduced a brief.
The brief: CREATE A CLAY MASTERPIECE THAT SUMMARISES WHO YOU ARE AS A CREATIVE.
What could go wrong with a bit of friendly competition among the team.
What followed was a level of commitment that was probably higher than expected.
Everyone approached it differently, but there was a clear sense that people wanted to do well, and in some cases, win. Victoria in particular was very determined from the outset, and it showed in the final result.
Her piece was a bowl with the words “Let me overthink this” pressed into it, which felt very fitting. She has a natural ability to pull things apart and examine them from every angle, and there’s a level of self-awareness in that piece that made it land even better. She ended up taking out the win, which felt well deserved.
Matt, who doesn’t come from a creative background, produced something completely different. A small Good Thunder spaceman, which was unexpected but thoughtfully done, and a nice reminder that creativity shows up in different ways.
Isaac’s piece was probably the most him. He made a lightbulb with “this is shit” written on it, which on the surface feels blunt, but is actually very reflective of how he thinks. He has a way of cutting through ideas quickly, calling things as they are, and then building something better from there. There’s always a layer of humour in it, but also a level of honesty that runs deep. It felt very on brand.
Mine was, objectively, not good.
I made a wonky bowl (not on purpose) and wrote “good enough” on it, which is ironic given I’m usually the one pushing for things to be production perfect. But in the moment, it felt right. There’s something quite freeing about letting something be what it is, even if it’s a bit rough around the edges. Or maybe that’s just how I justified it.
What made the whole thing interesting and hilarious was seeing how differently everyone interpreted the same brief.
The winner was voted anonymously by the team, which made it feel slightly more serious than it probably needed to be. Victoria took it out, which no one was particularly surprised about. Isaac was the runner up. Matt got a special mention. Emma got no mention.
More than anything, it was a fun reminder of how creativity shows up when you take people out of their usual context. No screens, no time to research and source external inspiration. Just getting straight into the task at hand.
And in some cases, overthinking it.
