6 MINUTE READ

From Luke’s Journal June 2024  |  Vol.29 No.2  |  Christian Hospitality

I am not naturally creative. When I was 7 and my younger sister only 3 years old, she could already draw better than me. My whole life I have steered towards science, maths and sports, avoiding all other school subjects where possible. I did not take a single art class in middle or high school.

Any thought of creative ventures did not have a chance to bloom during medical school since I was busy with ministry, part-time jobs and regularly travelling between Newcastle and Sydney. Once my children were born. I was preoccupied with attending to their changing needs, continuing with ministries and returning to work after maternity leave.

Fast forward to the COVID pandemic. I had just made some new friends at Bible Study Fellowship which I had been attending since my firstborn was three months old – wonderful mums from different denominations and walks of life. I met a single mother of four who really made an impact on me, especially the way she took her faith seriously in the face of great adversity. She had started a new business teaching people how to make polymer clay jewellery. I had never heard of polymer clay and just thought it was playdough for adults. I honestly wasn’t interested and wondered if I could just donate some money towards her business.

Eventually, I was encouraged to sign up for a beginner group class, and so I did… just as the second COVID lockdown hit NSW. This resourceful mum leapt into action and changed what would have been a several-hours workshop into weekly lessons over Zoom. Week after week on a Thursday night a bunch of mums would meet online, haggard from juggling homeschooling with our jobs and household maintenance. We were taught a new technique each week and shared both laughter and tears – this basically kept us going through the lockdown.

It was therapeutic on so many levels: a break from lockdown doom, engaging another part of our brains, using our hands to produce a tangible product. It was relaxing to mould, shape and colour the clay into meaningful forms. As a GP, I really found value in taking a break from despairing at rising outbreak numbers, adjusting to new lockdown rules on an almost-daily cycle, and being literally and figuratively weighed down by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) all day. I finally realised that perhaps there was some creativity inside me that had previously been buried, waiting for a chance to be nourished.

Before I knew it, I was churning out more earrings than I could give away, so my talented software programmer husband offered to help me build a website. I found a niche market in creating anatomy earrings in the shape of hearts, lungs, kidneys, brains and uteri. Over time I added femurs and intestines as well. I experienced great joy in receiving feedback from nurses, midwives and doctors regarding these unique creations. I also felt a deep connection to our Creator God, taking inspiration from His creativity seen in nature and human anatomy.

Over time, I built up the courage to start hosting stalls at local markets. Some local primary schools approached me to provide earrings for their Mother’s Day stalls. Meeting new people from the community and seeing their reactions first-hand has been so encouraging for this ‘non-creative‘ person. In fact, the joy that comes from connecting over these small objects has caught me by surprise. I now even have ‘market buddies’ – other stall holders that sign up for the same markets and we set up next to each other.

My Clay Club still meets in person. We aim for once a term since we’re all busy mums. It’s so exciting to sit around a table full of equipment, nibbles and drinks with so much creative potential. We share clay blocks, cutters, techniques and swap stories of what’s been happening since the last time we met.

“Some gospel conversations have risen from this group of both Christians and non-Christians and for that, I am eternally grateful”.

The community we have built is truly special and other clay makers have expressed a bit of envy at our little club. The other women in this group have been so encouraging and supportive. Whether we meet in person or chat online, there is a deep connection with these other creative souls. I’m glad for the opportunity to build a community with women I may never have met otherwise. Some gospel conversations have risen from this group of both Christians and non-Christians and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Since starting this hobby, each year I have chosen a different charity to donate the revenue. Whilst this means I have minimal profit, and am financially ‘in the red’, there is joy in being able to give with a cheerful heart. I have been fortunate to be able to support local refugee outreach safe houses, women’s rehabilitation centres, organisations assisting women and children fleeing domestic violence, and this year I am donating towards Bears of Hope which supports families grieving pregnancy and infant loss.

Unexpectedly, I have been able to connect with some of my patients over their creative ventures, from milliners to photographers, crafters and candle makers. I would never have this depth of relationship with them if we hadn’t connected over our creative outlets.

Next year is a significant birthday for me and I’m thinking of hosting a Crafternoon Tea for women in my life. Who have I become?! I wouldn’t have imagined being this kind of person just a few years ago. Now that I have finished writing this article, the most relaxing thing I can imagine is heading to my craft room to clay the day away.

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