I’ve always wanted to become a potter. When I first started working with clay, I loved the process immediately. But as a mum with a young family, finding the time, space, and flexibility to attend pottery courses wasn’t always easy. That gap between wanting to create and being able to access it became the starting point for everything Clay Play is today.

I created Clay Play for people like me, people who want to slow down, reconnect, and make something with their hands, but need it to fit into real life.

My connection to nature influences everything I create. From Te Tuhi Hillside Retreat and Te Tuhi Pottery in Taupō surrounded by farmland, native bush, birdsong, and views across Lake Taupō. I’m constantly reminded of how grounding it is to work with your hands and create something from natural materials.

Whether location, lack of time, or lack of knowledge has held you back, I created Clay Play so everyone can have a play with clay.

xx Emily