Pottery is more than just clay and a spinning wheel for Karis Shields. It’s a form of self-expression, a creative escape, and a reflection of her love for the arts. From shaping sculptures to throwing clay on the wheel, her journey with ceramics has become a key part of her high school experience.

Shields is a senior at Noblesville High School and has been doing pottery since her sophomore year, and has continued her journey ever since creating wide varieties of different artwork. The question is what ignited this passion for ceramics?

“I’ve kinda always loved the arts. I did violin for four years, and then I took a year of piano. And I was like, you know what? Pottery sounds pretty cool. So I decided to give it a shot,” Shield said.

Unlike some ceramists, Shields doesn’t always plan her creations from the start. Instead, she likes to experiment and let her ideas evolve naturally.

“I sometimes get ideas from Pinterest, but the cool pieces I have are just stuff that I start doing and figure out as I go, ” Shields said.

Shields’ approach to ceramics hasn’t gone unnoticed. Ceramics teacher John Smith sees the mindfulness and effort that she puts into her work.

“I think the work she creates is well thought out. I think she, along with the rest of my class, is on this journey with technique and trying to say something with their art, which is the most important thing,” Smith said.

Unlike most classes, ceramics offers Shields the freedom to explore her creativity. It’s a place where students can develop their own ideas and techniques.

“I really like the freedom Mr. Smith gives us in ceramics. He just provides a loose idea of what we need to do but gives us the opportunity to experiment and express ourselves freely,” Shields said.

Smith has seen a wide variety of Shields’s pieces. from  more spontaneous works to more thought-out extended pieces. Yet, through thick and thin she still impresses him with her skills.

“I like when Karis throws on the wheel because her work is a little more spontaneous when she does that. That being said, she has some well-thought-out sculptures that are personal to her and they’re quite advanced,” Smith said.

While Shields see a lot of benefits to doing ceramics, she’s also noticed some downsides. But she views these negatives in a positive light.

“The unpredictability of pottery is my least favorite part, but I also kind of love it. It’s annoying because I can’t perfectly control how it will turn out, but at the same time, I like it because sometimes you end up discovering something you didn’t expect,” Shields said.

In ceramics, the ability to laugh in the face of adversities often comes in handy. One project in particular has earned her and her friends a memory that she will never forget.

“There was this particular project in my sophomore year, my first ever, where I was building the base part, and even though I had an apron on, somehow I managed to get my entire shirt covered in clay, so I had to go up to my car and change. All my friends call that the great ceramic disaster,” Shields said.

While her next step isn’t set in stone, Shields has an idea of what she wants to do after high school.

“I would love to continue ceramics in the future. It’s just a really fun escape — it’s never a chore or anything,” Shields said, “However, it does depend on what college and opportunities I get in the future.”

For Shields, ceramics is more than just an art class. It’s a chance to step away from the stress and chaos of her other challenging courses.

“Ceramics have been really nice for me as kind of an escape,” Shields said. “I take really hard classes, and it’s kind of just that one easy class where I can shut my brain off and just enjoy myself.”