The antidote to the Digital Age

Is it just me?

It might be - but I don't actually think it is.

As we are now in the 5th anniversary of the lockdowns I'm caught between 'FIVE YEARS??!?!' and it feeling like a few months ago.

There's no doubt that it changed the world and while I could dig deep and find some positives, I think one of the biggest changes was that we were fully launched into the 'Digital Age'. Point in case - we are all aware there IS a Digital Age and I am not sure the Stone Age peeps knew they were in the Stone Age, did they?!

Before we knew it Schooling was provided via Teams, companies moved to remote working overnight, family quiz nights were held on Zoom and you could watch West End theatre productions on your telly.

Access to this kind of technology was a means to an end during a difficult time yet so much lingers after the virus panic has gone, in fact it's grown and grown and continues to do so, and with it we have all been engulfed as it does.

We've traded so much actual human, face to face connection for screens. Screens which, if they are anything like mine, are a constant source of telling me where I should be, what I should be doing, what I need to achieve today, what I've not achieved today - or yesterday for that matter - or that 12 different people need me to make a decision on12 different things and that's before we have our friends and family 'popping in' to say Hi.

Which, I believe, is why I am becoming increasingly aware of a resurgence back to the physical - Dixie Dot and all we offer providing a much needed contrast to glass screens and the never ending scroll.

It's no coincidence.

Pottery, or clay, (or any type of crafting for that matter!) brings us back to the 'real'. Sensory experiences that we feel as we create, such as the coolness of the clay, or seeing the texture of paint on ceramic, run alongside an opportunity to slow down, tune in and focus on the process. Something which I really struggle with at any other time.

The digital world is about immediacy, speed, efficiency and much of what we create these days lives online.

So it feels truly magical to make something physical...lasting, real.

I read something recently about the digital age being a constant buzz.

Perhaps creating and crafting is a gentle hum, a slowing down, a call to make your heart happy.

Crafting gives us an opportunity to relax and unwind, and whether you are alone or with friends in our studio, the experience encourages conversation and connection, not just to others and the world around you, but to what's going on inside of you too.

Next time you are feeling digitally drained or life is moving that bit too fast, consider that the antidote you need is the chance to sit, make, create and breathe.

You might just find exactly what you're missing.

If you need the space, either physically or in your head, Dixie Dot is here for you

xXx