Struggle to Stand Up for Yourself? Try Pottery in Utah

Pottery classes can help you rediscover your voice. Through hands-on creation and weekly practice, you'll gain the confidence to speak up—for your needs, your time, and yourself.

Written and overseen by Dan Pearce, founder of The Clay Hole—Utah’s largest pottery studio and a professional potter with nearly 3 million social media followers.

If you’ve ever frozen up in a confrontation, agreed when you didn’t want to, or stayed silent just to avoid conflict—you’re not alone. Many of us are never taught how to advocate for ourselves without guilt. Learning to stand up for yourself is a skill—and pottery can help unlock it in ways that are creative, safe, and surprisingly effective.

At The Clay Hole in Draper, Utah, we offer a space that empowers you to trust your decisions, embrace your voice, and gain confidence every week. Our members often tell us that the strength they build at the wheel or hand-building table spills over into real life—and we’ve seen it time and again.

Why Pottery Helps You Stand Taller

• You gain control over your creation. Pottery gives you full autonomy—every decision is yours to make, reinforcing self-trust.
• You learn assertiveness through practice. Clay requires deliberate choices, and over time, so does life.
• You experience non-verbal confidence. Seeing a finished piece you made by hand reminds you what you're capable of.
• You build identity separate from others’ expectations. You get to make what you love—not what anyone else thinks you “should.”

According to experts, assertiveness is not about aggression—it’s about respecting yourself enough to express your needs. That kind of inner strength grows quietly through repetition—and pottery provides the perfect medium to rehearse it.

What to Expect at The Clay Hole

We’re not a “paint-a-pot” place or one-night event studio. We’re Utah’s biggest membership-based pottery studio with weekly classes that prioritize creativity, calm, and connection. Every member attends class weekly, building both skill and courage as the weeks go by.

• Located in Draper—central to both Salt Lake County and Utah Valley
• No contracts—just monthly memberships with flexible options
• Classes include bonus days, hand-building and wheel options, and 4 instructors per session
• Access to 500+ glazes, 100+ underglazes, and thousands of tools
• Coffee bar, cold drinks, cozy seating areas, and a giant glaze wall in “The Clayground”

Why Community Helps Assertiveness Grow

One of the best ways to grow in self-advocacy is to spend time around kind, respectful people. Our members range from artists and engineers to stay-at-home parents and ex-Mormons—all learning to speak up, be heard, and make something meaningful with their hands.

"Pottery became my backbone. I started saying ‘no’ to things I didn’t want to do—and saying ‘yes’ to myself for the first time in years." – Alex W., Member

Conclusion

You don’t have to keep shrinking to fit someone else’s comfort zone. Pottery can be the thing that reminds you who you are—and gives you the courage to show it. Join a class, touch the clay, and let it help you find your voice again.

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