Wellness For Makers | Missy Graff Ballone | Episode 961

Missy Graff Ballone | Episode 961

Missy Graff Ballone is the author of Wellness for Makers: A Movement Guide for Artists! Missy’s mission is to motivate and empower creatives, like you, through education, mindful-living, and movement! Missy combines her unique backgrounds as an Artist, Yoga Instructor, and Licensed Massage Therapist to make information about the body accessible to artists everywhere.

This simple wrist stretch is a great way to counterbalance overuse issues for many ceramic artists. Wedging clay forces the wrist into extension and the force of the movement adds a lot to the load. A counterbalance stretch can work wonders.

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What is this called? Is it straight up exercise that we are doing?

I would not call this exercise. I would call this creating a sustainable studio practice. This is creating a new daily routine. It’s a different way to approach movement. Movement literally means to change position so in my work I am offering you ways to reduce your risk of repetitive strain injury. You don’t have to go to the gym to do that.

Hand strengtheners are a great way for clay artists to counterbalance the repetitive movements of pinching and gripping while incorporating some resistance. This tool will help build strength in the hands, wrists, and forearms.

Is it good to do 30 minutes in the morning and calling it good for the day or is there something more to breaking it up?

If thirty minutes in the morning is all you can do that’s great, however, I’d say to do more throughout your day, you want the variety flowing throughout the day. You don’t want to just sit for eight hours. That’s going to cause a repetitive strain injury and you are doing to put too much pressure on your low back or something like that and before you know it you’re aching while making.

How much time do you have to invest in good movement practice?

Oh my goodness, it’s not much at all. I’m talking about setting an alarm every twenty minutes to reach your arms above your head, to get up and stand, to touch the floor, to squat down, just literally hang in the doorway, lift your hands up and touch the doorway when you walk to the bathroom. Not a lot of stuff can create a lot of change.

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When you think about potters, specifically wheel workers, what kind of physical challenges do they face?

So at the wheel there are a few things. A lot of low back pain from leaning to one side. One side of your body is going to be over stretched and the other side is going to be shortened. The side that is shortened may need some massage work, some stretching, and the side that is over stretched, it needs strengthening.

When you think about hand builders, what is the biggest challenge they face physically?

Sure, one of the things is the position that we move our hands into. So if you are wedging clay a lot of times the clay table is the wrong height for the person wedging clay. So they end up putting so much force onto their wrists. So learning how to strengthen and stretch your hands is really important.

Is it better to be standing or sitting while making?

So I have no problem with you sitting as long as you have more variety. So standing is wonderful, sitting is wonderful, and I appreciate a mix of both. I am not going to tell you never sit, I am not going to say never stand, you want to do both.

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