Handmade in a Fast World: An Act of Gentle Resistance

Slowing Down to Do Better

In our Western societies, everything seems to move faster and faster: one-click orders, next-day deliveries, instant replacements.

In this constant rush, choosing to make or buy a handmade object is like deciding to walk barefoot while everyone else runs in high-performance sneakers.

It’s a quiet, intentional act — and a deeply necessary one.

It’s gentle resistance.

When I work with clay, I’m forced (and glad) to obey its laws. It doesn’t hurry.

If I rush its drying, it cracks. If I shape it without care, it collapses.

Clay is a teacher of slowness. And this time imposed by the material is, in itself, an ecological act.

In ceramics, going fast means creating waste.

Going slowly means creating meaning.

Handmade, a Respectful Cycle

In my studio, nothing is truly lost.

The water used to wash, smooth, and shape, I collect it. I let it settle.

The clay sinks, the water clears, and I reuse it.

It’s a simple but precious cycle.

The same goes for clay scraps: I dry them, rehydrate them, and recycle them.

I don’t fire the kiln for just three pieces, because each firing consumes a great deal of energy.

I wait. I fill the kiln.

I create a rhythm: not ideal for productivity, but essential to coherence.

That’s also what handmade as gentle resistance means: refusing the “always more” that wears out both the planet and ourselves.

A Different Relationship to Time and the World

Choosing a handmade piece means choosing a different relationship with time.

It’s accepting that the object took days to come to life, that it passed through stages, and carries its own story.

It’s also accepting to pay a fair price: one that values the time spent, the energy saved, the repeated gesture, the recycled clay.

It’s not just a purchase: it’s a way to support another economic model, one that values durability, quality, and simplicity.

One that connects the maker and the user.

Because when you buy a handmade cup, bowl, or plate, you’re choosing a fragment of life, not just a product.

Would You Like to Embrace Gentle Resistance in Your Daily Life by buying Handmade?

I invite you to discover my handmade ceramic pieces, each one created slowly, intentionally, and with care.

Every object has taken time to exist, to be shaped, glazed, and fired with purpose.

A simple yet essential gesture.

Discover the collection on my online shop:

https://www.lucie-eleme.com/boutique