People often ask me where my love of pottery comes from. The truth is, it’s not just something I enjoy—it’s something I need. Pottery has been one of the most grounding, healing, and creatively fulfilling parts of my life, especially as someone with ADHD.
When my hands are in clay, my mind settles. The background noise dims. The pace slows. It’s like my brain gets to exhale.
A Creative Lifeline
As a designer, creativity is in everything I do. But pottery taps into a different kind of creativity—quieter, more focused, more intuitive. There’s no screen, no inbox, no endless notifications. Just me, the wheel, and the clay. And in that moment, nothing else matters.
It has helped me sharpen my fine motor skills, tune in to the details, and practice something ADHD usually makes tricky: patience. You can’t rush a pot. You can’t multitask a glaze. You have to be present—and that practice has carried over into the rest of my work and life in the best way.
A Mental Reset
There are days when my brain feels like a browser with 73 tabs open. Pottery helps me close them, one by one. It’s meditative, repetitive, and forgiving. And when you live with ADHD, those small wins—the centered bowl, the glaze that turns out just right—are deeply validating.
It’s also become a tool for emotional regulation. Frustrated? Go wedge some clay. Sad? Let the wheel pull you back into rhythm. Anxious? Shape something with your hands. There’s something healing about creating something from nothing—and watching it transform with fire and time.
Purpose in the Process
I never set out to become a potter. But I fell back in love with it as an adult, and now, it’s part of my identity. It’s where I go when I need to reset. It’s how I’ve reconnected with my purpose, not just as a creative, but as a human.
That’s why it was so important for me to bring it into the heart of my brand through MADE by Nikki Levy. Every piece we develop under MADE—whether it’s pottery, lighting, wallpaper, or fabric—is rooted in the same intentionality and personal connection I feel at the wheel.
Pottery gave me back focus. It gave me back joy. And it reminded me that creativity doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.
So yes, I design homes. But I also design quiet moments, soft landings, and things made by hand that hold emotion.
Pottery is more than my passion—it’s my therapy, my balance, and my reset button.
And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.