why 24/7 studio access fosters creative growth
1. Creativity Doesn’t Keep Office Hours
Most artists will tell you: inspiration rarely strikes on a schedule. British potter Lucie Rie once said,
“I work when I feel like working, and I don’t wait for inspiration. The work is what brings the ideas.”
Having unrestricted access to your tools means you can act on those ideas when they come—not days later during a scheduled class. Modern research agrees. According to Teresa Amabile, Harvard professor and creativity researcher:
“Time pressure can stifle creativity… especially when people feel as though they are on a treadmill.”
(The Journal of Creative Behavior, 1996)
2. Repetition Builds Mastery—Not Talent Alone
Skill in ceramics, especially wheel-throwing, comes through mindful repetition. Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours” rule (from Outliers) is hotly debated, but the essence is clear: the more you practice, the better you become. Warren MacKenzie, the influential American potter, emphasized:
“If I want to make a good pot, I have to make a hundred bad ones first.”
A study published in Psychological Science (Ericsson et al., 1993) confirms that “deliberate practice”—not raw talent—is the most reliable path to excellence. 24/7 studio access gives you space to experiment, repeat, and fail often—all essential ingredients for growth.
3. You Work Better When You Feel Safe
The studio should feel like a haven, not a schedule-bound classroom. 24/7 access offers psychological safety, which research shows is key to risk-taking and creativity (Google’s Project Aristotle, 2012). British ceramicist Kate Malone puts it this way:
“Freedom in the studio gives you freedom in the mind. When you’re not rushed, clay speaks to you differently.”
Your hands get to explore without performance anxiety. Your ideas unfold more honestly. And you’ll find yourself more willing to try—and fail—on the path to mastery.
4. Creative Habits Are Easier When You Control Your Time
In Atomic Habits, James Clear argues:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
When the system includes 24/7 access, it’s easier to turn your creative work into a daily or weekly ritual. And once creativity becomes a habit, momentum takes over. Your 10 p.m. Friday session becomes as natural as brushing your teeth. Your Tuesday morning coffee? Now it comes with trimming bowls (only if you want to).
5. A Flexible Studio Builds Real Community
Here’s a fun paradox: when everyone chooses different times to create, surprising friendships form. As ceramicist Ayumi Horie once noted in an interview:
“Ceramic studios thrive on cross-pollination—between new and old, quiet and expressive, casual and committed.”
It becomes a living community, where creativity flows in and out like breath. This spirit of organic connection is an integral part of our philosophy at à la mud—where shared space fosters shared growth.
6. A Peaceful Space to Discover Your Voice
Sometimes, what you need most is a quiet moment away from the noise of daily life—no dishes in the sink, no emails to answer, no one asking what's for dinner. Just you, the wheel, and the rhythm of your hands in clay. Many of our members come to à la mud not just to make art, but to reclaim space for themselves—to slow down, focus, and reconnect with their creative instincts. In this kind of calm, uninterrupted space, your personal style doesn’t just emerge—it unfolds. Jun Kaneko, the famed Japanese-American sculptor, said:
“Sometimes, I work all night. Not because I have to, but because the work won’t let go.”
This kind of uninterrupted flow is only possible when you're allowed to stay past business hours. In fact, a 2016 study in Thinking Skills and Creativity found that artists who had access to flexible, self-paced work environments reported higher originality scores in creative problem-solving.
Final Thoughts
Your creativity deserves time, space, and trust. That’s what à la mud offers with 24/7 studio membership. We don’t just give you a key—we give you permission to build your own creative rhythm. Whether you’re sketching out your first mug or mastering a teapot spout, the path is yours to walk—any time, day or night.
Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in Context: Update to “The Social Psychology of Creativity”. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.
Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406.
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery.
Harvard Business Review (2014). The Making of an Expert, by K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula, and Edward T. Cokely.
Project Aristotle – Google re:Work (2012). Understanding team effectiveness and psychological safety.
Zabelina, D. L., & Robinson, M. D. (2010). Creativity as flexible cognitive control. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 4(3), 136–143.
Horie, A., interview in Ceramics Monthly, August 2017.
Malone, K., quoted in BBC Arts: Handmade in Britain, 2016.
MacKenzie, W., from A Potter’s Life: Warren MacKenzie Talks Craft, Minnesota Public Radio interview, 2001.
Rie, L., quotes from The Ceramic Art of Lucie Rie, by Tony Birks (1987).
Kaneko, J., artist interview, Smithsonian Archives of American Art, 2008.