HANDFUL For Business
The clay sessions are an invitation to turn the attention inwards.
OUR REALITY IS A MIND-DRIVEN REALITY
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‘Our mind wanders 50% of our awaking moments.’
We multitask, we work towards tight deadlines, we jump from one task to the next. It’s a digital world we live in, where working, shopping or connecting often happens in front of the screen. Most of the time we spend in our head. The body is seldom involved, the hand-gestures are reduced to scrolling or typing.
Our creative output has declined to about 2% of our potential and creativity is often generated digitally.
As a result we feel stressed out, depressed and uninspired lacking inspiration and aliveness.
According to medical educator, Roger Lemon feedback happens every time we move our hands, handle a tool or explore a new surface. The hands are feeding information back to the brain while we are working with clay.
“Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.”
(Carl Jung)
Our hands want to touch, explore and discover. Our bodies want to feel, embody and breathe. HANDFUL creates moments for these missing experiences.
THE CLAY MEDITATION IS
A CONSCIOUS PROCESS
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Getting drawn in by the clay helps us to focus and improve observational skills. The organic material has body-like qualities that activate our intuition and connect us to ourselves. We can let go of any pressure, expectations or distractions.
The Clay Meditation is a conscious process engaging the hands through tactility, gesture and intuition. Meanwhile the mind can relax and arrive at the same place with the body. Through slow motion gestures and tactile qualities new information from the hands are sent to the brain. It's a calming as well as insightful process.
RESEARCH IS ON OUR SIDE
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A wealth of recent research has found that art-making is linked to positive effects on mental health and creativity leading to improved performance at work, brain function, and happiness. The clay process improves discernment between activities that nurture or deplete internal resources. People learn to recognise the signs of stress and are able to respond more effectively. In addition, engaging with organic matter such as clay can have a positive effect on the immune system as well as our stress resilience properties.
“Firms that do well at wellbeing will see talent stay and join.
Those that don’t, will struggle.”
(Robert Hicks, Group HR Director at Reward Gateway)
MUDDY HANDS. CLEAR MIND.​
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I offer online and offline sessions, based on circumstances, goals and times. Experiences can take place in your space, in the HANDFUL studio or any preferred location.
The focus of a session can vary and be adjusted to your needs. You want to support your employees with inner balance and fresh focus,
or prioritise collaboration and connection, motivation and aliveness, or improve empathy and communication, or actually increase the creative output through inspiration and activation? Find a mindfulness workshop for your business. I am happy to talk about your needs and intentions and send you a proposal.
Contact me for a brochure with more HANDFUL team workshops.
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Sessions can be held in german or english.
SESSIONS ARE FACILITATED
BY ANKE BUCHMANN
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Anke Buchmann is an award-winning artist, founder of the Clay Meditation and HANDFUL muddy hands. clear mind. Before she graduated in London at Central Saint Martins as Ceramic Designer, she worked 10 years as a
User Experience Designer for international agencies, brands and startups. Today clay allows her to create tangible experiences, leaving a lasting impact that people can feel in their bodies and minds.
M.S., Google, Zürich
"Anke lead our team through a pleasant one-hour session of meditation with clay - and it was a great experience! everyone in the team enjoyed it and it was a great way to disconnect from the day-to-day work pressure while staying connected to ourselves."
Mathew Leung, Founder and Architect, Assemble Studio, London
"The workshop gave me space and time to feel through clay.
I realised I think a lot, even when I try to think nothing."
Anne Wolthaus, Innovation Lead, H&Mbeyond, Berlin
„Es war toll, wie durch das Material direkt eine Verbindung und Offenheit entstanden ist – mit sich selbst, aber auch mit der Gruppe. Es hat unglaublich viel Spaß gemacht und Energie erzeugt das Denken den Händen folgen zu lassen, statt umgekehrt.“
Anthony Engi Meacock, Founder and Architect, Assemble Studio, London
"A great workshop that reset my brain."
Mark Gavigan, Architect, Assemble Studio, London
"The workshop allowed me to let go. The activities take you wherever you want to go.”
Great team exercise! Anke was a wonderful coach. I recommend this workshop.