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Clare started taking pottery classes in July 2022, as a way to make friends and improve her mental health after the pandemic

‘From the moment I sat behind the pottery wheel and felt the clay beneath my fingertips, my stress and anxiety melted away. Pottery quickly turned from a hobby into a passion and before I knew it, it became my whole personality!’ Clare says.

About three months later, when Clare was diagnosed with MS in November 2022, pottery became her lifeline.

‘It turned my new hobby into something that provided me with a much-needed source of strength and meaning during the worst time of my life. Despite the imperfections, I adore [my creations], they make me so incredibly happy. I say this because pottery has also helped me to let go of my self-imposed expectation of perfection; to embrace myself and my ‘perfectly imperfect’ body.’

Adjusting to a new normal

Although her hobby helped to provide comfort, adjusting to her diagnosis took time.

‘I was completely terrified when I was first diagnosed but that terror did go away. It’s been about a year, and I couldn’t imagine feeling as good as I do today back then.

‘It’s just so overwhelming and so much to learn, and so different for each person, so it can be hard to get any concrete answers I suppose,’ Clare says.

‘After my diagnosis, the biggest thing for me was getting used to my new normal. Physically having to accommodate my numb hand and working out how to do things differently was an adjustment. Like with my pottery, I needed to teach myself a new technique.’

Due to the numbness in her hands, transporting her work to the community kiln without accidentally destroying it has become too difficult. Clare recently used her Go for Gold Scholarship to purchase a kiln she can install in her own home.

‘This kiln is perfect for my needs and will accelerate my pottery skill development and potential for earning a part time income. I would LOVE to work towards earning an income selling my creations, to continue to raise money for MS by donating my work and to one day establish a pottery studio, where I can teach and share my passion with others.’

Finding support outside of her hobby

Clare says her journey has been made easier through accessing direct employment support services.

‘The MS Plus employment team has been amazing. It’s just so good to have a chat with someone about issues you’re facing at work and they are just so sensible and compassionate and really helpful.

‘One day I called my employment consultant, Diana in tears and we just had such a great conversation. She made me feel so much better and we worked on a plan to move forward.

‘Having an objective person to talk to is so important. Family and friends will always want to help but they might be a little bit biased in our favour, and chatting with your employer can sometimes come with its own risks. Having someone who is on your side in a professional sense, who has had experience dealing with someone in your situation, you get that balance and it's an incredibly valuable resource,’ Clare says.

Ultimately, Clare — whose symptoms, including fatigue and numbness are often triggered by stress and lack of sleep — wants people to understand that not all MS symptoms are obvious.

‘MS affects people differently and some things can be really hidden. If you’re feeling fatigued one day, it can be an extreme fatigue of the body not just a regular tiredness and sometimes you feel like you need to hide it.

‘I would say to people just to be mindful that a person may be going through something you can’t see,’ Clare says.

‘Mentally my MS changed me completely, I don’t do things I don’t want to do any more. I’m living for me now. It has been a massive stress but there is a silver lining. I’m trying to be more positive about things, being grateful for the things I do have.’

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