Rebuilding Life One Clay Pot at a Time
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Download 2007 all things emerge and expand out.jpeg (27 KB)
Download 2007 all things emerge and expand out detail.jpeg (104 KB)
Download 2007 out of silent mystery.jpeg (68 KB)
Download 2007 out of silent mystery.jpeg (68 KB)
Download 2009 Change it as you see fit An Interactive Installation and Pottery by Kate Lewis Sprinkler Factory Worcester Massachusetts.jpg (50 KB)
Download 2010 wood kiln assistant for Masakazu Kusakabe and Harvard University Office for the Arts.jpg (77 KB)
Download 2012 SiteLAB Blandford.jpg (171 KB)
Download 2012 The Broad Without Walls Lansing Michigan.jpg (60 KB)
Download 2014 all streams flow into the sea Parliament the Boutique.jpg (66 KB)
Download 2016 words on clay Neighbor Gallery solo show.jpg (161 KB)
Download 2018 a couple pendants and first mug after injury.jpg (78 KB)
Download 2018 dissolved in primal presence.jpg (556 KB)
Download 2018 first leaf forms after injury.jpg (32 KB)
Download 2018 first pinch pots after injury.jpg (73 KB)
Download 2023 be here now mug.jpg (350 KB)
Download 2023 goodness flows back and forth like water photo by Hugo Claudin.jpg (137 KB)
Download 2024 24 pc set.jpg (33 KB)
Download 2025 36 pc set detail.jpeg (2.2 MB)
Download 2025 60 pc set.jpeg (2.2 MB)
Download Kate Lewis pain drawing 04-25.jpg (1.8 MB)
Download Kate in her clay studio.jpg (9.7 MB)
Download Fulton Street market display 2025.jpg (530 KB)
Description
Kate Lewis, a ceramicist and teaching artist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, created the artwork for the Winter 2026 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). The image features a collection of heart-shaped ceramic pinch pots, produced after she was told she may never be able to move her left arm again. She created them on the recommendation of an occupational therapist who understood the value of meaningful occupations for recovery. These vessels represent a pivotal shift in Kate’s rehabilitation from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Diagnosed in 2018 after sustaining an injury to her wrist, the minor fracture of a small carpal bone proceeded to upend her entire life as she sought freedom from immeasurable pain and isolation. Feeling dismissed and abandoned by her doctors and community, Kate made the commitment to find the help she desperately needed. Amongst numerous appointments with doctors and specialists, it was an occupational therapist who acknowledged the value of her creative occupations and encouraged her to return to her studio. More than a set of exercises, this advice illuminated a path toward healing her body, mind, and spirit. Kate’s story brings insight into this often overlooked, poorly understood, life-shattering disorder and highlights the need for a greater awareness and understanding of it, as well as better treatment by the medical establishment. It demonstrates the significant value of occupational therapy in helping patients overcome the grip of CRPS and rebuild their lives. Moreover, it highlights the importance of empathy, community, and hope as essential components for recovery.
Keywords
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, CRPS, occupational therapy, ceramics, pottery, rehabilitation, chronic pain, CBT, creative occupations, sculpture, art, Kate Lewis
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Recommended Citation
Allen, Kelly, "Rebuilding Life One Clay Pot at a Time" (2026). Open Journal of Occupational Therapy: Occupation and the Artist. 53.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/ojot_occupationandartist/53