Kelly Hyndman shares her love of pottery-making

Kelly Hyndman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, discovered her passion for pottery in 2015. Having just moved to Birmingham, she had two goals in mind: becoming an active member of the community and finding a hobby that would allow her a creative outlet. After realizing that she already had an extensive pottery collection, she decided to try her hand at making some of her own. Ten years later, she has become an accomplished potter.

Hyndman is a regular at Red Dot Gallery in Homewood, attending three-hour pottery-making sessions twice a week. At first, she was primarily focused on creating practical items such as bowls, plates, and mugs. In recent years, however, she has branched out into creating sculptures of marine life. The piece she’s most proud of is an octopus, which she says she’ll never part with.

While she will occasionally sell her work, she’s not in it to make money. “This is not my job, this is my hobby,” Hyndman explained. “I do it because it’s my creative outlet, and it’s one of the only places I don’t think about my scientific life.”

According to Hyndman, being a scientist is more of a lifestyle than a career choice. As a result, it’s important to find ways to be creative and break up the monotony of everyday life. “It’s a nice balance to having to be so rigorous and so structured,” she explained. “It gives me the opportunity to just do whatever I want.”

For those just starting out, Hyndman recommends patience, as well as understanding that every project is different. “You never know what’s going to come out of the kiln until it’s out. You have to let go of your perfectionism.”

Hyndman believes in the importance of having a hobby, even for those uninterested in pottery. “I just hope everyone has a creative outlet, whatever that is for them,” she said. “It’s a nice little break from everyday life. Everyone should try to take a moment for themselves.”