Hands and Silence
A handmade gathering of LEV volunteers and children from crisis-affected groups: clay, calm, conversations, and a space to be yourself
Our handmade session with the children took place in a truly special atmosphere - calm, warm, and genuinely alive. We simply spent time together and worked with our hands, without setting a goal of creating a "perfect result."
The main material was clay - simple, natural, and highly responsive to a person's emotional state. It seemed to set its own rhythm for the meeting: slow, attentive, and unhurried. The process of working with clay helped both children and adults focus on the present moment and feel grounded in the here and now.
The space brought together different forms of interaction. Some participants immersed themselves in sculpting and quietly explored the material, others actively shared thoughts and impressions, while some simply observed and gradually joined the process. There were conversations, laughter, pauses, and all of it naturally complemented one another.
What was especially valuable was that there were no rules about "the right way" to do things. Everyone could move at their own pace, choose their own way of interacting with the material and the space, and simply be themselves without judgment or comparison. This created an atmosphere of acceptance and inner calm.
At certain moments, the room became quiet, but this silence was not empty - on the contrary, it was filled with the process itself. It is in such pauses that a sense of concentration, trust, and inner balance is born.
Meetings like these are not about the final product or a result that can be displayed. They are about a state of being - having the opportunity to slow down, feel the material, yourself, and the people around you, and simply be present in the experience.
And in this safe, creative space, "Pride" remains close by - attentive, supportive, and always leaving room for the next meeting.