Shaped by Clay: The story of how Eva rediscovered herself trough ceramics
Dive into a curated collection of the inspiring people that worked with me and the impactful work they are doing by following their heart and curiosity.
Words
Bibi Timmerman
Eva’s story begins with something she never thought would happen to her - a severe burnout. As it does for many, it forced her to confront a difficult but necessary question: “Who am I, and what do I actually want from life?”
The answer came after one of the scariest decisions she’d ever made. At 32, Eva left her job, her apartment, and the familiar comfort friends and family in the Netherlands to start an internship at a ceramics studio in Stockholm - led by Andrea Tsang, known in part for her work on the HBO series The Bear.
It wasn’t a decision that garnered instant support from everyone around her. But in her gut, Eva knew it was right. For years, her life had revolved around others - their dreams, their expectations, their timelines. But in Stockholm, for the first time, everything clicked into place. She had finally chosen her own direction, and it felt deeply liberating.
Eva’s story begins with something she never thought would happen to her - a severe burnout. As it does for many, it forced her to confront a difficult but necessary question: “Who am I, and what do I actually want from life?”
Words
Bibi Timmerman
The answer came after one of the scariest decisions she’d ever made. At 32, Eva left her job, her apartment, and the familiar comfort friends and family in the Netherlands to start an internship at a ceramics studio in Stockholm - led by Andrea Tsang, known in part for her work on the HBO series The Bear.
It wasn’t a decision that garnered instant support from everyone around her. But in her gut, Eva knew it was right. For years, her life had revolved around others - their dreams, their expectations, their timelines. But in Stockholm, for the first time, everything clicked into place. She had finally chosen her own direction, and it felt deeply liberating.
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“I was the happiest I’d ever been in Stockholm - it felt like a blank page. A new environment, new connections, and no expectations of who I ‘should’ be. I was finally living my dream: working with ceramics, surrounded by nature yet in the heart of a vibrant city, with the freedom to plan my days on my own terms.”
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Her love for ceramics - for clay - kept growing. A few weeks in, she asked herself: Why does this material speak to me so strongly? And suddenly, it clicked.
“With clay, I shape the form. No one else. I’m in charge of the material, the process, the direction. And at the same time I don’t know what will happen, you have to let go of certain desired outcomes. You have to work very intuitively, with your body and hands. That’s what makes it so meaningful to me: working with clay has become my way to reconnect with myself - and take ownership of the shape of my life.”
Get to know
Her love for ceramics - for clay - kept growing. A few weeks in, she asked herself: Why does this material speak to me so strongly? And suddenly, it clicked.
“With clay, I shape the form. No one else. I’m in charge of the material, the process, the direction. And at the same time I don’t know what will happen, you have to let go of certain desired outcomes. You have to work very intuitively, with your body and hands. That’s what makes it so meaningful to me: working with clay has become my way to reconnect with myself - and take ownership of the shape of my life.”
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What began as a hobby five years ago has since evolved into a deep, personal passion - and now, a bold new path. With a full heart and a lot of excitement, Eva has opened her own ceramics studio in The Hague: Studio Eva Sophie:
“the place where I discover all shapes of life & clay.”
At the heart of Studio Eva Sophie lies a belief in transformation. Every object Eva creates tells a story - not of perfection, but of possibility. Her work is a gentle reminder that, like clay, life is shaped one step at the time. And while the finished piece has value, it’s the journey - the learning, the forming - that truly matters.
