Cultivating Creativity Calendar

Across the world and cultures, spirit animals are sometimes thought of as animal versions of ourselves, having similar characteristics to our own and keeping us company on our life’s journey. They might also have different or opposing characteristics, presenting themselves as guardians or guides to support us and help us navigate difficult times.

Your spirit animal might be a based on a real creature, or it could be a mythical or entirely imaginative. You may also be inspired to make a representation of your favourite animal or a pet.

Process: Sculpting with Clay

Clay comes from the land around us and is one of the many forms of earth found beneath our feet. It is made from feldspar rock that makes up half of planet Earth’s crust, having disintegrated over millions of years. It’s a material available everywhere across the world and has been used by humans for thousands of years to make art, homes, cooking pots and tools.

Clay is a natural material dug up from the ground, therefore it helps us to connect to nature and the world around us. It’s also very fun to use!

• Clay (affordable airdrying clay is available in high-street shops and online)
• Simple tools found around your home like a fork, a stick, or any other modelling tools you might have available
• Natural materials like twigs, leaves, seeds, nuts, shells, seaweed
• Found objects like wire, beads, buttons, pins, wooden chopsticks
• Pot or cup of water
• An old toothbrush or paintbrush
• A board or surface to work on, like a chopping board or plastic table cloth

Take care

• To wash your hands after collecting and handling natural materials
• To be careful when carrying and handling any sharp modelling tools
• To wash and dry your hands after working with the clay.

1. Bring together all of your materials.

2. Take a lump of clay in your hands. Notice how it feels. Cold or warm? Soft or hard? (The clay will become easier to work with and warmer as you use it.)

3. Start to form your spirit animal. You can make the whole sculpture from one piece of clay, or you could make separate parts and bring them together.

Top tip: If you form your animal in separate parts, you can stick the parts together by making ‘slip’, a glue made with clay and water.  Do this by scrubbing water into the areas on the two pieces of clay that you’re planning to stick together using an old toothbrush or paintbrush. Hold them together for a few minutes to connect them.

4. Use the tools available to make markings and features on your animal – from the patterns on its skin and fur, to its eyes and mouth.

Top tip: If your animal is standing up on its legs but is struggling to stay upright, its body might be too heavy for its legs to hold. So, find something like an old jar or cup to prop it up while you continue creating and while it dries.

5. When you’ve finished sculpting your spirit animal, you can use the found objects and natural materials you have collected to add more features.

6. When you have finished, spend some time looking at what you have made. What do you notice?

7. Keep your clay sculpture somewhere warm and safe to dry.

Top tip: If you want to ‘glaze’ your sculpture, which makes it more hard-wearing, you can paint it with PVA glue once it has dried.

You could also try…

If you don’t have clay, you could use other types of modelling clay like Plasticine, or make your own using flour, water and salt like this one shown by The Mint Museum.

Watch a step-by-step video guide of the ‘Spirit Animal’ activity.