Spencer Jackson
Sitting down at a ceramics wheel, freshly wedged clay ready to be molded, a clean bucket of water and Air Pods playing loud music into her ears, senior Spencer Jackson finds herself forgetting the world around her.
“I’ve always been interested in art, but never found the time to fully appreciate it,” Jackson said. “It was always just something I thought was for other people.”
That was before she decided to broaden her horizons with one semester left in college. Jackson had thrown clay on a wheel before for fun with friends, but wanted to further her skills and knowledge, so she signed up for a ceramics class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The ceramics department at UNL has been ranked top 10 in U.S. News & World Report consistently, so Jackson decided there would be no better time to learn something new.
Jackson is graduating in May with a major in psychology and a minor in child youth and family studies. The opportunity to take a ceramics course was the perfect opportunity to get out of her regular grind, but she never expected to enjoy it so much.
Jackson has always had a love for music, and she didn’t realize the opportunity ceramics would give her to bring that love for music together with another art form.
“Music is something that if I’m having a bad day, or a good day even, I can find something to match my mood,” Jackson said. “It’s cool for me to be able to start making a vase or a bowl, and it’s almost muscle memory when I have a good playlist on.”
Going into the psychology field, Jackson is an ally for those struggling with mental health. She thinks mental health and the stigma that surrounds it, should be something we all work on as a society to improve. Jackson is going to graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Omaha next semester with goals of someday integrating education of emotional awareness in children.
“If you’re struggling with mental health or not, it’s important to talk about it,” Jackson said. “Art can be something that helps you cope, even if you’re not very good at it.”
Jackson uses ceramics as a way to get away from her normal routine and into a better headspace. Through her studies in psychology, she realizes art can do the same for others.
“I am interested in ways that we can work with individuals, groups and communities to improve mental health,” Jackson said. “Having a passion can benefit your mental health in ways like stress relief, increasing self esteem and many more.”