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Welcome to the story of The Great Bernal Clay Hunt!This board is where it all happens –project planning, weekly updates, and progress snapshots. Follow along to see how this project comes to life with the Playbook Imagination Fund!

final deliverables

I'd like to create a collection of playful ceramic pieces—cups, vases, and figurines—and hide them around my neighborhood in San Francisco for people to find &amp; keep. Each piece will come with a handwritten note, as if the ceramic is speaking directly to its finder, offering a cheeky and personal message. I’ll write and share clues about their hiding spots on social media, inviting neighbors to join the search, but it's just as good if someone stumbles across one by chance.The goal? To bring a little unexpected joy and whimsy to the sidewalks of my neighborhood :)

ceramics in the wild: surprises on the sidewalks of san francisco

1. nice surprisesLately I’ve been thinking about how small surprises can bring big joy.<ul><li>Our 80-year-old neighbor Terry sometimes leaves baked goods in our mailbox with sweet, handwritten notes.</li><li>As a kid, I loved organizing elaborate scavenger hunts for my friends and sister—mainly because I enjoyed seeing their excitement for what was to come.</li><li>Even something as odd as a piece of dog poo can be a nice surprise. Hear me out—it might sound strange—but one day I saw a heart-shaped cupcake topper on a piece of dog poo. It made me stop, laugh, and even snap a pic. It was absurd and delightful all at once, and it reminded me how an unexpected moment can completely change your day.</li><li>Ingrid Fetell Lee's book Joyful helped me understand what these moments had in common. Her chapter on surprise gave me language to describe how unexpected encounters, whether they’re small acts of kindness or something quirky like the cupcake topper, can inject joy into everyday life. The toolkit in the back of her book offers ways to bring this “aesthetic of joy” to the world, and this is exactly the kind of feeling I want to capture with this project—the thrill of stumbling upon a nice surprise.</li></ul>2. objects with personalityI’ve always loved the idea of personifying objects:<ul><li>In our home, even the lamps have names—Google Home doesn’t just control "Bedroom Light," it’s "Susan."</li><li>A favorite podcast of mine is Everything is Alive, where each episode interviews an inanimate object—like a can of soda or a tooth—giving it a personality and voice, as if it has its own story to tell.</li><li>It guess it makes sense that Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie when I was two. The "Be Our Guest" scene always stood out, with napkins, candlesticks, and spoons spinning and dancing across the table. That sense of liveliness and fun is exactly what I hope to capture in this project.</li><li>To add some personality to the ceramics:<ul><li>Each piece will include a handwritten note, addressed to the finder and written from the ceramic’s perspective, adding a personal and playful touch.</li><li>I’d like to explore anthropomorphized forms and different "footed/shoed" designs—like giving ceramics cowboy boots. I was inspired by these hotdog stands with boots (though I couldn’t find the original creator for credit). I plan to experiment with this idea by creating molds from plastic cowboy boot shot glasses I found on Amazon, adding a whimsical element to the pieces.</li></ul></li></ul>

inspiration

My intro to ceramics started with slip casting. It's a process where you create a plaster mold of an object and pour liquid clay (or “slip”) into it, allowing the clay to take the shape of the mold. It’s a versatile process that opens up a lot of creative possibilities for mixing and matching objects and even 3D printing models to make molds from.I got into slip casting because I had an idea for a modular, stackable flower vase. I’d already 3D printed a model of the vase but was curious how it would look and feel in ceramic. Using books from the library and YouTube videos as my guide, I’ve spent the past few months teaching myself how to make plaster molds and work with slip.I love the creative freedom of slip casting. As a beginner, it's pretty special being able to reproduce found objects in clay and then mix and match, and cut them in new ways. For example, I’ve cast a 3-pound dumbbell, carving it into a shallow dish, or cutting it in half to make two small vases. The process of mixing technology with ceramics excites me—whether it’s taking AI-generated patterns and carving them into clay or taking 3D printed models and creating versions in ceramic, the possibilities feel endless.To take things further, I signed up for a slip casting class at a local pottery studio. Having structure and someone to answer my questions (instead of just talking at YouTube videos!) has been a game-changer. While making the plaster molds requires upfront effort, once they’re done, it’s so rewarding to see how quickly you can cast multiple pieces. This allows for more freedom to experiment with glazing and decorating, knowing you can easily cast another if something doesn’t work out. It also means I could leave more little ceramic surprises for the unsuspecting people of San Francisco to find :)

ceramics: a new adventure

community impactThe goal of this project is to bring small moments of joy to everyday life in my neighborhood. By hiding ceramics, I hope to create a playful, interactive experience that encourages people to look closer at their surroundings. These unexpected discoveries—whether it’s a mug with cowboy boots or a ceramic balloon animal —will hopefully spark delight and curiosity, making an already great neighborhood feel even a little more magical :)personal growthBy continuing to experiment with slip casting and 3D modeling, I’ll learn how to bring more complex designs to life. I also hope this project might help me break free from some of my perfectionist tendencies—each piece doesn’t need to be flawless; instead, the focus is on the joy of discovery for the finder and the process of learning as a beginner! I’m excited to develop a more playful approach to my work and embrace the unpredictability that comes with creating and sharing my ceramics with others.

community + growth

crafts + doodles

ceramics in the wild: surprises on the streets of san franciscoThis project is about creating and hiding playful ceramic pieces throughout Bernal Heights (my neighborhood in San Francisco) for people to discover. I’ll post clues on social media about where they’re hidden, encouraging the finder to take a photo if they discover one. To create the pieces I’ll use plaster molds made from both found objects and 3D-printed designs, casting them in ceramic. Slip casting gives me the freedom to more easily make multiples, so I can create a lot of pieces, each with its own twist.types of pieces<ul><li>Mix of functional pieces—like mugs—which would be left near local coffee shops for people to stumble upon while grabbing their morning coffee</li><li>I’d also like to create fun figurines just for the sake of surprise, like a ceramic balloon dog with its very own “poo” you can take home (don’t worry, it’s cleaner than what you’ll find on the streets!)</li><li>Some figurines could even double as vases, which I'd fill with flowers before they’re hidden</li></ul>personalized notes<ul><li>Each ceramic piece will come with a handwritten note sealed with wax. I'll write the notes from the perspective of the ceramic piece itself, adding humor and personality</li><li>Whether it’s a light-hearted message, an encouraging word, or something situationally relevant to where it’s found, each note will invite the finder to take the piece home—just in case anyone is unsure about taking them!</li></ul>documenting the journey<ul><li>Documenting the entire process—taking pictures of where each piece is hidden and sharing them along the way</li><li>Creating motion graphics to explain the process of slip casting process</li></ul>

the idea

Hiya, I’m Maya. I’m a UX designer with a master’s in human-computer interaction and a background in math, philosophy, and creative writing.my life's motto: savor the satisfaction in creation.For me, there’s nothing quite like the rush of seeing an idea take shape—nurturing a fuzzy concept into something tangible you can hold, see, read, wear, or taste feels like the closest thing to magic. From sewing to experimenting with motion graphics, and now mold-making + ceramics, I’ve always loved exploring new ways to bring ideas to life.

my past work

A project that will bring free handmade ceramic pieces to the streets of San Francisco