The Importance of Strong Relationships and Connection:

Freddy Murphy

Beyond the Blues

For this piece, I created a ceramic cereal bowl and spoon. Initially, it was a generic concept, but I soon realized that the two pieces exist only in relation to one another. A bowl on its own cannot truly be used so easily without a spoon, and a spoon's not really much use on its own either. They require each other to function, and that made me think about how human beings do, too. The spoon and bowl then stood to symbolize interrelation and the fundamental role of relationships in mental health and life equilibrium.

One of the most basic foundations of emotional health is connection with others. Just as my ceramics need to connect and support each other, individuals need to connect and support one another. Healthy relationships make us feel like we belong and are understood. People with strong, healthy relationships with others — whether with a community, family, or good friendships —are more likely to feel confident, happy, and secure. Loneliness or disconnection either makes us lose our sense of direction, or even worse, we get depressed.

The bowl and spoon also represent teamwork and equilibrium. They have distinctive functions and forms; however, they complement each other. That's also how relationships work: two individuals don't have to be carbon copies to connect. What matters is how they complement each other and make up for each other's needs. In life, it's not possible to do it all on one's own. Having that person to listen to, to assist, or to merely understand could make all the difference, even in stressful times. Interconnectedness also comes into its own in mental health recovery and resilience. By sharing with a person we love and trust, we lighten the load we carry. Verbal communication of our feelings can transform pain into understanding and fear into reassurance. Research even indicates that social support reduces stress and improves overall mental health. Interconnectedness doesn't mean always being in the presence of others, but rather having genuine, caring relationships where both give and receive care.

I learned that relationships take time and attention by creating the spoon and bowl. I had to make both pieces perfect and complementary, and this took patience. If either was created incorrectly, the other could not attach. That process also taught me that relationships require communication, effort, and understanding. They couldn't happen overnight, and they had to get it right at first. Like clay, they have to be molded ever so gently and handled with such caution.

Therefore, by investing in building and caring for our relationships, we also invest in our own wellness. Connection means that we share joy and pain, give and take in turns, and bear each other up in equilibrium. Just as with the spoon and the bowl, we are more whole and stronger in relation to others.