THE STORY & PHILOSOPHY
Marina Nassif, an enthusiastic individual, born and raised in Kuwait; graduated from the British School of Kuwait, who has always been passionate and eager to learn new things, thrived for success persistently and passionately for architecture in particular; eventually paving the path to pursue her bachelor’s degree in architecture at the American University of Sharjah, UAE.
Nassif took her first pottery class during the fourth year of undergraduate studies, exactly one year after a major car accident, which changed her perspective completely. Nassif said, 'It made me realize that we exist at a critical point in history, where everyone needs to make a change."
For sure that accident changed her forever, it fractured her spinal cord! She has interpreted the word -change- into her architectural dictionary by proposing solutions that would positively impact the surroundings and its people, and create innovative design concepts, unique in their forms and functions. Nassif started looking outwards rather than inwards, searching for problems in architecture to solve rather than turning to the overused, readily available concepts. Nassif; said, "I realized that am sculpting my unique learning path with all dedication and positivity aiming for a better future in a very competitive environment."
Besides her architectural journey, Nassif did not realize her mental health was drastically going down, even though she was enjoying every painful all-nighter!
Until that very first pottery class that she attended!
It was weeks after diving into it, that she realized how . . .
Nassif quotes, "Clay made me unconsciously calmer, always have hope, happy as a kid, fresh and ready to dive into my architecture world with more creative thoughts, as well as spreading positive energy to the surrounding after every class. It always pulls me back to a peaceful and quiet zone in my mind, where I can recall all the unpleasant events that have been repressed for years in my memory. Although the events cannot be changed or deleted, it can be more amicably resolved, when expressed through an object in your hands, confront it, and see it from a different perspective that would potentially solve it forever. Clay also made me gain back my physical health, where I was using my entire body with strong movements of hands and arms to mold it, appropriate position, postures, attention, body stability, the balance of the limbs, providing feelings of internal structuring, as well as cognitive and emotional effects."
– Clay “changed” her -
Nassif also comments, "I think that no matter what your dream job/current position is, GPA, financial state, . . . etc.; you need to understand that waking up every day to perform daily routine tasks to eventually acquire your goal in life; will mentally and physically affect your health consciously or subconsciously in the long run."
In 2019, Clay Therapy Studio was established by Marina Nassif with the intention of sharing her personal experience and transformation through the use of clay. She hopes to spread the significance of clay and its vital role in the field of art therapy to others.
Clay therapy studio is here to offer you one of the many other art therapy experiences, that can become a very essential and powerful tool in your life, as well as help you break your mundane routine, removes you from your comfort zone, and will eventually speed up your path to reaching your goal with even more creativity!
T.V INTERVIEWS
Unites Arab Emirates, Sharjah TV - 2021
Kuwait, Kuwait TV2 - 2021
Featured in SEKKA magazine
Marina Nassif, on molding her life using clay therapy
March 14, 2021
“Clay always pulls me back to a peaceful and quiet zone in my mind, where I can recall all the unpleasant events that have been repressed for years in my memory”
<< Read more through the site.
Healing Creativity | الإبداع العلاجي
BY: Elyan Jabre
Clay helped the architect Marina Nassif overcome her severe back injury. In this episode, we talk about clay, its meditative benefits, and how creativity can have healing power.
الفخّار ساعد المهندسة المعمارية مارينا ناصيف تتخطى إصابة قوية في ظهرها. بهيدي الحلقة حكينا عن الفخّار، عن فؤائده التأملية وعن الإبداع وقوته
العلاجية.
<< Listen to the full podcast.
COLLABORATION with
L'Occitane
Inspired by L'Occitane's secret ingredients, the lavender & immortelle flowers.
Unique handmade ceramic plate set.
were available across all L'Occitane stores in Kuwait.
December 12, 2021
COLLABORATION with
Trash Tag Kuwait
Inspired by the sea waves.
"Kaiyo" pots = Ocean pots
Spreading a needed awareness about maintaining a clean, unpolluted sea.
30% of the Kaiyo pots were donated to @trashtagkuwait a nonprofitable organization dedicated to fighting marine litter.
Together we can make the planet clean.
January 1, 2021
COLLABORATION with
H&M HOME
An exclusive 2 days pottery workshop with H&M HOME, at the First Avenue- The Avenues, Kuwait city.
"Experience how to be a pottery master and create your own designs to treasure forever".
Two different activities were happening simultaneously.
First, hand-building & designing our own coaster set.
Second, experiencing the pottery wheel and creating unique pieces.
March 27&28, 2021
Describe your image
COLLABORATION with
ZAIN KUWAIT
Hala Febraury 2022
Hala February Festival is an annual festival, which is organized by Kuwait city. Being a distinct month in Kuwait, festivals are organized during all the month. February coincides with both Kuwait's National and Liberation Days.
For the year 2022, we celebrated Kuwait with Zain to add a pottery moment in their video. Also, showing that we should not fear failure and as "Bill Gates" said; “It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
Celebrating success feels good, but learning the lessons of failure is where growth occurs, which can lead you to even greater successes.
"المره اليايه بيصير"