Pottery

Epilogue

An hour here and another half hour there, that’s how this collection came to be.

For me, the thing that stands out most about this batch (more so than the others) is what it taught me about persistence. It reminded me that steady effort over time really does add up to something bigger and it doesn’t have to be a big deal. In fact, most of the little movements are so simple and ordinary that they feel completely unimportant as you do them. I never intended to make this series, I just kept my hands busy and watched it steadily grow until I had a whole collection to share. I mean, how wild is that? The little hobby I use to calm my mind down after a long work day led to this. I worked on these pieces in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep, when I was heavy in my feels and needed to anchor my hands to stay busy, and even early in the mornings before work as a way to start my day by playing. My pottery practice causally fits into the cracks of my life and at the same time, is the glue that holds me together. And now it’s this cool bunch of things that I get to share with my friends, family, and followers. How amazing is that??

Another thing that’s so special about this series is all the places where I worked on it: the little studio I have in my parent’s basement, the community studio I work at (shoutout to The Pottery Studio in Foxboro!), the school I teach at (after hours, of course), and the kitchen table in my own little apartment studio. I fired these pieces in four different kilns and dozens of people have kept me company as I’ve slowly worked away. Another thing this collection reminded me of is that although making art can be a solitary, lonely thing sometimes, there are little corners of community everywhere, just hiding in plain sight.

So, now that the work is done and documented, it’s time for the next phase of the journey- which is much different from the first part, but equally magical and fulfilling. There’s a magical turning point in my creative process where a piece goes from being about the introverted process of creating to the social aspect of sharing and connecting. This sale is a huge part in that turning point and I’m very excited to see where these pieces end up.

You see, selling my work is about so much more than the money. Money is important (this is an expensive hobby) but that’s not why I do what I do. In my little world, selling my pottery is about sharing nuggets of creative energy with other people and encouraging each piece to take on new meaning as it reaches its new home. Some pieces will bring comfort, others might inspire new creative work, or act as an expression of care or love as they’re given from one person to another. Regardless who buys each piece and what adventures it goes on, I know each one will take on a whole new meaning that will probably be far more magical than I can even imagine.

Whether you’ve followed my journey for awhile or are new here, I appreciate that you’ve taken some time to check out my creative process. If you feel inspired to do so, please email me some of your thoughts about my work. I’m always curious to know what stands out, what people are drawn to, and what inspires other artists.

Whether you observe quietly or interact in some way- thank you for following along!