I’ve shared with you all that I wanted to meet people. I want to learn about their experiences, about who they are. Only a few short weeks ago, I met Sam. I had been shopping online for some original pieces for our home, (I’ve been in a home design frenzy for weeks) when I came across Sam’s online ceramics shop, In A Glaze.
I was automatically taken with how genuine her work was. Her pieces were fun and familiar. My favorite was a dish in the shape of an owl– the mascot of my alma mater.
My Red Orange Owl Plate, (purchased from In A Glaze)
I messaged her and asked her to participate in a blog post, and she agreed. What I found was a Phillies loving girl, who had followed her passion and been through rough times- and came out of it successful and happy. I can’t express enough how much I admire her strength and determination. So will you. Read about her amazing journey below.
M: Tell me more about your art- why ceramics?
S: It was a fluke that I got into ceramics – I went to school for archaeology at Penn State. During my junior year, while talking with my boyfriend, I realized he did not want to leave the state after graduating from college. So, my plans changed from there. We had been dating for 3 years and I’d known him since we were in kindergarten. We both already knew we would eventually get married (we did in may 2008). I decided to pursue a graduate program locally. I had communicated for 9 months with a local college and they kept losing my transcripts. I had NO faith in their system and told my mother this was a sign that this path was not for me.
Back in 2005, my Christmas gift to my sister was a trip to the local paint your own pottery studio. I sat with her all day, (literally, we were there for 10 hours) and and kept her company while she painted. My Mother was jealous, so instead of walking at my graduation the next year, my mother, sister, and I went back to the pottery studio. When that local graduate program fell through 2 weeks later – the pottery idea was still fresh in my mother’s mind – and she suggested I just open a studio of my own in our hometown.
The plan was for my mother to help out at the studio. It took me 10 months to find a space, and by the time I opened in October 2007, my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I ran the studio by myself. I was open 7 days a week for 10 hours a day. It wasn’t fun. I was treated like a doormat by customers. In the Fall of 2008, a friend of my suggested I look into Etsy. My mother’s illness progressed (even after being given the ‘all clear’ by the doctors), and she died rather suddenly on July 31, 2010. We had 10 days notice that the cancer had spread to her brain – after being told she was cancer free 3 weeks prior. This was the end point for my motivation for my studio. I closed the doors permanently in April. I moved home, my husband and I moved into my parent’s home and we built a studio in my father’s out-building where he does runs his contracting business. That’s where I’ve been ever since.
M: What inspires you?
S: I spend a lot of time following popular trends. Two years ago it was cupcakes. now it’s owls. I personally just love bright colors.
M: How does art fit in with your everyday life? Is this a full-time job for you, or just a hobby? What are your future plans for your ceramics?
S: This is my full time job. I do a LOT of custom platters for weddings and birthdays that customers use as guest books – which requires customers to pick designs, colors, fonts, etc. I also do a fair amount of kitchen sets for customers. I’m actually in the process of trying to move out of ceramics into stoneware. I’ll probably always dabble in ceramics – keeping up with the wedding plates and canisters – mostly larger items, and slowly stop doing mugs, banks, etc.
M: What are five things you can’t live without?
S: Coffee. My husband, David. My dog, Maeby. Alone time. The Phillies!
M: What’s your advice for other people looking to monetize (make money) from their passion/creativity?
S: DO IT. Make the time. There’s never a convenient time to change your life – it won’t change until you commit to it. I am SUCH a happier person now that I work from home – on my own schedule. I still work 7 days a week. I actually rarely know what day of the week it is… and sometimes what month it is! I’m making a good living, much better than my storefront studio, and it’s on my terms.
Enter to win one of Sam’s decorative owl plates:
Love Giveaways?
Find more here: I Love Giveaways