Where are you from? Orignally I am from New York. Although I have lived in California since I was in middle school.
-What do you make? I make wheel thrown (sometimes hand built) ceramic pottery. Coffee mugs, Tea sets, bowls, fruit bowls, vases, bird feeders, lidded jars, trinket jars and raku ware (non-functional finished using a special process).
-What do you collect? I don't really collect anything. My house is too full of pottery.
-What are your goals? Short term? Long term? Short term - I just want to have an outlet for moving the items I create out of my house. I love to create, but only have so much space. Long term - I want to be able to create a pottery business. Perhaps someday, when I retire and am not employed full-time, I can do shows and craft fairs, and maybe expand to my own web page.
-Do you have kids? A spouse? Talk about your family! I have one daughter, a teenager, and am married (20 years). We also have 3 dogs and 4 cats.
-What do you love about Etsy? Etsy allows me to sell my items to people who are interested in my work without having to man a bricks and mortar shop. The overhead is low. I can list items, respond to inquiries, and fill orders in the evenings or from my phone.
What do I not-so-love? It is more difficult than I first imagined to have your shop seen. You really have to work at it by favoriting other people's stuff, creating treasuries, joining circles, or listing new items, and now I am discovering teams. I'm hoping this will help get my shop out there a little more. Right now I am only receiving 2-3 orders per month. I would like it to increase this number so that I can clear out more pottery, more quickly.
-Think about this day 5, 10, and 15 years ago. What were you probably doing? I was always doing some sort of craft -- painting, knitting, crochetting, mosaics, drawing. I was just not creating as much, as quickly as I am now. Most of the things I'd create back then I would give away to family and friends. But, now my work is going to people all over the United States, and even a few orders to Canada and UK. Its fun to think about someone in Florida, or New York or Wisconsin, or Idaho, or Canada using a piece of pottery that I created.
-What words do you live by? Do no harm. I try to be kind and respectful to all other creatures on the planet, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, or even species. I am a vegetarian, I do yoga, and I try to be mindful of my actions and how they affect others around me and the world at large. Ceramic coffee mugs, while they use more embodied energy initially, in the long run are much better for the planet than using disposable paper or (gasp) styrofoam cups. Plus most coffee shops give you a small discount for bringing your own cup. And finally, how much more beautiful is a ceramic mug with a beautiful glaze on it. Even in my art, I am trying to do my part.