My Path To Now

I first started working with clay as a freshman in high school. I needed to fill a class requirement, and ceramics happened to be available. Before that, I was a very crafty kid—constantly switching from one creative project to the next, week after week.

That class lit a spark in me. After that, I got a pottery wheel so I could keep creating and exploring shapes on my own. I always tell people: be careful—ceramics will snowball. But like any hobby you fall in love with, it’s easy to jump in headfirst.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky to work under different mentors who helped shape my creative side. I’m really grateful for the way they encouraged me and pushed me to grow. When I look back now, I can see the foreshadowing—some of my teachers probably knew ceramics was my path long before I did.

Things paused a bit when I transferred to UC Santa Barbara to study Environmental Studies. Creating with clay faded into the background until I reached out to the campus ceramics teacher, Dane Venaas. I started helping out in the studio and teaching in exchange for studio time. That experience reignited everything for me. I’ve always loved creating, but just being in a ceramics studio is enough. Whether I’m mopping the floor or organizing tools, being surrounded by creative energy makes even the most mundane tasks feel rewarding. My time with Dane is something I’ll always cherish—I still try to visit whenever I have the chance and his teachings will always show up in my pieces.

For a long time, I pushed away the idea of making ceramics as a career because it's a challenging way to make a living. I knew how physically and mentally taxing it would be. It’s stressful not knowing if next month will be slower than the last. And turning a passion into a living is stressful and changes the tone. There’s always the risk of losing the spark and from doing it full time I can say it happens, but if it's your true path you'll be back at the wheel very fast. You might just need some inspiration.

So after college, with the mindset that ceramics was a hobby and maybe later life I’ll open up my own studio. I decided to pursue a more solid path …  law school and was accepted the following year. It was a short-lived chapter—just a few days of orientation. Yes I never even made it to the real class. I remember one of the Professors talking about the classes starting the following day and that made me have a mini panic attack in my seat. The hesitation I felt just walking into the building, and the crying in my car commuting to and from campus. It was all a sign that it wasn’t the right path. The moment I called to withdraw from the program, I felt immediate joy. No more tears—just relief. When your mood flips that dramatically, you know you’ve made the right choice.

And that leads me to now: A decade working with clay and pursuing ceramics full-time for about a year. It’s tough work, and yes, it’s stressful—but it’s good stress. I genuinely enjoy all of it, even the mopping. The path isn’t always clear, but it feels right.