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When I was in high school, an English teacher handed me back a paper I wrote with the note "It's called grammar" written across the top. I don't remember the grade, but the handwritten message has stuck with me for 30+ years. It has convinced me I am not a writer and I should not attempt to express myself through words. The note left a pretty deep scar I am still thinking about today. I don't hold it against the teacher, and while I think she could have been a bit more graceful with how she let me know my...

In this age of online shopping where everything is just a click away, it's easy to take for granted the ease of getting supplies...until it's not. I will admit, I am not the most organized when it comes to keeping track of my inventory of supplies and last week this bit me in the butt. I was working on some cake stands and finished the bag of open clay. I bent down to pull a new bag out from under the wedging table, but wait...where's my porcelain? I went into the garage and pulled out a new box. The clay...

Most of the time I spend in the studio is making work for my website, stores, and upcoming markets. I tend to focus on what I sell the most of which are mugs, vases, and bowls. I don't get a lot of time to experiment with new ideas, but occasionally I will make pieces just for me and not anything I plan on putting into production. A couple years ago, I made a cloche for baking bread...I bake my own bread every other week, and wanted to see if it made any difference to the bread. Conclusion, it does, but...

In this age of social media, it is very easy to get caught up with what others are doing, how many followers they have, and the feeling they have it made...and you don't. While social media is great for meeting some people, sharing your passions, and, for a business, marketing yourself to potential new customers, it can also be emotionally draining and mess with your mind. Comparing myself to others is something I struggle with and while I know it is not helpful, I still do it. I'll find myself questioning whether my work is as good as I think...

"A jack of all trades is a master of none, but is often better than master of one." I have often been called a renaissance man. I do have a lot of interests and have many different skills. I have joked, why should I buy for something or hire help when I can spend triple the time and money learning to do it myself! I believe anyone with curiosity of how things work and are built can relate. When I'm asked how I can do x or y, the best answer I can give is that I'm not afraid to...