Starting out

It makes sense to start at the beginning, where it clicked, the lightbulb moment. But to be honest it wasn't like that. I felt hooked straight away of course- what's not to like - but I am the kind of person who's soul lights up and burns for any new hobby or creative art. I've desperately yearned to be a glass blower, a stone engraver (was for a while), a macrame chick, an interior designer, garden designer, cake sculptor (check out Karen Portaleo and you'll get my vibe)... you name it I've fallen in love with so many creative disciplines and after some time I've also rapidly moved onto the next new fling. Weary of my fickle heart I wondered when pottery would be replaced by the allure of shiney and new.

It hasn't. Instead, years on, I remain gripped by it, the more I learn the more I realise I know very little and the more I explore the more I want more. You see where I'm going with this.

So after a few wonderful evening courses, weekends of ceramics and lots of pinteresting I was gobsmacked when a retired potter, hearing of my new interest offered me her kiln and wheel. To that wonderful lady I will always be grateful. Almost two weeks after the wheel and kiln arrived in my shed, I stumbled across a TV programme called the Great Pottery Throw Down Season 1 and I just knew fate was throwing me a bone. Inspiration galore! Woof!

It took a long time to save the pennies and get the electricity installed, french doors and a roof window installed - let there be light!- and finally my pottery studio was taking shape. Shortly after I'd dared to fire the Old Gent of a kiln for the first time, I then fell pregnant (timing just a coincidence) and my obsession with ceramics took a back seat while I pinterested the poop out of baby stuff.

Once my daughter was born and life had settled back into a rhythm, I surfaced from the cottage cheesey baby world, and very gently, ceramics sunk back into my conscious and I was off again. My studio is now a fully working one, and I have plans to get an etsy shop online in the not too distant future. I feel real pleasure sharing the things I make with friends and family, and hope to expand that to the big wide world too. I'm looking forward to getting more skilled, facing more challenges, exploring and evolving my style.