checking out to check in
I moved to Athens from Philadelphia just shy of nine years ago. I was fortunate to get a job right away bartending at one of the most beloved restaurants in town. My husband encouraged me to enroll in classes at the local clay studio as a way to get to know my new town and so I did. Over the next two years my hobby of making pottery turned into a fledgling business, a little side hustle if you will, thanks almost entirely because I was posting pictures of my not great early work to Instagram and people were asking to buy it. By 2017 I was selling enough pottery to sustain myself so I quit my bar job and set up Forged & Found officially as a business.
But let me back up a bit, “Forged and Found” actually started in 2011, in Philly after I shut down my boutique that I had for almost five years. It sprung up out of a moment of not knowing what to do next and so I set up an Etsy shop and started selling my own handmade (forged) jewelry, embroidered denim and vintage (found) clothing. By 2014, in Athens, I added pottery to the mix and eventually that’s where the focus landed and I have been covered in clay ever since.
As insane as the past three pandemic years were, I actually thought I got through them ok. It wasn’t until recently that I felt like I had a moment to come up for air and really see everything in hindsight. That was when it occurred to me what a wild ride I had been on as a small business owner. How depleted all the pivoting had left me. Navigating the crush and rush of 2020 online shopping while not being able to buy more clay when I needed it because of supply chain issues. Keeping up with demand while trying to make work that was coming from a place of real inspiration instead of just cranking it out like a machine. Attending in-person markets while trying to keep myself and my community safe & healthy when online sales were slowing. Trying to find joy and peace in my art practice instead of worrying about the impact of the constantly changing landscape of social media and a ceramics community now overpopulated with overnight tiktok potters.
So as I take this moment to pause and reflect I am realizing that I need a true break. For the first time in my adult working life I am going to take conscious time away from my business and from the grinding & hustling that usually feels like the only way I know how to work. It will no doubt be a challenge for me but I know it is necessary and that it is time. For rest and for change. Forged & Found as a business name will likely become something different as I don’t think it defines where I am at or the direction and vibe of what is coming. This past week I took myself shopping for an early birthday present and bought a new watercolor set and sketchbook. It has been so long since I spent time drawing or painting and I want to cultivate that and see what direction it moves me. This summer will be dedicated to that - a carefree art practice. And reading. And traveling. And time with my phone turned off.
If you are interested in knowing when I am back in the studio again or what changes come from this sabbatical of sorts - I will be reaching out via the newsletter later this summer, so sign up there. Until then, I hope you all are finding your path to what lights you up and feels like a balm for hard times. xx
A BIG thank you to everyone that made it out to my Open Studio last weekend! It’s such a pleasure meeting folks in person.