For me, making pots is as much a gentle, political nudge as it is an exercise in my own thought, creativity and commentary on contemporary design. I hope to ( if nothing else ) stir up the question as to “why?” Occasionally, I need to explain to people that dishes aren’t really made by hand these days and that there’s a lot of work and little money involved in a process like this. That usually leaves them with a blank stare and wondering “why do this?”

I usually say something like.. “why cook from scratch, why ride a bike, or why do anything yourself?” The answer I’m looking for is that elevating your own quality of life is a good thing. It seems that most people reply by saying something about retirement and how the last 15 - 20 years of your life will be like heaven on earth. Is it necessary to wait that long though? For me, there are big rewards that come with independence and learning how to “custom-fit” my own life to a certain extent, so if you know what you’re after, why not start building it now.. uh.. right? I guess I see the job of a potter as one of those “old world” duties that doesn’t exist as much anymore and I’m thinking that may be a mistake.

As for the pots, I don’t think I’m necessarily against mass production but all the pollution, silly jobs and low prices.. I mean, who wants that, right? It does however feel like my contribution as a potter is not just another useless object that will wind up in a dump some day. Whether that is true or not, at least I am under the illusion that people will buy/use pots and that this process will in turn, lead them to a slower, more calculated lifestyle.

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