If you know anything about me, you know that asking for support is not something I have ever been super comfortable with, nor something I do lightly. Since deciding to quit my tech career a year and a half ago, I have not regretted it for a moment! The joy and satisfaction I get from making functional ceramic objects lets me know that I’m truly on the right path. But learning a new craft and making a career out of it takes time, and if I had to compare myself to a student going back to school, I’d probably be middle-to-late in my sophomore year. I still have a ways to go on my journey, and I’m writing to you now because I am looking for help to support the next phase of my development.

The Apprentice program I’ve been participating in at The Village Potters Clay Company in Asheville is a work-exchange where I commit my time working for the studio for which I am able to participate in the Independent Study and Mentoring program at no cost. The past year has been a life-changing experience for me in the best way possible and I definitely want to continue on. The time commitment for the second year of the program is substantial, and—between that and my part time job in retail—I fear I won’t have as much time to develop my own work as I would like. There is a paid option for the program that doesn’t require the time commitment, so I’m looking to raise enough money to cover the cost of the program, firings, and other supplies for 2024.

My goal is to raise ~$12,000 total to cover the next year of my education and launch my fledgeling business. To do this, I will sell my work through a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe. Specifically, if you choose to support me at various levels, you will get one or more unique works of art hand made and selected by me. More details on my GoFundMe page, but the basic breakdown is as follows:

Don’t need ceramics for yourself right now? Functional pottery makes an excellent holiday or birthday gift.

Don’t have the ability to make a pledge right now? Word of mouth is powerful so you can still help me out by sharing my story and my goals with your friends, coworkers, anyone who will listen.

Why is $12,000 the goal? The costs for me to continue on my new career trajectory over the next year break down as follows:

Any money raised past my goal will be put to more classes, workshops, and supplies. The fundraiser will run from now through December 31st, 2023 and I will start delivering pots in January of 2024.

More than anything, I invite you to join me on my journey regardless of whether you are able to make a donation to me at this time. As part of this fundraising effort, I will be launching more social media content to include photos of my work in progress and finished work, videos of me making, kiln openings, and more. I know I can’t do this alone, and knowing that you are out there cheering me on is creative fuel on my pottery fire.