>> FOR ME, IT STARTED SLOWLY.

I GOT MY FINE ARTS DEGREE IN CERAMICS.

AFTER THAT, GRADUATING, THE PROCESS WAS COLLECTING EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS.

WHILE I WAS COLLECTING THOSE TO BUILD MY STUDIO, I WAS WORKING FOR DIFFERENT ESSENCES.

I WAS BARTENDING AND WORKING FOR THE COLLEGE.

AS I WAS DOING THAT, AND WAS LEARNING THINGS I WASN'T ABLE TO LEARN IN THE CLASSROOM SETTING, SUCH AS RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, THE FINANCIALS OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS IN TERMS OF HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE, HOW TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE, BEING HELPFUL IN SALES.

THAT IS KIND OF HOW IT HAPPENED.

MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM THE EVERYDAY SIMPLE MOMENTS THAT BRING ME JOY THAT ARE OFTENTIMES OVERLOOKED.

THE LITTLE TINY SUNSETS OR DRINKING A YUMMY CUP OF COFFEE, PETTING A CAT OR A DOG.

THESE LITTLE MOMENTS THAT CAN BE VERY IMPACTFUL.

A LOT OF MY INSPIRATION OF THE ACTUAL PIECES AND CREATE COME FROM MY DAILY GRATITUDE PRACTICE OF THINGS I AM PERSONALLY GRATEFUL FOR AND I FEEL LIKE THAT CLASS PLATFORM IT'S OVER TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.

I WORK IN A TECHNIQUE TOWARD CLASS INSTRUCTION.

I WILL OUT PIECES ON PLATFORMS LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE MAKING CUTOUT COOKIES, SAME KIND OF THING.

THEN I CUT THEM OUT INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES WITH DIFFERENT PATTERNS I HAVE MADE AND I TAKE THE SLABS AND TRANSFORM THEM INTO THREE-DIMENSIONAL FORMS.

THEN ONCE I DO THAT AND THEY TRIED A LITTLE BIT, THEN I WILL ADD THE COLOR, PAINT THAT ON AND FIRE IT.

IT IS A MULTILEVEL PROCESS BUT IT IS PRETTY BASIC.

CERAMICS ARE HARD, THEY ARE A HARD OBJECT.

I ALWAYS LOVE THE JUXTAPOSITION OF HARD AND SOFT AND HAVING SOMETHING THAT IS A HARD OBJECT THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY GIVE OR PLAY TO IT TO HAVE THIS SOFT ESSENCE.

I ACHIEVE THAT WITH THE HANDBUILT NATURE.

IT'S GOING TO BE PERFECTLY IMPERFECT AND WITH A COLOR PALETTE AS WELL.

I MAKE ALL MY OWN GLAZES AND THEN I AM ABLE TO DO A DIFFERENT COLOR PALETTE THEN YOU WILL FIND IN YOUR TRADITIONAL CERAMIC GLAZES.

I WANTED MY COLOR PALETTE TO STAND OUT TO BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT AND ALSO WORK AND COINCIDE WITH FANATICALLY WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO.

SAY I AM GOING TO DO A NEW STYLE OF MARGARET, I'M GOING TO DO WE DIFFERENTIATE, HOW DOES THAT RELATE BACK TO WHAT I'M ALREADY MAKING, DOES IT MAKE SENSE IN THE COLLECTION, WHAT OTHER DESIGNS COME INTO ON IT?

IT IS KIND OF A LET'S DO SOME NEW BUT ALSO REACH BACK TO THE COLLECTION SO IT MAKES SENSE ALTOGETHER.

MY FAVORITE PART IS CONNECTING WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

THE CERAMICS COMMUNITY IS A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY TO BE IN.

IT IS EXPLORATORY, IT IS CURIOUS.

I LOVE BEING A PART OF THAT COMMUNITY AND I LOVE HER BEING PART OF THE LARGER ARTS COMMUNITY.

BY RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, I CAN ABLE TO SUSTAIN MYSELF IN THAT COMMUNITY AND BE ABLE TO DO WHAT I LOVE FULL TIME.

THAT IS WHAT I LOVE.

I THINK FOR ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT IS NOT SO GREAT ABOUT IT, IT IS JUST THE CONSISTENCY, THE UNKNOWN.

IF YOU ARE WORKING, AT LEAST IN THE PAST WHEN I WORKED A 9:00 TO 5:00 JOB, I SHOW UP AT 9:00, I AM THERE UNTIL 5:00, I GET THE MONEY.

IT IS A LITTLE MORE NUANCED TO HOW YOU ARE APPROACHING YOUR INCOME AND YOUR CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE IS DIFFERENT.

I HOPE THAT IT SPARKS A LITTLE JOIN IN AND HAS THOSE TINY MOMENTS WHERE, BECAUSE THEY ARE SEEING THAT IN MY WORK, THAT IT IS AN INVITATION TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE AND CONNECT BACK WITH THEMSELVES.