Art That Inspires

For much of my life, my identity was rooted in movement, athletics, and physical strength. However, an unexpected and aggressive battle with Avascular Necrosis (AVN) completely upended that reality. Over several years, I endured systemic joint collapses, six major joint replacements, and a level of unrelenting, chronic pain that threatened to steal away not just my mobility, but my sense of self, my joy, and my connection to the people I love most. I fought through every treatment, medication, and dead end imaginable, searching for a way to simply survive a body that felt like it was failing me.

Then, I discovered handcrafted ceramics. Despite my profound skepticism—and sitting at a pottery wheel with a body wracked by pain I took a ceramics class at the Arbutus Folk School in Olympia, Washington. I didn't expect to finish the first session. Instead, the moment my hands met the clay, something extraordinary happened. The intense focus required to center a spinning piece of earth completely quieted my nervous system. For the first time in years, the pain receded into the background. Behind the wheel, it wasn't about my physical limitations anymore; it was entirely about the creation in front of me.

Today, pottery is much more than a craft it is my medicine, my sanctuary, and my daily practice. What began as a desperate search for relief has transformed into a full-time passion for hand-building and wheel-throwing. Each piece I create stands as a tangible reminder that even when we feel broken or pushed to our absolute limits, we can still reshape our lives into something beautiful, strong, and enduring. I now share my journey and creations through a pottery online store, inviting others to experience the same healing power of handcrafted ceramics.