My name is Janice Stone. I wasn’t a ceramic artist by trade, but have a medical background and worked in the field of nursing for years.

During a tumultuous time of my life in 2020, I decided that I needed to cultivate and focus on the creative side of my brain! I signed my husband, now my “ex”, youngest daughter and myself up for beginner pottery classes on the wheel. Frustrating as it was, I loved the challenge. After the course of 3 lessons and throwing small bowls that could be used as weapons, I turned to hand building.

The texture and feel of the clay in my hands brought me back to my childhood days in preschool and my love of clay! To be able to create and mold any shape I could imagine and then fire and glaze it was exciting beyond words! I continued with hand building for a few months then decided to take more lessons in throwing. Success! The first time I was able to pull up a side and create a decent sized mug was exhilarating. I jumped up and hollered with excitement, not caring who else was in the studio.

The ceramic studio became my home away from home and the artists in it, my second family or “Clay tribe”. They were just as spontaneous, weird, and fun as I was, and I use weird as an endearing term! To me “Weird” is good. It shows creativity, imagination, and originality. It’s being or creating something from your imagination; creating something that brings satisfaction and pleasure to the senses.

I consider creating pottery as one of the highlights of my life that brought me joy and solace when it was lacking. I’ll continue experimenting, taking workshops and learning anything I can about pottery! For me, creativity using your hands promotes healing and is essential to expand who we are as individuals and how we can connect with others and our environment.