Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Pawlusiak.
Hi Kelly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior where I spent much of my time enjoying the great outdoors and exploring the fresh water shores. From early on, I worked in customer service roles and persevered through college working at least two side jobs which taught me a lot. Working in the medical field directly with patients, some who were very ill, was rewarding and shaped who I am today. When I moved to Virginia Beach in 2010, the Atlantic Ocean gave me natural comfort and I cried the first time I saw dolphins just offshore.
In 2015, I signed up for my first pottery class and was consumed by the deep dive into hands-on creation of items that can be used every day. I often woke up in the night thinking about how to adjust the position of my hands to change the shape of a pot or how I could utilize some miscellaneous thing in my junk drawer as a tool. A lot of time was spent online scouring articles, social media, and videos for answers. The position of Studio Assistant was offered to me in trade for my class fee. Working at mixing glazes, firing the kilns, keeping the materials stocked, lots of general clean up, and the maintenance any ceramics studio requires was a great education.
The slab-building style of my pottery came out of Lockdown during the pandemic. I had gotten a kiln at some point but not a wheel; and I loved the wheel. Pinching and rolling out the clay was a creative struggle because it was not what I wanted to do. But my relentless research found some inspiration and now it feels hard to keep up with the ideas. There’s a part of my brain that likes meticulous work, spreadsheets, and organizing minutia. Stamping the texture into the clay is meditative.
My work is hand-built. Each slab is rolled by hand, textured with my hand carved clay stamps and then built into functional pieces. While I invent many designs (I call them my doodles), I find the coordinated tessellation most comforting—each line, indentation, swell and shape. The functionality is important to me because then it is a part of all the senses and has an intended use. A mug is a splendid example of this. I think adding texture elevates the connection. Some of my intention with stamping is to capture your focus while you enjoy your favorite beverage. Settle into the moment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A smooth road? No and I wouldn’t want it to be. The bumps make you better. It’s hard to put yourself out there and actually ask to be judged on your work and creativity. Sometimes there’s not support, sometimes customers ghost you, sometimes burnout happens because this can require your whole self, and sometimes you just don’t believe you can do it.
A little less than 2 years ago, I hit burnout hard. I had set a high goal for myself and while I met it, it was months of long hours and hard work. It was not nearly as financially successful I had hoped. I tried to find ways to recover creativity and rest while still working. A M-F job opportunity came up and I went for it thinking it would provide relief. I only learned that I can’t do it all. Shocking, right? So I’m returning and building my life to focus on what feeds me. My family, my art, and my mind.
I managed to build a little momentum but it’s fading, my voice is fading. It’s so very scary, quitting a good job during these current times with an unclear path. But. I’m doing it. Gotta hang on to my plucky perseverance. I’m about to earn my yoga teaching certificate so we’ll see where that takes me too.
It’s basically coming down to thinking about how this will feel later. The thought of regretting not doing this thing is unacceptable. It makes me proud of myself and, honestly, that is satisfying.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is full of texture and meticulousness and is made with tools and methods that I create and develop. That is its value and also its dilemma. It is a slow process that is mental and physical. Clay stamps are fun. I look around the world to see natural tessellations and see if I can carve a stamp. Sometimes I look at digital patterns, cut the shape out of clay and then carve a doodle in it. I’ll experiment with unintentional carving because sometimes the results are surprising.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think I’m proud of my insatiable curiosity. Always questioning “How can I figure this out?” and then I figure it out. I’ve taken classes, workshops, scour resources for answers whether that’s books written by experts or social media. Then I test. It’s rare that any piece just comes out of me. They are all results of several iterations.
No surprise but I’m a perfectionist. I had to learn that it takes time and adapting and practice. Whatever field you’re in, It’s ok to do what others are doing until you develop your own voice. The more you try, the more you learn, the more you develop. So far I’ve done a lot of different things in life, worn many hats, and tried many jobs. I can be hard on myself and all the change made me feel small because I couldn’t “stick with” anything. It’s still a work in progress but now I’m grateful for my experiences. My ravenous learning has given me capabilities that help in every aspect of what I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pisforpottery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pisforpottery/
- Facebook: substack.com/@pisforplucky
- Twitter: www.pinterest.com/pisforpottery
