We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Ostendorp. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about how you identified some of your key partners/vendors and how you made those relationships work?

As a full time public school ceramics teacher, I had been working out of my basement studio for about 2 years nights and weekends. I was creating bowls, mugs, vases, plates, etc. When schools were shut down due to the pandemic, I had felt compelled to ‘help’ in some way, so I made a bunch of magnets and raised over $5000 to various pandemic relief funds. The exposer alone allowed my family and friends to spread the word that I was in business. I was introduced to Shannon Mulligan-Mayernik by a mutual friend, who was expanding her online herbal health business to a brick and mortar shop and was looking for local artists and craftspeople to sell their work in. Shannon and I met, we discussed her aesthetic, and together created a collection that would work in her shop.

That interaction taught me a lot about knowing a client, using your own skills, art and knowledge, and designing work that will ‘sell’ to a particular demographic of people. But it also helped me create work to ‘sell’ to myself. When you meet with a potential client, they have already reached out to you because they like your work or what you do. They can see your work living in their business model somehow. So before you can get to that place wanting to sell to others, ask yourself, “Who do I want to sell to?” Who is your audience? And that may mean you have to dial it back even further and ask yourself, “What is important to me? What are my values or passions?” What is it that drives me?”

For me, it was my spirituality and practices that guided my work. I’m inspired by crystals, tarot, nature and the ‘magic’ that surrounds us. By tapping into that for myself, it allowed me to create pieces that support spiritual practices and reach a demographic of like-minded people and extend my business in that direction.

Another demographic to tap into is your roots. Your location. I am lucky to live in a town that celebrates diversity and has a strong reach for culture. ‘Local artist’ status can be a great market to tap into- working with other small retail businesses around your town or neighboring town allows you to make other connections. For example, I sell mugs in a local shop that celebrates everything ‘New Jersey.’ I use a mug shape and design that I use in my own work, but I customize the mugs I sell there to be New Jersey centered. So I’m able to keep my aesthetic, but still give something exclusive to that shop.

Since starting my journey with Mayernik Kitchens, my business has now extended to three other local businesses, a local museum and several online customers. I have a nice online following, and I still continue to seek creative connections with other craftspeople that allow us to market and support each other. Currently, I am working with a local carpenter who makes Charcuterie boards with locally sourced wood. I am making little bowls and cheese/meat tags with clay, and together we sell them as charcuterie ‘sets.’ And that taps into a WHOLE new marketing demographic for both of us. Just one example of how important building relationships are in small business.

I guess to wrap up, the best advice I can give a person starting a small business is CARRY A SKETCHBOOK where ever you go. Ideas will come to you when least expect it…and can leave you just as fast! No idea is too crazy and even if you don’t use it right away, it’s in your back pocket for another day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my own business right before the pandemic hit. After teaching ceramics for 8 years, I finally decided to start creating for myself. I was inspired by some of the things my students were doing, and I wanted to really delve into what Ceramics may have to offer for me.

I had just finished building a studio in my basement and with Covid putting us in lockdown, I had plenty of time to create. I started by making small collections of 20-30 pieces and would sell them online. In summer of 2020, I began selling my work in a local shop and from there, things really took off. In 2021, I moved out of my basement studio into a converted horse stable and I now sell my work in 4 small businesses and The Morris Museum. I create mugs, plates, ritual bowls, sage dishes, incense and palo santo burners, and various types of vases. I love to take concepts and textures from nature and apply them to my work.

My studio is located on a historic farm in Morristown, NJ. The views are spectacular and inspire me so much. Anyone who enters the space feels this magic come over them instantly. Often times, I walk the property and see the beauty in the native plants and wildlife and feel they are messages from the universe telling me what to make next.

I pride myself on being able to sit down with a potential client, get to know them and create pottery pieces that really speak to their aesthetic. It’s been my strength as a teacher for 20 years, so I find it reassuring that I am able to dissect who people are and what their vision is for their own business. The relationships we build with each other is so incredibly important. So building that relationship with a client- the trust, authenticity- is what allows the work to be in the spotlight as well as the success of the business.

My bio for shops:

Liz Ostendorp of Ellie Lou Ceramics,
graduated with a Bachelor’s of
Creative Art and Technology from
Bloomfield College in 2003 and then
immediately began working as an Art
Teacher for the Morris School District.
She presently teaches Ceramics at
Morristown High School while running
her own pottery business outside of
school hours.

Liz started Ellie Lou Ceramics in February, 2020 and by 2021 was able to move out of
her dark basement studio and into a bright historic farm studio where she currently
resides. Due to a recent expansion of her studio space, she is in the process of offering
small wheel throwing classes as well as Sculpt and Sip workshops.

Along with teaching and creating, sustainability is another passion of hers, which is
partially why she loves ceramics. As a material that lends itself wonderfully to the
constructs of death and rebirth, almost any piece can be utilized and transformed into
something new. Liz works hard at reducing her carbon footprint from clay production to
shipping and makes every effort to reuse boxes and packing materials.

Liz creates and sells collections for local shops around North Jersey, but her main focus
surrounds emulating the beauty in nature that we often overlook. As a green witch, Liz
tries to incorporate as much of her practice into the work as possible with the goal of
sharing her light with others through creating collections that can be used in spiritual
practices and rituals, including mugs, ritual bowls, vases, cleansing bundle plates, and
incense/palo santo burners.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

This past summer, my studio mate moved out. I had to take on the entire cost of rent and utilities. In order to do this, I had to start teaching classes at the studio. I took out a personal loan, purchased additional wheels and materials, and promoted classes like crazy. Upon the week of starting classes, I was shut down by the town for not having the proper permits to run a business. It’s been a huge financial blow for me, and I still don’t know what the future holds for my business, but I take it as a message from the universe that teaching at the studio was not the path I was supposed to take. I’m not sure what the future holds right now, but I’m not giving up.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

There is this term in Ceramics called ‘kintsugi.’ It’s the Japanese zen art form of gluing fractured ceramics back together with gold. And the philosophy behind it is the art is more beautiful broken than whole. I think about that often when creating. Artists so rarely compliment their own work. We are so quick find the flaws. often lament of all the things I’m doing wrong with my work, with my business. I have to remind myself daily that I am doing good things. I think we need to look at ourselves more as the beautiful imperfect beings, and celebrate ALL of the qualities we own…not just the good ones. Because we learn and grow from out mistakes.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ellielouceramics.com
• Instagram: @ellielouceramics
• Facebook: @ellielouceramics
• Linkedin: N/A
• Twitter: N/A
• Other: tiktok- @ellielouceramics

Image Credits
Mike Maguire