We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anne and Paul Stolz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anne and Paul, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
We do make a living from our ma and pa style full-time ceramic business! It’s been a wild ride and one that no one really can guide you through or prepare you for. I believe that everyone can make their passion into a business but it definitely takes drive, endurance and so much love to make it happen!
Our journey started when I (Annie) quit my full-time Paraprofessional job in 2021. I firmly believe that if you leave your heart and mind open to the universe you can hear all the signs it’s giving you to make a change. Come April 2021 I decided I would leave my job and my personal health insurance to take the biggest risk I would have experienced at that time!
I started the business in our spare bedroom, throwing pots on a 1950’s Amaco wheel and then driving or walking greenware to my community studio to fire. Those days were wild, and I was definitely learning on the go as I found the best way to make, sell and pack orders out of our apartment.
The first big step was buying a kiln, which was absolutely terrifying – It was the most expensive item I had ever purchased at that point and I knew it was a big investment. We put it in my parent’s garage and drove 45 minutes each way multiple times a week to bisque and glaze our pieces. In the end, it totally paid off and we ended up getting a second kiln from a family friend last year!
I would say that all the steps I’ve taken over the last 10 years have been necessary to reach where I am today. Each hurdle or milestone provides a valuable lesson and presents a new opportunity to challenge yourself and grow towards your goals. I think having faith in yourself and not being afraid to reach out to others can really go miles in helping define and achieve success!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I ( Annie) got into my craft when I was in highschool. Big shout out to Mr. E, my high school ceramics teacher. I continued on with ceramics my junior year of college where I learned more about the whole process and fell in love with the potter community and being covered in mud daily. I felt so natural and like I finally belonged somewhere. From there, I graduated college with my BFA. Paul, being the sweet pea he is, got me a ceramic wheel from the 50’s as a graduation present in 2015. He said he got it because he knew that being a potter was my passion and what I wanted to do with my life. I obviously melted and felt so special. I held many jobs over the next five years being a waitress, flight attendant, paraprofessional, ABA therapist – I had hefty loans to pay off and I just wasn’t able to focus on what I loved most, making art with clay.
Finally, when I landed my last ‘9-5’ job we were making enough money for me to join a ceramic studio nearby. I cried as Paul dropped me off at my first class – what if I couldn’t remember how to do it, what if I was judged or failed? Afterwards, I walked out feeling so warm and fuzzy! I was back in a community of fun, silly mud loving humans! I continued at that studio through some of the pandemic, they were kind enough to let me use their kilns but make pots at home. I set up that old wheel in our spare bedroom and the rest is history!
Paul got into the craft after months and months of the pandemic going by and witnessing our apartment getting taken over by clay. As orders kept coming in and in-person markets came back, it clicked in both of our heads that this is something we could turn into a business for the both of us. Paul was working as a Customer Service Manager and was amazing at it! That’s a hard job! Paul’s experience with clay was pretty minimal but he was determined and faced fears head on. In July 2022 Paul quit his full time job! This was the most wild, most risky, most scary thing yet. His / our health insurance went away and we were left to our own devices. We didn’t let that fear take over though!
Ironically, the same month that Paul left his job our landlord found out why her apartment downstairs was so dusty – clay makes a lot of dust. She asked us to no longer work out of our apartment. Which either meant renting a studio or .. renting a studio! There was no other option. We wanted to make this work and we love a challenge. We ended up renting a studio nearby and Paul dove into the work, learning everything about clay and very importantly the behind the scenes business tasks. Over the past year, he’s completely taught himself how to make plaster molds to produce the shapes we make today!
Together we make dinnerware sets and home decor items. What sets us apart is that we do everything together and it’s just the two of us, and our pup Rockie at the studio. Paul slip casts all the pieces, and then we clean the pieces to prepare them to be painted. Then I paint each individual piece and they go through the kiln process.. It’s a labor of love and we couldn’t picture doing anything different!
We’re most proud of difficult situations that have been thrown our way and how we’ve turned them into positive growth. Where working together on a personal level feels easy it’s not easy to make sure that we can keep this running and provide for our family. This life is a hustle and we have to know when and when not to push in certain places – personally and in work. There’s so many twists and turns and being patient, loving and empathetic is a key part of making it work! We wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else, we’re so deeply proud of each other and we let each other know that on a daily basis! After we finish an in person market our hearts are always starry. We are really able to shine together and we keep taking challenges on, mostly fearlessly!
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The resource that I (Annie) am forever indebted for is community! The first year of running this when it was just me and Paul was still at this full time job I would google everything from finding in person markets and which ones were worth applying to, how to sell outside of etsy, social media and marketing and so on. All these things aren’t really google-able and it felt so isolating and impossible until I found a makers community in Chicago where there were so many other females like me who were or had been so green in the small business makers world. Those women were so empowering and so helpful with everything from keeping your head high to business advice. My biggest advice is to find your community, reach out to the people you admire on social media and ask the questions. I’ve found that people are so much more human than I was expecting and are here to help, so don’t be afraid to ask!
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Generally I feel like people understand! We’re fortunate to be surrounded by a decent amount of musicians and artists here in Chicago. I personally get self conscious about the amount of time we spend on our business. Where we have learned to take time to rest and recharge, our life still revolves around our kiln schedules, order deadlines and remembering all the day-to-day tasks that come with running a business. I feel bad when we go to an event and it’s been a while since I’ve caught up with someone and all my updates are about our animals and our business. To counteract that a bit, I’ve been making an effort to text people when I’m actively thinking about them to keep friendships and relationships alive. It’s a very consuming job especially when you work in the time you need for yourself to show up everyday with a bright mind. But it’s a job that hopefully all creatives love and are deeply passionate about so anyone around you that loves you will understand that your life is filled with magic!
Contact Info:
- Website: riseandshineceramics.com
- Instagram: @rise_and_shine_ceramics