We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bridget Dorr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bridget below.
Bridget, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
I wouldn’t have done anything different with my creative career. 4 years ago I took the leap (naively) to take my craft full time. I wasn’t ready but was feeling very optimistic. It wasn’t my time, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Being a self-employed artist helped me learn some hard lessons, gain valuable experience, and really appreciate my art for what it is, and not as a means to an income.
This month I have taken the leap again, but with much more confidence, experience, and success under my belt. I’m feeling so great about everything. I am so busy and am excited to expand on ideas that I’ve been sitting on for years. Post pandemic (is that what we’re calling this now?) I am feeling empowered to live a meaningful life and to create art that encourages quality time with others and a sense of mindfulness.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I studied pottery in college, I loved the community aspect of clay. We all shared a big studio, large equipment, and discussed ideas and techniques constantly. I’ve never found that to be the case with any other art form before. After college, I graduated and didn’t have the state-of-the-art facilities that I came to know and appreciate. After a year or 2 with no clay making, I bought a set of basic tools, a bag of clay, and started hand building on my kitchen table. I’ve now been creating hand-built ceramics in a large sunny studio in Boulder, now with other artists and equipment of my own.
I make functional pottery (cups, mugs, dishes, etc) as well as teach workshops (in-person and virtually). My work is hand built, so, that means I don’t use a wheel. My work is asymmetrical and has my unique fingerprint left behind in each piece.
I’m most proud of making work that encourages people to live more mindfully and create a sense of calm in their daily routine. The pieces I create are unique and handmade and create a sense of intention when using them. That is so needed in today’s world. I feel passionate about slowing down, connecting with people, and having meaningful conversations. My ceramics help facilitate those goals for people who use my works.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Buy local and handmade before making the cheap purchase- trust me, it’s worth it. Each piece you purchase helps an individual make a living. Your piece has a story, unlike a piece you bought mass-produced. I say “buy nice, don’t buy twice”- buying well-made art will last much longer and hold up better over time.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I hear a lot of “non-creatives” say they don’t know where to start. I even hear creatives say they are afraid to take a leap or start a project because they don’t know how/where to start. I think this is the only thing preventing people from not making art (creatives and non-creatives alike). Waiting to start a project because you don’t think it will be good or easy is the worst thing you could do. I love seeing work people make before they have all these preconceived rules set in their heads. If you consider yourself a non-creative, you are in the best position to really make some incredible art where you aren’t trying to fit a mold.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bridgetdorr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgetdorr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgetdorrceramicsandphotography
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmh1QMU9joEryo3TFPkWa6w