We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Danielle Dinger. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Danielle below.
Hi Danielle, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
I was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease in 2020, so navigating this has been the hardest chapter of life. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological movement disorder, and since throwing pottery is a very physically demanding process, I needed to investigate if this was still a viable endeavor for me to pursue. I’ve learned to adapt some of my movements in order to still create art, but most of the work has been on keeping a positive mindset.
I have pushed into community, when the temptation was to isolate. I’ve been sharing my story in front of groups and on social media and this has provided a lot of comfort to others who have been given this same diagnosis.
I have also challenged myself with continuing to spearhead and coordinate the largest all-local Makers’ Market in my area for the fifth year: demonstrating my belief in and support of engaging local artists and makers with the community at large.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
After working in advertising for a few years, I stayed at home to raise my four children, but started taking pottery classes as I was able. I dove in deep and learned as much as I could from other teaching artists and joined a local clay co-hort where I could continue learning and experimenting. After getting a base understanding of the elements of pottery: throwing techniques, form, altering, glazing and firing, I started understanding how to incorporate my own unique flavor on the surface of my pots. I then quickly expanded my home studio to include a kiln and the ability to create my own glazes.
A love for outdoor recreation and a general appreciation for nature, especially local state parks, is often reflected in my work.
I have collections with nature elements including Birch trees, Rainbow trout, Grizzly bears, White Tail Deer and Red Pine trees. Images are made by carving into linoleum blocks. Then prints are made with mason stain and finally transferred onto the pottery.
When creating pottery, I aim for my pieces to be both functional and beautiful. I I make mugs that sit comfortably in the hand. I take into account how one’s hand holds hot beverages and what shape and handle style is the most ergonomic while still aesthetically pleasing.
I also create unique dishes for the kitchen that are surprisingly useful, like my salt and pepper cellar. It’s a beautiful, originally designed piece that sits next to the stove for quick access to teaspoons of both spices.
It’s important to me to own as much of the pottery process as possible, which is why I’ve learned how to make my own images and apply them as prints or decals, make my own glazes and fire my own pots.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
As I’ve learned from running marathons and ultramarathons, being resilient is the key. You don’t have to be the fastest or strongest, you just need to keep going. I sprained my ankle on a 50k trail run and was deep in the woods. I could have quit at the halfway point, even with a valid excuse, but I was determined that I came there to finish the race, even if I had to crawl over the finish line.
Life after being diagnosed with an incurable disease has been like that too. I don’t consider quitting to be an option and want to squeeze all I can out of each day.
People around me haven’t seen me slow down. They may have seen a chapter of my life where I stepped. back to grieve and research treatment, but otherwise have not seen me scale back. In fact I’ve taken great strides forward to be an advocate for Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease as well as being a voice for those who are navigating grief or chronic illness.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I love when a connection is made between an artist and the buyer. With Americans’ easy access to low priced, imported goods from big box stores and online super giants, consumers can become so detached from the products we use or have in our home. I have met many people who can’t think of a single item in their house that was made by someone they know. A hundred years ago, a story could be told on the origin of almost every item in one’s home. But we’ve gotten so accustomed to low cost, low quality, mass produced items, that we consider much of our belongings disposable, or of little value. When we bridge the gap between maker and buyer, a story is created and the item has intrinsic value.
Bringing awareness to the beauty of supporting local artists and makers is a huge passion and drives me to continue hosting a large makers’ market in my city. This market that exhibits exclusively local artists’ and makers’ handmade work is a highlight in the community bringing people together in a very special way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.potterybydane.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potterybydane/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potterybydane
Image Credits
Guy Magno, Dominic Dinger