We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hannah Hazel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hannah , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

After taking my one and only ceramics class in college in 2016, I knew it was a craft I wanted to pursue further than a just ‘for fun’ hobby. Although I wasn’t sure how realistic that would be, I had always dreamt of owning my own business, and working for myself. Before pottery, I was actively working towards a Culinary Arts degree. I thought I wanted to be a baker. Post working in a bakery kitchen for a summer, I realized it wasn’t quite what I was romanticizing it to be, so this new love for clay was just the medium I was looking for. There were interestingly quite a few cross overs between baking and the ceramic process, and it made the transition fell a little more seamless. I worked for the coming years on perfecting my technique, slowly building a home studio by purchasing a potter’s wheel and kiln, selling my work at farmer’s markets / craft shows, and eventually quitting my ‘normal’ job in 2020.

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

My name is Hannah Hazel. I’m 27, my zodiac sign is Cancer, and I’m a born & raised Mainer. I’m a primarily self-taught production ceramicist, and have a home studio in Scarborough, ME that I work out of full time. I sell my products through my website, in-person at local pop-ups / markets, and wholesale to shops around Maine and a few other parts of the U.S.

When I’m not in covered in mud, I love to travel. Whether it be domestic or overseas. While I have a passion for traveling, I also cherish my home, Portland. I care deeply about our earth, and try my best to ‘do my part’ whether it be composting, recycling my used clay into reusable new clay, or picking up trash when I’m out on a walk. I’m a vegetarian, and grateful for the time and space to make my physical and mental health a priority. Some of my favorite outdoor activities include running, going for walks on the beach, mountain / trail biking, hiking, and rollerblading. After one or more of these activities, I like to go home and whip up one of my go-to plant-based meals.

I didn’t wake up one day knowing I’d be an entrepreneur, it more or less came about in a roundabout way. After graduating high school, I attended a community college for Culinary Arts. I had always been drawn to creating, whether it be drawing, taking photos, or baking. But after taking a few baking courses, interning at a local bakery during a brutally hot Maine summer, and taking a cooking class with a very high-strung chef professor, I decided that maybe working in a kitchen wasn’t for me. I shifted my sights to a broader degree, and landed on business. I opted for all the ‘fun’ sounding classes first. Which happened to be an entrepreneurship course, and a pottery class. I didn’t realize at the time that taking these classes simultaneously would end up being the subconscious seed that planted the idea of turning a hobby into a business all the way back in 2016.

Needless to say, I fell in love with clay the first day I had the chance to play around with it. I definitely struggled a lot getting the hang in the beginning, but it was the challenge that really pulled me in. I wanted to master something. I’ve always had the deepest desire to create, and in that moment, I knew clay would be that medium for me– a gateway into the creative world I had craved to be in since I was young.

I didn’t go into ceramics knowing I would be able to sell anything I made at first, (if you’ve ever taken a pottery class then you know what I’m talking about). Most pieces don’t end up making it off the wheel without a wonky rim, hole through the bottom, or weighing at least 5 pounds. The only way to get better is to practice though, right? So practice I did. I ended up interning at the pottery studio mixing glazes, cleaning, and teaching kids classes. In exchange, I was able to have open studio time. I think I threw a few hundred cylinders in those months, just trying to get used to the feel of the clay. Working tirelessly to perfect my technique, style, and ultimately develop my signature brand. After a few years after selling at farmer’s markets and art walks, and interning at the clay studio, I was able to save up for a wheel, and a few years later a kiln. Although this whole time I was progressing towards becoming a full time production potter, I always seemed to lack the confidence or knowing that I somehow managed to transform my love of clay and this meditative outlet / practice, into an actual business. I don’t think it’s a switch that flips, and you know you’re going to be doing this as a ‘job’ for the better part of your life. Everything just naturally flowed into the way it was intended. It goes to show that when you put in the time, hard work, and show up for something you believe in, it will work out for you. Now let’s fast forward to the day I finally felt ready to quit my job and pursue pottery full time. After going back and forth with the idea for a few years, I finally decided in March 2020 to quit my job, and dive head first into ceramics. Queue the pandemic… Obviously none of us knew the extent of the impact the pandemic would have on our economy, and the unknown / fear was enough to make me regret any decision or previous hope of making it as a full time artist. But this amazing community showed up. Not only for me, but for so many small businesses in Maine. I received more online orders than ever before. All in-person markets / pop ups were put on hold, but thankfully it didn’t seem to matter. And slowly but surely, the world started getting back to ‘normal’, and I actually had to start drastically pivoting back to selling in person, producing large wholesale orders, and having the opportunity to collaborate with more small businesses and makers. To say the last 8 years have been a rollercoaster would be a drastic understatement. But as cheesy as it sounds, I wouldn’t change any of it. I choose to believe that every moment, fear, anxiety, doubt, high and low, was needed to get me to where I am today. Which not only professionally but personally, I am a more resilient human.
I pride myself in hard work and determination. Sometimes people like to say I must’ve ‘just gotten lucky’, but luck feels like the furthest thing when I look back on all the years of grinding. All the work that goes on behind the scenes. I know a lot of my fellow makers / business owners can relate. But what my followers see on Instagram is only a fraction of it. I love my job, and I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have manifested. I believe the key is to stay humble, be approachable, and lead with genuine authenticity and integrity. In turn, I hope to attract like-minded customers / clients.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve never opened up about this publicly, but I know it can be a topic some artists can relate to. Whether it be on either side of the argument, I feel as though this is important, and needs to be discussed more in general.

A few years ago, I was accused via Instagram of stealing another ceramic artists designs. This was all very out of the blue, as I had heard of this artist before, and knew we got all of our materials (clay, glaze, etc), from the same distributor. But to be accused of openly stealing someone else’s ‘products’ in the same community felt very bold, and unfair to say the least.

This situation shook me up. I took a hard look at my product line, and looked for areas I could maybe try to be more ‘unique’ or ‘different’. I tried not to, but I questioned myself for a while after this interaction. I questioned if I was ‘unique’, or just another artist keeping up with ‘the moment’ ceramics seems to be having.

I came to the conclusion after talking with my support systems, that I had nothing to be ashamed of. The fact that these products are being made by me, a separate human being, sets us apart. I was not actively stealing someone else’s designs. My customer base supports my business because of the person I am, and not solely for the fact that its cool or trendy to them. In the end, this experience taught me a lot. Personally, and professionally. I have never been one to back down from adversity. I’ve learned to channel the negativity into a driving force to be the best that I can be. The logo for my business is a Lotus Flower. I chose it 8 years ago, to always remind me of the characteristics of the Lotus: it’s powerful resilience and strength.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many rewarding aspects to my job. From the whole process behind creating the piece, to meeting customers who tell me they use the Ceramica products they bought from me years ago, everyday. Or walking into a cocktail bar in downtown portland, and seeing one of my Moon Vases styled on the shelves. I feel very fortunate to live in a place that supports locally made goods, and small businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ceramicaco.com
• Instagram: ceramica_co
• Other: Blog: https://ceramicaco.com/blog/?v=40f9d8362b89

Image Credits
Karlee Noyes Photography, Tay Sikes Photo, Radiance By Design.