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

Helene, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I wish I had started selling pottery years ago. I started in 2016 and it was a hobby for many years. When I had my daughter in 2021, I started feeling the need to have a more serious creative outflow to deal with the new challenges of my new life as a mom. I also became so much more serious and efficient at my craft. So I wish I had this outflow of energy and creativity back then when I had so much more time. But in the end I don’t regret how things turned out; my daughter has allowed so much creativity into my life and I feel so much more ready for this new challenge of creating and growing a small business.

Helene, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started making hand built pottery as a kid. In 2016, when I lived in London in the UK and took on wheel throwing as a hobby to get a break from the city life and my corporate job. The studio I took lessons at was in a city farm, a very cool and alternative place; especially in a city. A couple of years later, I move to Connecticut with my husband and wanted to find a place to make pottery. The studio I found only offered hand building so I started hand building again. I loved all I learned as it was so different to wheel throwing. I also found an amazing instructor who was so resourceful and patient. A couple of years later the studio acquired 4 wheel and there I was wheel throwing again. It was amazing to be back at the wheel and this time being able to marry wheel throwing and hand building offered me so many more possibilities. Then the pandemic happened and the studio closed for a little while. As soon as it opened up again I was back at it; I had missed working with clay so much. In 2021, I became a mom and felt like I needed to be back on the wheel because I had a flow of creativity I had never experienced before. My work started to change and it felt like this hobby was taken to another level. I started thinking about selling my pottery but the imposter syndrome was strong. Fast forward a couple of years and there I was at my first market in my own town. I was inspired by another artist at my studio who started selling and by seeing her do so, I was able to believe that I should give it a try too. I love making functional ware; things that should be used everyday, put in the dishwasher and microwave – not something you’re too scared to use.
Since my daughter was born I’ve been wanting to create pieces with her little hands and feet to remember the preciousness of that time. These projects have resonated with people and I’ve made a bunch of custom hand and foot prints projects since. I am glad I’m able to create memories for people who will last in time.
I love traveling and I’ve been enjoying finding inspiration in any kind of art during my travels and translate it into pottery. Often it’s a mismatch of various visuals and ideas and that has been so fun.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Before thinking about myself as a creative, I am a maker and fixer at my core. What I absolutely love about working with clay is how I start with a chunk of clay and can make into (almost!) anything. I find it so rewarding and satisfying to see the end result of my effort. It has also been great to see the progress I’ve made over the years and how my work has evolved and changed. In my previous career working in the corporate world, I didn’t have such obvious results.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Pottery has allowed to have trust in my skills. I have doubted my abilities for so long and in retrospect I wish I had learned self confidence way sooner and invested in my craft sooner and faster. I had contemplated getting a kiln for over a year and only decided to go ahead with it very recently. Having my own kiln has allowed so much more flexibility in my work and I’m so grateful to have it be part of my studio now.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: helene.a.pottery