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

Alright, Jacquery thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’d dreamed of being an artist one day since I was a small child as many kids do. However I could never make up my mind about what kind of artist I wanted to be. I loved every medium I picked up; drawing, painting, sewing, the list goes on. However my family is full of artists who never gave it as a chance as a career choice because they thought it was too much of a risk. The older I got the less realistic being an artist seemed to be. I was a freshman in high school when I took my first pottery class. I loved it. The way I could make anything out of dirt and fire it felt like magic. I took ceramics classes every year of high school. However the equipment needed to have my own studio was so expensive it made ceramics as a career choice feel out of reach.
When I first started college I majored in a STEM field that was pretty straightforward. There was a clear path ahead of me from college to a job and in the beginning I thought that was what I wanted for my future. That my childhood dream of being an artist one day was not feasible. I was a little more than halfway through the program when I realized I was wrong and that I would never be happy with myself if I didn’t give my art a chance. I transferred to another school and eventually graduated with honors with my degree in Visual Arts. However even after college I doubted myself. I didn’t have the money for the equipment I needed since even a used kiln and pottery wheels are thousands of dollars. I didn’t have the space either and not many landlords will let you have the electrical work done to have a kiln in your home. It was be years of dreaming about owning a kiln and two moves across the country before I was in a place I could own the equipment I needed to start my business. I bought a used kiln at the first opportunity I could when things lined up for me and got to work.

Jacquery, 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?

My name is Jacquery Valentine and I am the lead artist behind Valentine Studio. What drew me to pottery is clays willingness to be transformed. As a transgender individual I think the idea of being able to sculpt a lump of earth into any desired form rather romantic. There are many ways I can relate having physically transformed myself to the artistic discipline of forming clay. I work predominantly in functional pottery with a heavy emphasis on form. I find it satisfying to create objects that are both beautiful and useful. My company provides a range of high-quality functional art to the community. We vend locally in Minnesota and online at ValentineStudio.art .

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Stop shopping for art on websites like Amazon and Etsy. These sites are notorious for art theft and not only charging ridiculously high fees to the sellers that use them but also cutting off artists income with no warning or reason. You can best support an artist by buying directly from their website. If you can’t afford to actually purchase the works your favorite artist creates the next best way to support them is to leave a comment or a like or hit the share button! Post their @ on your story!

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

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is maybe when I open the kiln and get to see what weeks of work looks like in completion. Or when a piece comes out totally different than I had imagined it but in a good way. Every project is its own little journey when working with clay.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.valentinestudio.art
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/valentine.art.studio
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/valentineartstudiofb
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jacquery-valentine-73a436231/
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@valentineartstudio
• Other: www.patreon.com/valentinestudio