We were lucky to catch up with Jessamyn Go recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessamyn , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Being a full time ceramic artist poses its challenges; it entails a constant balancing act to sustain a budgeted living. I stress the word BUDGETED haha. All joking umm not joking aside, I can proudly say that designing and creating ceramic objects are at the heart of everything I do. My world most of the time is not a glamorous gallery show opening, but in reality I am often alone deep in imagination, inside my chaotic, messy studio and I am always draped in clay dust. It is not a whimsical romantic instagram reel, but this career choice is mine, and something I wouldn’t trade for any other.
My transition into ceramics as a career unfolded organically, where opportunities aligned with my evolving experiences at the right time. To give you a brief snapshot for historical reference, I started playing with ceramics in 2018. I had my first ceramics sale on Instagram raising funds to fight the abortion bans in 2019 donating 100% of the proceeds to Planned Parenthood and the Yellowhammer Funds. In 2019 I ended up leaving my previous career in luxury retail management, and began teaching ceramics to beginners at Choplet Ceramic Studio in Brooklyn. The onset of COVID-19 in 2020 was a whirlwind. It unfortunately led to unemployment, a move from Brooklyn back to Long Island, and a focus on raising funds selling ceramics again on Instagram for social causes. By 2021, the world started to come out of quarantine, and I found a new outlet for selling my handmade ceramics at local outdoor farmers markets and connecting IRL with a new local audience. This gradual growth and the income earned are how I was able to build my home studio practice into a small batch ceramics studio. Femme Sole was born and trademarked in 2021, and my ceramics adventure was about to begin!
This lifestyle as a full time ceramicist requires a constant juggling act of wholesale production, creating inventory for seasonal art fairs, teaching, and of course making time for my personal growth creating art. Being a masterful juggler is how I am able to financially sustain my growing ceramics business, improve my art studio, and support the costs of living.
To aspiring artists looking to make their art a primary income source, my advice is take baby steps. Start creating! Make time to create so it becomes part of your routine. Begin selling in accessible markets, connect with fellow creators who sell in the markets, and document your creative process for a compelling online presence. Share your work on social media, build a website, and let the world see the breadth of your craft. The steps altogether sound daunting and challenging, and I promise you IT IS! Take it slowly, trust in your artistry and vision, don’t linger in the negative space of “failures”. I can say the cumulative experiences on my journey define my rewarding path of being a self-employed creative artist.
Jessamyn , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
A significant aspect of my work revolves around crafting small-batch functional collections tailored for wholesale distribution to stores. This often includes items such as mugs, bowls, catch-alls, incense holders, plates, and more. While this repetitive process can, at times, make me feel like a human XEROX machine, it is crucial for financing my studio and artistic ventures. The repetition can sometimes feel mechanical and mundane from a creative standpoint, but my driving force is that a little part of my soul can be enjoyed in homes all over the world. My handmade ceramic objects are intended to evoke feelings of comfort and pleasure with a refined, elegant style—a sort of celebration of daily rituals.
To maintain balance in my creative practice, I also engage in projects outside of commissions and wholesale orders. I create with a process of primarily hand-built vessels and sculptures not crafted on the pottery wheel. These works are solely for my personal expression and serve as sculptural explorations with form and surface design. In these moments I provide a creative space where I can break free from the constraints of the repetitive production process.
For example, a recurring theme revolves around the female experience, empowerment, and voice, encapsulating a yearning for equality and peace. I create hand-built coiled vessels adorned with impactful words, marking the interior or exterior of the sculpture as a powerful means of engagement. Inspired by words on posters, spray-painted on walls, and sung in songs, these pieces aim to inspire and traverse through time.
My creative process involves experimenting with various methods, finding joy in the scientific and magical aspects of Raku firing. The reduction of oxygen in this process determines the unique colors and lusters that transform from piece to piece. Additionally, I embrace a textural approach in my sculptures, where tactile play becomes an integral part of the observer’s experience. Each method allows me to explore different dimensions of creativity within my evolving world of ceramics.
What sets me apart as an artist and ceramicist is the seamless fusion of tradition and innovation in my work. While I excel in crafting small-batch functional collections for wholesale distribution, my artistic journey extends beyond mere repetition. I actively engage in personal projects that explore profound themes, particularly centered around female empowerment, explorations of form and surface design. This dual focus allows me to balance the demands of commercial production with the pursuit of meaningful, thought-provoking art. Additionally, my fascination with the alchemical magic of Raku firing and the incorporation of textural play in my sculptures add distinctive layers to my artistic expression. In essence, it is this combination of craftsmanship, thematic depth, and artistic experimentation that sets my work apart in the realm of ceramics.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I am fortunate to have the ability to transform my passion into a thriving career that not only sustains me financially but also allows me to express my artistic voice authentically. There are no boundaries, the possibilities are endless, and my education in ceramics is an ongoing journey. The diverse range of my work, from functional collections to more intricate, hand-built fine art pieces, enables me to explore various facets of my imagination and tap into a deeper understanding of my most authentic self.
This journey has been really exciting and I am proud of the growth I’ve seen in such a short period of time. From the initial sales through Instagram stories to the birth and evolution of Femme Sole, the growth of my small-batch production studio from my living room table to a recently renovated building right in my backyard. I’ve exhibited in Paris, Milan, Miami and NY. My work has taken up space in reputable historical institutions such as the Parrish Art Museum and the Guild Hall on the East End of Long Island. Engaging in community teaching at a non-profit clay studio contributes to a sense of creative fulfillment and purpose connecting to kindred spirits and educating my students with my skill set and inspiring them to find their own artist expression.
The rewarding part is not the tangible success of sales and dollars but the intangible feelings that fuel me. To witness my growth from all the challenges, failures, and successes, the learned experiences which continue to build my sense of self worth and confidence that fuels my ongoing journey as both an artist and a small business owner.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I imagine people are thinking “Why choose an artistic career path that is so challenging with little monetary gain” and while my choice of this artistic lifestyle may seem abstract and spontaneous to some, it was everything but. In the very beginning the universe presented me with opportunities that were too hard to ignore and so I just took a chance and leaned in. When I say “lean in” I mean I put in tireless efforts, hours, and ultimately sacrificed financial stability from my cushy past career. And the deeper I leaned in, the more opportunities presented themselves and that is where I began to see financial gain to build my studio, to start a business, and to sustain this creative lifestyle.
In essence, my journey as a creative is most times a chaotic blend of passion and pragmatism. A dance between the artistry of creation and the practicalities of sustaining a career that oftentimes feels like being in a mosh pit. I’ve come to realize that the rewards extend beyond mere financial success and the development of refined skills. Ultimately it leads to a profound connection of self-awareness, guiding me toward where I want to be and what I want to be doing in my day-to-day life. It is funny when I do have those moments where I question my career path or think to defer back to the financial stability of my past career, the universe will send me messages. Sometimes it is an email, a text, a dm, but it is always a conversation of a creative opportunity to come, and so I continue to follow this journey. I’ve learned to trust in this process, to trust in my creative imagination, and to trust in myself to follow the pulse and heart beat of my passions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.femmesole.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femmesole/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/femmesole
Image Credits
Jessamyn Go, Ray Frech, Kandice Rogers