We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Josie Cross. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Josie below.

Josie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I graduated college May 2021, I was dying to get my hands on the clay as I finished my degree in Advertising and Graphic design. I always felt un-passionate about my degree, but felt it was a safety net in the corporate world while still staying true to my creative nature. When I returned home the Summer after college I worked in my parents garage in a beautiful outdoor make shift ceramics studio. I was very lucky to have such supportive parents and a beautiful space to work in. I think it helped them to see how dedicated I was/ am to the craft- they were more open to me not jumping into job applications. Though they frequently asked when I was going to start applying to some “normal” jobs they truly recognized how badly I wanted to turn this hobby into my career. Working in the garage was just a great way for me to learn and grow by myself, however I had really big intentions to take this pot shop up to New York city where my big sister was, because who doesn’t want to be just like their big sis? The business was taking off and I was really craving some unknown adventure. I really did not have expectations or a plan, but I was ready to commit to the challenge. I like being thrown in and Brooklyn felt like something so far removed from my current life. I remember zooming with so many pottery studios in Brooklyn and trying to figure out how I was going to make it work. It kind-of seemed impossible, but my parents really were on board which gave me even more hope. Of course as the last spot opened at WCC I sat crying in my garage indecisive and scared fearing failure more than ever. I remember trying to avoid eye contact with my parents as they walk through the garage, hiding any evidence that I was scared. I was terrified and exhausted. I worked every day that summer in Georgia heat outside. Also post quarantine it felt strange that I was about to leave home permanently. My mom came out, and I changed my demeanor to hide my tears (of course she noticed) and gave the most sincere words of encouragement and assured me that home will always be here and that I should go for it. Sure enough I signed the lease and a month later packed up my tools, 1000 lbs of clay, a couple suit cases and drove up to New York with my mom. I lived on my sisters couch for a few months and felt more inspired than ever. I still have so much developing left, and so much work to do with my business, but for now I feel super proud of where I am because I really couldn’t have imagined this a year and a half ago. I think the most important part of my journey and what I’ve accomplished is how supported I felt by my family and friends who encourage me constantly. I really feel so lucky in that way, they have given me the self confidence to keep on embracing new challenges.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I actually was first introduced to sculpting as a young kid when my neighbors and I would pick up the bricks in the back yard to find rolley polleys, we would dig up some red Georgia clay and make little figures with it. I think about that often because it is a significant core memory of my childhood, obviously thats not when I became passionate about clay- but just the first memory of me expressing my creative side. My best friend and I would paint the little figures and walk around door to door asking the neighbors to buy them. I wish I could see those little creations today. I think I have always been a little entrepreneur. Crafting was always on my agenda- though my mom wanted me to be doing my KUMON, I was always fixated on some craft and would spend hours and hours becoming obsessive until I finished my creation. I get an incredible amount of pleasure from making/ finishing things. My ability to focus in school was pretty much non existent, but I will sit for hours and hours if I am making art. Or, I will rampage my entire house, every drawer, and cabinet (leaving them all open- sorry dad) hunting for materials until I find what I am looking for to start or finish a craft. Now you can see why I have pursued a creative career. In high school I rediscovered pottery, became super close with my teacher, Mark Knott, who really inspired me and allowed me to explore my creative addiction. I would literally be in the ceramics room until 10 p.m. some school nights. What I love about pottery; well there are many things, but first I love the ability to start and finish a physical 3 dimensional object, two I feel really in control with clay (for the most part,) I understood clay and how to build with it. It is the first thing to ever “come naturally to me.” Working with clay and actually pursuing something I was good at for the first time felt incredible. It gave me a since of confidence that literally brought me out of my shell. I think this is what made me fall involve with pottery and explains why I am passionate about it. I am grateful to have found a niche that excites me so much and am thankful for the path it has led me on. Here I am today continuing what I do best, in a place I aspired to be in. I think being your own boss its really important to set goals and want to be challenged. I think I could easily have been super content staying home in my garage and living that way, but setting myself in a new environment has made me so much stronger and just more independent than I knew was capable of. What I want people to know is I am still figuring out how to run a business, I am doing this all by myself and that doesn’t come as easy as my love for pottery- I am growing and evolving. I am so thankful people want to support my growth.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I think being authentic is what receives the most engagement. I don’t have tons and tons of followers, but I have followers who really want to support me because I built my little brand when I was very young which drew people in. I don’t post everyday and I’m still learning how to express my work on instagram and tiktok. I show my work and just parts of the process as best I can. I know aesthetic is the new coolest thing but honestly, I don’t really have one and I feel like my style is always changing and there’s so much to be inspired by that makes me want to resist falling into one category. I am not a content girl but I am trying- I suffer from attention Deficit disorder and tend to get easily distracted recording the process and creating videos. Content creation really defeats all the reasons I love pottery which is to be totally obsessive with detail and to disconnect for hours.. not to make it look like an easy 30 second DIY clip. Despite my lack of content, I really do feel the support of my following because they show so much love for what I do and engage with me when I do share, which is super rewarding. I think my following knows I really put my heart and time into what I do, not that I am different from any other creator but a lot of my audience are friends, and friends of friends. Just a big web of support which is really cool.

It’s not about getting famous or a ton of followers for me, for now I am just happy to be able to do what I love, make what I want to make, and be where I want to be. I am realistic with my efforts and accomplishments; which for me meant moving here, testing my ability to work hard and make this happen, and I feel pretty good about where I am for now. I know that if I continue to dedicate myself in this way, my audience will continue to follow and maybe even grow.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I would say entering a new city, putting myself out there, and completely relying on your craft to support your life are my biggest accomplishments thus far and have tested me in a lot of way. I think I have grown in the last year by entering adulthood and having to survive on my own (mostly on honey bunches of oats.) When I moved to Brooklyn I was overwhelmed by everyone who was so good at whatever the heck they were doing and the plethora of pottery artists I was surrounded by. I was both intimidated and inspired to grow and learn from the community of artist that I just threw myself into. I think the excitement of moving and meeting so many people really helped me gain introspect on my life and to be more myself. Reflecting over the last year, I faced a lot of defeat too it hasn’t all been a joyous transition; I’ve experienced loneliness, failure, exhaustion, lots of parking tickets, snow like I’ve never seen before, over stimulation, disappointment with work friends, uhh… my bank account, all the things a young adult can endure moving up north. But its made me grow up, be patient with myself and learn when its ok to take a break and appreciate what I’ve accomplished. New York is a super hustle environment and I am adapting but there have been growth pains.

My resilience has really grown because of the craft as well. It is not a glamorous job, though a lot of potters try to make it look like one. This is another reason I struggle showing process content on instagram and tiktok because its not a quick and easy 30 second clip its and its just not really how Im willing to show my work. Its not authentic, maybe ill be kicking myself down the line for not capitalizing on social media like I should. That being said I love the labor of it, it makes me feel strong and womanly. Pottery is laborious, exhausting, full of failure, explosions and runny glazes. It is challenging and wonderful in a lot of ways. If anything patience and the ability to fail and forget is something I greatly appreciate about the craft. There have been times where I spend 10 hours on a piece only to open the kiln to see shattered petals everywhere. The more failure I endure the more I learn, but its not an easy lesson ever. It makes the end product that much more thrilling.

Contact Info:

• Website: Josieceramics.com
• Instagram: @josieceramics