We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
In the last year I have been working to document my tools and botanicals. Exploring how to brand a product in a sense lead me right back to themes of work I had been creating a decade ago in graduate school. Themes relating to body positivity, relationships, intimacy, sensuality and self care became more prevalent and important as I have worked with models and photographers. What started as how to use my tools with botanicals in skin care routines became shoots filled with body positivity and embraced pleasure in self care. It’s been beautiful to witness the tools come to life and while documenting them.
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 started creating tools my first ceramics class I took in 2000 during my undergraduate degree at Ohio state university. I was drawn immediately to the medium of clay and made my first tool, a hand shovel, in my first elective class. At the same time I began working with crystals and learning about the healing arts.
Over the course of the last 23 years I have made many tools and gone one to complete a BFA & MFA in fine art but it wasn’t until 2013 when I decided to have my first Reiki attunment when I made my first esoteric tool that I began focusing on creating tools for healing, ritual and ceremonial uses.
As my training in fine art and the healing arts intertwine more over the years there is an authenticity to my work that has slowly cultivated over time. Studying meridian lines gave way to creating ceramic tools to aid in relief using for self massage. A love of gardening and having my first child lead me to creating my first vertical planter. My mother dying of cancer lead me to creating my first hand infused & crafted botanical, a cream formulated to help with radiation damage that a dear friend used to much success. My earnest desire to create tools and to help educate folx of all cultures, genders and bodies is what makes my work unique.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One lesson I am learning (still!) is to be as disciplined with your business side as your creative studio time. It’s a balance indeed, and as much as I prefer to be in my studio it is just important to handle business.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In graduate school right before my candidacy my mother had her first cancer detected. I was devastated and it really took a toll on my graduate studies. I nearly was kicked out of school for a weak candidacy exhibition. I was lucky my main professor and a few others from my committee defended me and believed in my ability to turn it around. I had a series of tools in that show and I will never forget my professor looking at me and earnestly saying the main installation wasn’t successful but this had potential.
I did end up turning it around, funneling all my energy into my work creating a sincere and beautiful show that frankly surprised most of my department. It is with perseverance through life’s struggles that we can reel the raw intensity in our creativity sometimes and I still think back on that time and “bad” work I made to make way for the good work to come. It’s all really relative the point is to carry on with your studio work through good and bad work. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thehealerstoolmaker.com
- Instagram: thehealerstoolmaker
- Facebook: thehealerstoolmaker
Image Credits
Jaclyn Fischer of Coley&Co