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

Marissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have always been a fairly creative person, however growing up I never saw it as something I could do professionally. It always seemed like more of an outlet. So, when I started college, I naturally gravitated towards something that could “make me money”. I had strong math and analytical skills, so I chose to major in accounting. It took until the end of my junior year for me to realize that something wasn’t clicking. I wasn’t excited about what I was doing and definitely didn’t want to be stuck in a job I hated. I started looking for other options and found myself in a ceramics class. I had no idea what ceramics was prior to that semester. I remember looking at the professor like he was crazy on the first day when he walked around and handed us a lump of clay. But from the first moment I touched the material, there was an instant connection.
My dad is a woodworker and I have worked in the woodshop with him for as long as I can remember. Being able to work with my hands, though it was a different medium, gave me such as sense of comfort and familiarity. By the end of the semester, I knew clay was going to play a huge role in my life. I wasn’t sure what would come from a ceramics career, but I was determined to make it happen.

Marissa, 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?

I am a Ceramic Artist and Educator living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I grew up in the small town of Florence, Alabama, where I received my BFA from the University of North Alabama. Soon after graduating, I moved to Colorado as a Ceramic Intern at Anderson Ranch Art Center and then completed my MFA at the University of Oklahoma. Since completing grad school, I have been creating art full-time from my home studio and teaching ceramics at local art centers and colleges. I have had the honor of receiving one of Ceramic’s Monthly Emerging Artists awards in 2022 and was also named as an Emerging Artist for NCECA in 2023.

My work is an exploration of moments of connection and intimacy while also being a celebration of femininity and craft found within domestic spaces. I believe pottery plays an important role in our society as it has a way of enriching everyday objects with purpose and beauty. Whether I’m creating dishes to celebrate a time of coming together or building a vessel that becomes a focal point for a room, my work is made to honor and enhance the domestic spaces around us. I strive to make functional pieces that are elegant yet inviting to the touch and can be easily woven into the lives of others.
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Various textures and patterns are used throughout my work to evoke a sense of joy and comfort, while small hidden details become a treasure that draws you in a little closer. Whether my work is influenced by the pattern on my grandparent’s curtains or the woven threads of a blanket, each piece is a little reminder of home.

As I reflect upon and process these small moments in time, it allows me a way to navigate old and new identities within my own narrative. My work not only allows me to pay homage to where I am from but also helps me understand the world around me and the place in which I belong as a woman and an artist.

As we find ourselves surrounded by a world of chaos, I hope that my work can become a place of comfort or add a moment of joy to the lives of others.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media can be tricky! I often found myself getting caught up in trying to post the “right” content. I’m sure others can relate. We want to make sure we are reaching a large audience, getting likes and followers, etc. However, I found myself feeling very disconnected from what I was posting. It was a very edited version of myself and my practice that I felt fit the algorithm at the time. Then I thought if I’m feeling disconnected, my viewers must be too. So, I completely changed the way I used social media. It became more of a digital journal where I would document what I was making every single day in the studio, regardless of where I was in the process. I would take a couple of photos, typically in the morning because I had the most amazing lighting at sunrise, and I would post them with a short caption of what I was doing that day. It became more authentic, more relatable, and more approachable.

In return, I had more people engaging with my content, and that slowly grew over time. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight but if you stay consistent, it does pay off.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe the most rewarding aspect is getting to center my career and life around something I am so passionate about and the connections I make with people through that. I have been fortunate enough to share my artwork with people from all over the world. It’s truly remarkable to be able to connect with people from various backgrounds and walks of life. My work is nostalgic, not only for myself but for others as well. Because of that, it often becomes a moment for us to relive a memory. Whether the memory is told aloud or remembered silently, it’s a beautiful thing to be connected to others on a deeper level.

Contact Info:

• Website: MarissaChilders.com
• Instagram: marissa_ceramics
• Facebook: Marissa Childers Ceramics

Image Credits
Marissa Childers