We recently connected with Maryann Charmoz and have shared our conversation below.

Maryann, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

When I look back on changing careers at age 65, I guess I was taking a chance, but honestly, I never thought about it. I just plowed ahead, picked a new direction, completely submerged myself into it and with that sense of dedication, I have become successful. You have GOT to love what you do, otherwise you will struggle which will cause frustration and ultimately you will question why you are doing it at all. I never expected to have the skill of potters that have been studying their whole life, and I never once thought I would be at their level nor did I think about comparing my work skill to theirs and maybe that was a good thing. What I did do was practice…. a lot. I took many workshops, I studied with all different types of potters, I read books on ceramics and I watched videos. Oh, and I practiced A LOT! My best advice to anyone who wants to try something new, is to find “that thing” that gives you immense joy, brings a fire to your heart and the excitement to follow though. Don’t let age, location, or distractions get in your way. You can do it!

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.

It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going. What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing. But under my feet, baby, grass is growing. It’s time to move on, time to get going….wonderful lyrics from Tom Petty which describes a pivotal point in my life when my husband and I decided to retire and moved to Dunedin Florida from Connecticut in 2015. I had had a very successful career as a fine art painter and muralist but I said goodbye to my paints, easel, and the dreaded scaffolding and didn’t look back. I had no idea what I would do next but that was never a concern because art has always been who I am. From a small child who drew ink sketches on cardboard and sold them to my neighbors to blossoming into a professional artist, my morning, afternoons and evening have been full of creativity. Finding myself in a new community I went to the Dunedin Fine arts center and enrolled in a pottery class. I had taken a wheel throwing class in middle school and hung out with potters at my art school, The Rhode Island School of Design so I thought it would be fun. I never thought that 6 years later I would be teaching ceramics at the center, participating and winning awards at fine art shows and being asked to show at The Tampa Tour de Clay. My story is one to share because it doesn’t matter how old you are, if you are dedicated and have the fire inside, you can succeed. I literally threw myself into the craft, not to make a name for myself but simply because I loved the medium so much and there was something rewarding and exciting about learning something new. Before long, I had invested at least 10,000 hours in studying and practicing pottery. Malcolm Gladwell explains in his book “Outliers: The story of Success” that “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” I was 65 years old when I started this new phase of my life and now at 72, I am going strong. Age should not be a factor nor time in your life and should not prevent you from trying something different. Do I still paint? Yes, but rather on canvas or walls, I paint on my pottery and that alone sets me apart from other potters. Maryann

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I recommend ” A Glorious Freedom” by Lisa Congdon” The book is about older women leading extraordinary lives and explores the power of women over the age of forty who are thriving and living life to the fullest.

I also recommend “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell
This book explores factors that contributed to the high level of success of some famous individuals, including Bill Gates.

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

There are different types of artists. One type will create pieces to sell. They research what is popular and gear their work towards that audience. I fall into another type, which is to make pieces that I like. This can be risky but it’s what I do. When I show in fine art shows, people come into my booth smiling and telling me how much they love my pottery. THAT is the ultimate compliment. I have reached them in some way, though my colors or designs and what could be more rewarding than that?

Contact Info:

• Website: theplayfulpotter-dunedin.square.site www.theplayfulpotter.com www.charmozdesigns.com
• Instagram: IG @theplayfulpotter_dunedin
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/theplayfulpotter_dunedin
• Other: www.etsy.com/shop/theplayfulpotter