We recently connected with Regina Mandell and have shared our conversation below.

Regina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I started working more seriously with clay in 2014. At that time I would post photos of my work on my Instagram account. In doing so I started getting interest in my pottery which lead to commissions and eventually wholesale orders. I continued working and posting until I was getting too busy making pottery to continue doing it as only a hobby or side hustle. In 2017 I took the leap to make pots full time and officially registered my business. I don’t think I could have or would have sped up this process even though I may have wanted to at the time. I am glad I put 2.5 years of hard work basically working two jobs before relying solely on pottery to keep me afloat.

Regina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Before moving to Athens, Ga in 2014 I lived in Philadelphia, where I was born and raised. Back in Philly I owned a boutique (Grasshopper) and previous to that spent the better part of 10 years working in the fashion industry as a designer, production manager, print artist and consultant. Clay was something I dabbled in occasionally in my down time when I could squeeze into a class at a community studio.

Once I moved to Athens, I found myself a bit lost career-wise and at the suggestion of my husband joined the local clay studio here which was a great way to meet new people and feel connected again.

My line of work, Forged & Found, is functional pottery with a focus on everyday use and practical kitchen items that are unique in look and feel. These pieces have a rustic minimalism touched with a bohemian flair and are influenced by nostalgia, a love of the coast and a lifelong passion for traveling. I feel that daily living with beautiful objects which pay tribute to the natural world, reminds us to slow down and helps us reconnect with nature and ourselves.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having a grounding, daily practice creating in my studio. I am the type of person that can spend (almost unlimited) hours alone and that time in my own world working really helps to decompress from the regular stresses of life. After spending 7+ years in community studios, in early 2021 I refurbished and designed an old shed on our property into a home studio and it’s hard for me to express what joy that brings me. I have always wanted a dedicated space for making art and am so grateful to finally have one at this point in my life. It is honestly feels like a sacred space.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I think that resiliency comes from paying attention, from getting quiet and listening and understanding what isn’t working and then creating solutions for how to change or pivot.

I found this was key in navigating my business throughout the pandemic. When lockdown started in 2020 I was working in a private group studio and so I couldn’t work for a little while until we figured out how to schedule for social distancing and other protocols. That was really challenging for me because I needed to meet deadlines and work on orders. It eventually was why I set up the home studio. Another challenge at that time was that clay was hard to come by so I couldn’t order exactly what I was used to and had to come up with new ideas based on what was available. An additional change I had to navigate at this time was watching my online, direct-to-consumer retail sales increase rapidly. This forced me to focus on having the webshop stocked while simultaneously halting production on wholesale orders in order to do that.

I also think that being a solo entrepreneur forces you to wear all the hats and learn every angle of your business. That in itself breeds resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.forgedandfound.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgedandfoundpottery/

Image Credits
All photos taken by Regina Mandell.