We recently connected with Rosie Gale and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rosie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Thanks for asking me to share! I honestly had no idea I was going to pursue a creative career. I think I always wished I would – I’ve always been interested in creative things growing up but never really had that one love or experience for an artistic skill to focus on or dream about if you know what I mean. Pottery was something I picked up more recently in life when I moved to America in 2015 and it wasn’t until the pandemic came around that it surfaced as a business plan which was totally unexpected. Lots of things changed for me then like they did for everyone. Me and my husband Ramsey decided to leave Chicago and move to Springfield, IL. We really didn’t know what the plan was for us at the time and it was only supposed to be temporary. I felt particularly anxious about what was next for me career wise but I just applied for a few different things and managed to get a remote internship with a publishing company based out of New York City, with the intention being to move there for work at the end of it. I was so excited and we spent a lot of time looking in to the logistics of moving and thinking about the particular field I was going to aim for. But all the while my pottery just kept growing and growing in the background. We found an amazing deal on a second-hand wheel from Craigslist and as soon as I got it set up at our place, I was just spending hours a day practicing and making. After a while I eventually plucked up the courage to apply for my first event at the Springfield farmers market. This was in February 2022. I was so so nervous its hard to put into words but everything about that day blew me away. People were so supportive and I just remember feeling completely overwhelmed by the end of it -in the best way. And things just sort of snowballed from there. I mean even just a few months earlier, I never in a million years would have thought about selling pottery and trying to make a living from it but there we were making a decision between moving to NYC for publishing or staying in Springfield to start a pottery business. You know which one we chose! and I’m honestly so thankful. It’s been such a whirlwind since.
Rosie, 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?
So I’m a full-time potter, still based in Springfield IL., and I officially launched my business a year ago. All of my pieces are thrown on the wheel and fired in my studio space that we set up in the building we live in. I design and make mostly functional ware- i’m not sure exactly why I focused on this to begin with but it’s something I’ve become really passionate about. I love making things that can be used everyday and essentially become a part of someone’s life. Mugs for tea and coffee, dinner plates, wedding vases – they’re all pieces that can bring people together somehow and create a story behind each use. Being able to make these things for others by hand just feels really special.
Since the first farmers markets, my business has expanded to wider market events and art fairs, as well as custom and wholesale orders. I also produce work for a few select stores across Springfield. Recently my focus has been primarily on larger custom orders for local companies which has been a lot of fun and a huge learning curve. It’s really amazing to work with other business owners, collaborating to create local interest and support, and all the making it’s taken has really helped me to work through challenges and develop my skills along the way. As we move further into Spring, I’ll be back to designing and making for more events and I update all of that is on my socials and website as I go. The possibility of a storefront is also in the pipeline which I’m really excited to keep working towards, as well as more online sales and videos too.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I think the most rewarding thing for me is the shared experience and sense of community that creativity can bring about.
Since leaving the UK, pottery has helped me to meet new people and settle in the places I’ve moved to. I’ll never forget the night I cycled past the Lincoln Square Pottery Studio just after moving to Chicago. I could see people making on the wheels and it just looked so fun. I remember sitting on my bike thinking I want to try that and I want to be a part of it. So I signed up for their beginner’s course in wheel throwing! I had absolutely no idea what I was doing which still makes me laugh but I was honestly just so happy being around a group of really friendly, creative people. It was such a nice community to be a part of, which I was for the next five years until I moved to Springfield. Here too, as I’ve mentioned, pottery has helped me find my way through building local connections. It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for that, it’s the reason why I put everything into my making. Making and selling handmade items also creates really unique and rewarding experiences. You know, starting out with a lump of clay and watching it go through the ceramic process in itself is pretty magical, then seeing a customer connect with a piece and is connecting through our interaction creates a story and memory each time which really means a lot to me.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I do have a couple of goals. They’ve always kind of been there but I can continue building on them as time goes on. One is to just keep learning. There’s an endless amount to learn in the ceramic world and I want to make sure I keep pushing and challenging myself. How this translates into my making and business ideas is a really exciting prospect for me. The other is to find more ways to collaborate and contribute to the community – there are so many cool ways that pottery can bring people together and I’d really love to keep working with other businesses and artists to create more pottery-related events and initiatives. I know how valuable that’s been for me. There’s a great art and ceramics community here in Springfield and I’d love to find even more more ways to expand access and experiences for others. I think there will be lots more interesting and exciting things to come with regards to this, particularly on a local level.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ceramicsmadebyrosie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceramicsmadebyrosie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceramicsmadebyrosie