Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sabrina Osment. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sabrina, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Ceramics is very humbling. You learn early on to not to get attached to anything you make and earn a respect for the history and art of making pottery. It’s best suited for people who have patience, which is something I lack, interestingly. One thing about the craft is that you can’t rush anything, time is your friend. For instance, you could dry something too fast, over or under fire your kiln, or even worse, have something blow up in the kiln due to an air bubble. What I’m most drawn to is the constant flow of knowledge, you learn something new everyday in the studio! It’s a science experiment when you put something the kiln, take notes, and make the next firing better.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Sabrina Osment and I’ve been practicing ceramics professionally for 10 years. I started thinking about art critically when I was in high school, and continued onto college where I got a BFA in Ceramics and two minors in Art History and Museum Studies. I’m currently a resident potter at a studio in downtown Springfield, MO and I’ve been a studio instructor for 7 years now. When I teach classes, I meet all sorts of life; janitors, doctors and nurses, construction workers, teachers, engineers, police, etc. Since I was a child, I’ve always been an artist. I don’t know how to be anything different, so I often find myself daydreaming what a “regular 9-5 job” would be like. Questions pop into my head, ‘is it easier, harder?; would I enjoy a career like that?; do they enjoy their job as much I enjoy mine?’ At the end of every fantasy, I know that there is no career I would want to do more than what I do now. I teach because it brings a person back to a nostalgic time as a kid, playing in the mud and carefree. I think that somewhere between childhood and adulthood we lose our sense of imagination and say “I can’t even draw a stick figure,” but you don’t have to be an artist to create art! I realize now people that come to studio classes are trying to get back to that feeling or memory in their life, and I am more than happy to assist them along the journey to create! I pursue personal work in my free time and sell mainly online. I’ve recently released my own design line, “Boho,” on my website where you can find stickers, shirts, and tote bags along with my other main products, including mugs and planters.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, it’s a tie. Sharing my enjoyment and the craft of making ceramics to the community, as well as making a profit off of my personal work is the most rewarding aspect of my job. Having a group of supporters surrounding you is a great to rely on whenever you may have an inch of doubt.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The biggest pivot I’ve had in my life was recently, when I decided to take less hours at another job and go full time potter. It was hard to justify leaving a job I’ve been at for 6 years that you know pays the bills every month to one that you’re not sure where it will take you, but my soul needed to be satisfied, not my bank account. Less hours turned out to be the “leap” I needed to jumpstart my full time career as a resident potter. To my benefit, it worked out and I got promoted in the studio.
Contact Info:
- Website: sabrinaosmentart.com
- Instagram: osmentceramics
- Facebook: Osment Ceramics
Image Credits
Katelynn Fowler Photography