We recently connected with Samantha Ingram and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Samantha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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?

I learned to love pottery because of my grandmother, who we call Baka. She was always bringing home pottery from The Great Smokey Mountains. Pieces she discovered at festivals and local thrift shops. She was always sharing her pieces with me and I thought, “I should try that.” So I signed up to take a six week, Saturdays only, pottery workshop at a local museum in 2019. Our first class, I kid you not, the instructor had us meditate with the clay for 30 minutes. She wanted us to “be one with the clay”. The class after that she walked around with her pet rat on her shoulder encouraging us to throw as “cleanly” as possible – meaning not make a mess. So covered in clay, slinging mud everywhere – I quickly decided pottery was not for me. Fast forward through a global pandemic and I had resorted to making my Instagram algorithm all pottery content. Through watching other potters I realized my 2019 experience was not the norm. My Boo 👻 kept encouraging me to try pottery again. In 2022, the local museum offered workshops again and this time our instructor was so fun! Her casual approach to ceramics really motivated me to continue to pursue the craft. After that workshop I purchased my own wheel thinking I knew what I was doing. NOPE. At one point my husband came to check on me and I was standing under the hose washing off all the clay I had purchased, attempted to throw, and ruined. Slowly, little by little, day by day – I began to make small improvements in my throwing. I started to learn tips and tricks by obsessively watching other potters on Instagram and YouTube. It was during this process that I began to realize pottery/ceramics is about failing forward. So today you’ll still notice I have “beginner potter” in my Instagram bio because I still have so much failing to learn through.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Samantha I’m the potter behind singceramics. You can find me there on Instagram and TikTok.

I’m an educator in Central Florida where I work in the discipline department at a local high school. My work days are either an absolute blast or the worst day ever. There is no in between. Partnering with parents to help guide students to success is difficult, but I find my purpose in the opportunity to remind students they are not the poor choice they have made and encouraging them to reach their potential.

When not at work, you will find me in my backyard studio throwing on my pottery wheel. I took two workshop classes before branching out to learn on my own. I want people to know I failed SO many times before I got it semi-right. During COVID, I would scroll Instagram and watch other potters videos because they were relaxing and cathartic. So when I got my own wheel I decided to video myself so that I could relax to my own growth. I became brave enough to start posting those videos on Instagram, then became brave enough to actually share those videos with my people on Facebook. I think that is what I’m most proud of in the end – the vulnerability it took to try something new, to commit to the process of learning, and then to share those failures and successes with people that actually know me in real life. My family, and friends and now followers are always so kind and encouraging.

Except for this one time, I was working on a berry bowl that I had intricately carved and it was just not working so I put it in front of the camera, showed it off, and crumbled it to pieces. The next day I was walking through the halls at work and several coworkers let me know they did not appreciate that video.

But really, I have surrounded myself and built this community that is so welcoming and open to helping. If I’m trying to trouble shoot an issue my Instagram followers do not gatekeep and I just love that it is not a competition. So if you’re interested come on and join the club. You are always welcome.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve had to unlearn the need to be perfect on the first, tenth, and 20th time. I like to think I am a recovering perfectionist through my art. I give myself a C for effort. In ceramics, as a beginner, there is a huge difference between what you were trying to achieve and what actually comes out of the kiln. It’s disappointing when you’ve spent an entire month working and waiting on one piece only for it to explode, craze, or come out a completely different color in the kiln. With each piece you have to make adjustments and remind yourself it is about loving the process not the product. Pottery has taught me that I cannot control everything and sometimes the most beautiful piece can come from things going wrong and not being “perfect”.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Giving back to my community is definitely a driving goal behind my art. I’d like to get to the point where I can donate my art to local charities that they can then use to raise funds for their financial needs. I’ve worked for or volunteered at several non-profits and they host annual auctions or giving galas to raise money. It would be an honor to see my artwork being used in that way. A process that has fulfilled my needs, fulfilling others needs. A mission I would eventually like to start in my local community is The Empty Bowls project. This is a global project that uses pottery to fight hunger and provide meals for those that need it. I have big plans for the project to be accomplished through a grass-roots approach so if anyone reads this and would like to help, please reach out to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.singceramics.co
• Instagram: @singceramics
• Other: TikTok @singceramics Threads @singceramics

Image Credits
ML Photography