We recently connected with Terrill Waldman and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Terrill , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I made an urn for some friends of a friend. They had lost a child and they wanted something that reflected that childs joy, and playful spirit. I made them and urn that looked like a bright yellow ball, a toy. It is intense to be part of someone’s process celebrating a life and bringing meaning and healing out of pain. It was amazing to be there with them in this very vulnerable painful place. To be there with them and be part of that loss and healing.

Terrill , 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?

What sets me apart is my use of color. I sort of hate telling people that because I”m female and I worry that people will then overlook my technical abilities. I always fight above my weight class when it comes to technique. I push myself very hard and only now after blowing glass for over 30 years and I’m starting to notice that and just practice the craft…. but of course I want my work to stand out and I love process so I continue to push myself. There is what makes me stand out but I’m lucky enough to share my business with a partner who has an equal skill set. Together we make work that can be part of people’s everyday lives. We know the value and feeling of living with something hand-made and so we have really slowed our process down and we celebrate that with lighting,…and our most popular item: the mosaic glasses. They have great texture and feel great in your hand. I think our collectors vibe on all the playful creativity that goes into each one which I love: they get the process! We also discovered that because of their texture people with arthritis or ms could grip them more easily, and this made that specail beverage at the end of the day relaxing: they weren’t worried about dropping the glass and embaarrasing themselves, they were enjoying being with family and friends and that is what with all our items: comfortable ways to enjoy our lives better.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

We have been really lucky and gotten some great publicity. The biggest driver of our socail media audience has been friends. I really avoid my computer at all costs because I want to making work and being creative. This means I take advantage anything my friends and collectors post. Publicity is a big deal because it gets our story out there, and if I want to making work in the woods I need people to hear my story. I realized that several years ago and so even though I’m very shy in front of cameras I started getting good photos of my husband Charlie and I in the shop. I pitched a program to Maine Craft Association (artists in their studios) so other artists would have professionally shot images. These things build on themselves and we were lucky enough to be on Maine Cabin Master’s twice (we are big fans of the show). They have a huge audience so we got a big bump from that. I still talk to a lot of other artists about publicity and I think what is so great about it is you have to understand how you connect with people. Sure you need to know what sets you apart but I like sharing what vibrates for me.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I can’t think of any individual moment, its just the span of my time in glass. I took a glass as a 16 year old at a local arts college (Center for Creative Studies) in Detroit and that was it, I was hooked. I managed somehow to be in a glass shop as much as possible after that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tandemglass.com
• Instagram: @tandemglass
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TandemGlass/

Image Credits
Kelsey Kobic