Let's get to know each other. I thought I'd start with a series of posts about myself, my interests, and my life.
Today, we'll start with the basics.
I live and work in New York City, having been lucky enough to grow up here after emigrating from Beijing, China at the age of 3. I'm so excited to have launched this site after many years of operating my Etsy shop and participating in local craft fairs.
I have a day job in the financial industry. It's demanding and fast paced, and I truly enjoy its challenges, as stressful as they may be in the short term. However, a career does not a life make.
Mammoth & Minnow is a reminder to myself that there's more to life than the 9 to 5 (or 8 to 7), that you have to put effort into nurturing your creative self, and that doing so is good for the soul.
Pottery demands patience and a willingness to let go. Sometimes, you choose to intentionally destroy a piece in order to recycle the clay into something better. Sometimes you lose pieces to the uncertainty of the kiln. You learn to let go of the need to feel in control and accept things as they are. You even begin to find beauty in "mistakes" such as an errant drop of glaze, a blending of colors, or a new texture.
Patience, acceptance, and trust. These are the lessons that pottery has taught me.
I'm supported in this endeavor by an amazing husband who has not only allowed me the time and space to pursue my interests but also encourages me to continue to push myself all the time. In fact, it was he who found my ceramics studio in Manhattan and opened this door for me with the gift of a 6 week wheel class for Christmas one year.
We live in Queens with our two dogs, Huxley & Fitzgerald, in a one bedroom, appropriately NYC-sized apartment with too few closets and too-hot heaters. We love it.
