On my birthday, December 27, 2023, my husband presented me with a piece of paper that showed me my own Shimpo Whisper was on it’s way and would arrive in about 6 weeks.

“Now you can practice pottery at home.” He said…and I thought…You don’t do pottery at home with just a wheel…now, we need more things…and a place to do it. I began to set up my studio in my mind and by March 2024, I had a small working studio at home.

When you have your own space to make pottery…you can practice whenever you want, and I practiced all the time. I struggled with my confidence…are these pieces good enough to sell? After seeing pieces at a local pottery show, I decided I was ready to try. I started off with a table full of marbled pieces I was experimenting with at the Rogers Art on the Bricks in Rogers. While it was an extremely busy year personally, I feel happy I got my feet wet by participating in the Rogers Local Food and Art Market later in the year.