We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Green recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Melissa, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
Ceramics IS my self care. When dealing with the stresses of job loss, raising a child, aging parents, and other major life events, ceramic work is a solace. It is both communal and inspirational ( I work in a community studio) but also allows me to focus completely at what’s in front of me.
The ability to get inspiration and encouragement from other studio members, then focus on my own art work, has really made a positive difference in my mental health.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I recently retired from the finance world, and am now working as an adjunct instructor at a very large NYC-based university. All my teaching is remote and asynchronous, so very little interaction with students is available. Working with clay gives me the community and human contact I crave, and watching other people’s work develop is always inspiring. I’ve recently started to do more crafts fairs, mostly because I get too productive and can’t keep it all!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I had no skills in ceramics when I began. My advice is:
1. Just keep at it – no matter what the task – and if it doesn’t give you real pleasure after a genuine effort, then try something else.
2. It’s okay to make a mess when you are a grownup. In fact, it’s great to make a mess – it’s what sparks creativity.
3. Pottery is tactile as well as visual – learn what physically “feels right” in your hands.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
As I get older, pottery becomes physically more challenging – stiff fingers and hands, aching back and knees, and so forth. I’ve learned to accept these challenges, and adapted my work to smaller pieces with greater design detail – more color, more modifications. Things don’t have to be big to show off your skill.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://greenwareceramics.com
- Instagram: melissagreen57
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/melissaegreen
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
