We were lucky to catch up with Holly Berg recently and have shared our conversation below.
Holly , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
If i’m being honest, I feel like I’m still tweaking the idea or reality of living out my purpose. With that being said when I reflect on this question, “How did you find your purpose?” I feel grateful that overall throughout my life i’ve had the privilege, inspiration and encouragement to seek out the journeys that promoted the opportunities for self-discovery and purpose. If I had to chose one thing as the beginning my journey to finding purpose it would be art. At a young age I was very interested in art, specifically making art and as a child whom struggled with traditional learning, I felt the most comfortable and success in the art room/studio. This lead me to pursuing the arts at every chance I could. In high school I enrolled in Renaissance School for the Arts, which had been a new charter school being offered to anyone in the school district. Through that experience I deepened my relationship with the arts and other likeminded people whom strived in the arts and the creative process. For me naturally this meant I would go on to pursue art in college, which I did and earned a BFA-Ceramics from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Post graduation like many, specifically in art related fields, it was, now what? I locked down a 9-5 with health insurance and benefits and found a studio to work out of. I struggled a lot during this time and felt a separation within my self. I wondered how I could connect my experience with art to both an occupation, and specifically one that encompassed service to others. It was during this time that I had learned about the field of Art Therapy, this was a light-bulb moment for me, and it bridge those gaps. Fortunately I was able to go enroll at Mt Mary University and obtain my MS-Art Therapy with Emphasis in Counseling, and went on to work as a Therapist.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
In 2022 I took a step back from working as a Therapist to return to my own art process, ceramics, and be available to focus on being a Mom. During that time of making this decision and transition, I was offered an amazing opportunity to move into an existing shared studio and storefront space in my neighborhood. The space is also home to artist, Tasha Rae, and the space I moved into was formally Commonplace, a retail shop, closed the summer of 2022. The space came with a stunning layout that had been designed by Ryan Tretow, for Commonplace and I feel very fortunate to have been able to move in. I officially launched H. Berg Ceramics out of this location and began selling my work directly out of my studio that also operates as a small storefront. It is an open studio concept so people can see my work throughout the process. I appreciate being able to have the door open for people to come in and ask questions about the process, wether they are established ceramic artists or beginners. Ever since I have made this transition people have been asking about lessons/workshops, I am excited to announce that I am finally very close to offering these services and will be in the very near future! To check out more of my work or stay up to date with events/classes you can visit my website www.hbergceramics.com or follow my on instagram @h.bergceramics
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities I personally would identify are, persistence, compassion, and humbleness. I think that persistence can lead to resilience when facing obstacles. I chose compassion both for self and for others, as I believe its important to lead with compassion as much and often as we can throughout our daily lives, I believe many hardships or obstacles could be avoided if we approached life more compassionately. Humble, if we practice humbleness we are able to learn, adapt and grow. I believe this specifically in community with others.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Although I do not have one specific name or one person for this answer. I would like to recognize that the reality it is so many people that I have immense gratitude for in supporting me through challenges or sharing their stories to inspire hope for me. I believe that when people work in community and collaboration with others the opportunity for learning and growth is abundant.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hbergceramics.com
- Instagram: h.bergceramics
Image Credits
head shot-Melissa of little x little
The rest of the images-Zach Peterson
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
