Meet Ryan Ferris

We recently connected with Ryan Ferris and have shared our conversation below.

Hi RYAN, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from two places. Firstly, a wonderful support system given to me by my parent. They showed up for me whether I felt deserving or not. In the best way they could they fostered safety for me. In all forms, physical, fiscal, emotional. Being an artist/craftsman for so long requires sacrifice, suffering, selfishness. Much of that I have struggled with deeply, I have always known that when I fall and fail my family would be there to help. The gift of a privileged life will always be my most valuable asset.

Spite and anger is the second place my resilience comes from. That privilege gave me the courage/ resilience to see the choices this capitalistic system gives us and take more risk than I might have without it. I believe most of us face one choice right now, work till you die or die. I do not want to die cold and hungry like many do. Anger and spite have made holding jobs difficult for me. Work then die isn’t a choice it’s a threat. This threat looms over us. I am not thankful for a job that playcates this threat. Working for others makes me angry. Dreading how I spend large chunks of my waking hours makes me angry. Working for myself, Making counter culture art feeds my spite and makes the forced participation of capitalism slightly more palatable.

I would not do this or have this drive and mind set without the grand safety net that is my support system. Many of my friends and colleagues share my stances but not my support system and those people inspire me greatly. I don’t believe I am brave/foolish/ or angry enough to have pursued this path like them.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I work under the pseudonym “FerriGlass” When I first started glassblowing and pipe making it was illegal at local and federal levels so most of us didn’t use our full name. You can find me on social media via that pseudonym. For about 8 years the pipe market was very strong for me but legalization has changed it negatively oddly enough. Now that my pipe business has stalled I am transitioning to memorial work and non functional art. My goal for 2025 will be to run several auctions a week through my social media. I am very excited to start flexing my creative muscles more.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I believe all the greatest artist are their worst critic. Wanting more out of yourself, and your work is so important. It drove me to late nights and long hours. Spite is wonderful fuel just don’t let it discourage you. (easier said then done)

Be around the right people. Their knowledge will be infection just like their attitude. If they show up trying to be better everyday you will too but the inverse is just as true.

My last piece of advice for young artist is do not ignore your fiscal responsibilities. I did and it has been the worst parts of my journey. The anxiety and literal costs are devastation. I hate the system we live in but we are still in it.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Change has been my biggest improvement in the past 12 months.I have been a glass artist for a decade now. Id say the first 3 years were very hard. The second 4-5 years were very good. now I am facing hard times. The past year has been the hardest of my life for many reasons. Business wise I was making the same design for about 6 years now. It did very well. I only sold to wholesalers for many years then the demand stopped. I was stagnant and this made me and my business flounder. I actually got a job the past six months so I could recover and plan all the changes I need to make. I am for the first time in several years very excited for the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://afgw.bigcartel.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ferriglass

Image Credits

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