Meet Rondell Meeks

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rondell Meeks a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rondell, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

I don’t think of myself as optimistic. What I am, is obsessively curious. I am disciplined. I take an almost athletic approach to the craft. I work a lot, so to make sure I have the energy I eat healthily and get plenty of rest, but I also need a lot of variety. I have lots of projects going at once so there’s never a dull day when I’m in the studio.

I can see how, for someone looking in from the outside, those habits might seem optimistic, but for me, they are simply pragmatic. I simply do what I have to to do my best, and I think there’s beauty and inspiration to be found in that.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I have a small ceramics practice near Hudson, in upstate New York. My goal is simply to work hard and have as much fun as humanly possible. I am lucky to sell work both nearby and in NYC.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Treat art-making like a job. A fun one. Take the athletic approach. Eat healthy, get plenty of sleep, prepare in advance for each day of work and never ever stop.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I am in my third year of working in clay. During the first two years I would work seven hours a day and then come home and watch 5-6 hours of you-tube videos, while stretching. I’m not exaggerating. YouTube is a remarkable tool for any art maker. One of the most influential pieces of instruction I ever received was a seven minute long, 16mm, B&W film of Michael Cardew throwing a pot off the hump. I refer to it still.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @rondellmeeks