Lori Dresner shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Lori, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Formulating an idea is different than coming up with a project. I have many ideas that come and go, but I don’t always act on them. To truly formulate the idea means that I am thinking about the outcome but not thinking about what I am doing.
When I am in the midst of making something, there is simultaneous mindlessness (where I’m not conscious of what’s around me) and mindfulness (where every detail matters). I am completely immersed in the project.
The act of “making” results in physical energy moving about in a subconscious zone. There is no conscious thought, no theory being processed. I am just lost.
There is a sort of satisfaction in creating that lends itself to timelessness.
But frankly, when I get really into it, I have no concept of time.
There is satisfaction in a piece well done – is that “finding myself”? I don’t know.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
From a very young age I was interested in art and convinced my parents to send me to art classes outside of school. Clay was my first love, but I dabbled in everything from painting to photography. I came from a hard working family who expected me to go to business or law school. I felt a constant pressure to achieve financially. But I had other ideas.
With degrees from RISD and an MFA in Video Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I built a three-decade plus career in video production and international advertising, from New York to Paris. I travelled on a regular basis, barely finishing one project before moving on to another. My life was filled with budgets and locations, castings and shooting locations, problem solving and scheduling, everywhere I went. I saw the world from different vantage points, working with other cultures and living a life I never imagined living. It was amazing and exhausting!
Returning to the United States, after so many years abroad, I chose Aspen as a stop off point. It was a place to regroup and rejuvenate. I quickly fell in love with the Valley and became involved with the arts community, reconnecting deeply with my creative side and my first love, ceramics. I found a voice in my work, a way to express joy and frustration, beauty and pain, connectivity and autonomy that often blurs the line between whimsical and functional. I allowed myself to pause and be different.
And so, LD Ceramix was created.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
That’s a loaded question because first and foremost I was a kid. And when you are a kid, the world revolves around you. I loved art, I loved making things, I loved learning and singing and dancing. I loved collecting bees and flowers and making gifts for my friends. I loved sharing joy with anyone and everyone who came into my orbit. Of course I was spoiled, to say the least. But my life as a kid was simple.
When Viet Nam happened, I realized in one moment, that outside my little bubble there was death and pain and war. I was terribly affected by it – more so than I knew at the time. I decided I wanted to make a difference, but I had no idea how. So at the innocent age of 12/13, I came up with a plan. I would answer ads in magazines for soldier penpals! I had a penpal in France and we had so much fun exchanging letters, I thought this was a brilliant idea. I wrote tons of letters, drawing them pictures, writing little poems, sending postcards from places I visited, hoping I was bringing them happiness and good cheer while they were fighting somewhere over there… I wondered why so few soldiers wrote back.
My mother censored every letter sent to me. Years later, she told me. By then, much of who I needed to be was formed.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There are many times I wanted to give up.
The time I lost a a champion spelling bee because I was fidgeting too much. (I knew how to spell the word.)
The time I got a D in politics. (I hated the class!)
The time I was passed over for my dream job. (They hired from within.)
The time my fiancee left me for someone else. (I stayed in Europe and had the most marvelous career.)
The time I climbed Kilamanjaro and thought I wouldn’t make it to the top. (But I did.)
There are so many times in life when you feel – for a moment – you can’t carry on. But you do because you believe in yourself.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, I think so. I have never represented myself as anything or any one other than who I am.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
When I’m gone, I hope people remember that I lived a creative life—one shaped by curiosity, compassion, and clay. I worked with my hands and my heart in equal measure, whether sculpting, producing, or supporting the arts and people in need.
My sculptures and pottery were never about perfection; they were about connection. I wanted people to hold my work, to smile at it, to feel something honest in its curves and cracks. Whether it stood on a pedestal or sat on a kitchen table, I hoped it carried a bit of warmth, a wink, a reminder that beauty lives in the imperfect and the handmade.
As a producer and philanthropist, I tried to create space for others—to help ideas take shape, to lift creative voices, and to build community around art that matters.
More than anything, I hope I left behind a sense of joy—that making, giving, and sharing are all part of the same art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ldceramix.com
- Instagram: @ldceramix
- Linkedin: lori dresner
- Other: https://www.dresnerfoundation.org
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