We recently connected with Carrie Brown-Kornarens and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carrie, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
Hi there, My father was in the military and my mother grew up on a farm in Thailand. Both of my parents had a strong work ethic, and that reflected on us growing up. My parents were very strict, conservative, and reserved. I was always shy growing up, because we moved from one military base to the other. We didn’t have the technology like we do now, so we would become pen pals with some friends that we made. That doesn’t last long because they are also moving around. I would devote a lot of my time to studying until my father retired from the military. He didn’t want to move anymore, so my family settled down near a military base. When my dad retired, I slacked off a bit and wasn’t as strict on myself in junior high and high school. Two weeks before my high school graduation my boyfriend passed away, and that made a huge impact on me. I mourned during the summer, and then I told myself he wouldn’t want me to do this with my life. It motivated me to throw myself into studies in college. After a year and a half I decided I wanted to go to a trade school called Full Sail. At the time it was a male majority school, and there were only two females in my program. This was intimidating, because most of the other students had some previous experience. I had to work even harder to prove that I was capable of keeping up with everyone. I managed to graduate and shortly after, I moved to Los Angeles. I did motion graphics for over two decades, and that takes a lot of time, dedication, determination, and a very strong work ethic. All of these experiences have strengthened my work ethic, and help me in running my own business as a ceramicist.
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?
The name Echo Azure is homage to my late mother and her love of butterflies. Echo Azure is a species of a blue butterfly that ranges from Southern British Columbia, east to Montana and south along the Pacific Coast to Baja California.
I make functional ceramics that could be used around your home. Each piece is made by hand from start to finish with a personal touch that makes it special. It is still fascinating to me that it all starts with a lump of clay which comes from the earth, and turns into something tangible. Working with clay can be very meditative, and humbling. There are a lot of growing pains, and it takes a lot of determination. I have to challenge myself to come up with new ideas, and explore different possibilities. I am working on some new pieces that I plan to launch in the next couple of months. My pieces can be found online, locally, and on the east coast.
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?
Growing up I was always creative and hands on. My mother and I always did craft projects together, and I learned a lot from her. My father taught me technical skills. Having creative and technical skills have made an impact on how I approach new projects and obstacles. It has helped me take initiative to try something at least once in order to experience it. Pottery is very challenging, and some people give up early on. It takes a lot of practice and repetition. It’s like anything you do in life. You have to practice, practice, practice, in order to feel confident in anything you do. You have to learn to let go, and be willing to try again. I have always been a perfectionist, and pottery teaches you to go with the flow. There are good days and bad days. Don’t give up.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
For the first year and a half of doing pottery I was exclusively using the pottery wheel, and developing my skills. Then, I got tenosynovitis in one of my wrists and the doctor ordered me to take 6 weeks off. When I returned to the studio I was still in pain, so I took a crash course in handbuilding, and I started to develop a new set of skills. I started doing more hand building for 6 months or so, then I moved across town and had to switch studios. At the new studio I started using the wheel again, and I was very rusty. I started improving over the next couple years, but I wasn’t very confident. Around this time last year I did a private lesson for a refresher course. I had to unlearn some bad habits I had developed, and I learned some new techniques. I had to swallow my pride and ask for help. I’m so glad I did because it has helped me immensely, and I feel more confident now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.echoazureLA.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/echoazureLA
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/echoazureLA
Image Credits
Carrie Brown-Kornarens
White vase photo by Monaca Brown Design
