Meet Chloe Collins | Ceramic Artist & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chloe Collins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chloe, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Very early on in starting Third Bowl Pottery I learned that my small business could not be successful alone. Before I began working on my personal business I spent a few months watching other businesses. I looked at where they were thriving and why, I looked at where they were struggling and how I could keep from falling into those patterns as well. My first step was asking how they did it well. I wanted to replicate those qualities throughout my personal brand. I knew there was much more to running a business than I was capable of alone, so I started analyzing what I was gifted in and where I needed to outsource. I graduated college with an art degree. I can create something beautiful, but I was not equipped to handle the weight of business management. My husband is incredibly talented in this area and he was willing to help me/manage that side of my business. I realized the unique gifts of the people around me and I wanted to utilize those in whoever was willing to be apart. Outsourcing is so important in your brand. We weren’t made to do it all. From the outside it looks like one person is behind successful businesses but after digging deeper and asking questions I realized successful businesses were successful because they were utilizing other people who were talented in areas where they lacked.
I am overflowing with gratitude to be able to call my passion my career. I want to steward the gift of this business to the best of my ability to avoid burnout and exhaustion, so I started to look within my circle where I could ask for help. My husband keeps my website running smoothly, my parents come over in the afternoon and help me glaze, and my grandparents come and help me pack orders when I have a big sale. Those are just some of the ways I implement outsourcing throughout my brand. I am so thankful to have all of those loving people in my life and they have contributed immensely to the success of Third Bowl Pottery.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One of my favorite things about pottery is the fingerprints left behind. With every dish that’s thrown on the wheel or every vase you have coil built, fingerprints are embedded in the clay. A piece of you gets attached to something that lives on as a cherished piece of art in someone’s home. It is one of the most ancient art forms that continues to carry significance today. That is special to me because I love stories. I like to document memories with photographs and value a handwritten letter more than most. Pottery to me is more than a set of dishes, it’s a potters legacy. It is one of the only forms of art that I have encountered where style cannot be replicated. A skilled painter can mimic brush strokes, a talented singer can duplicate musical notes, but as a potter your work is set apart without much effort. In a classroom of twenty five students we would unload the kiln before there was any glaze involved, and without looking at the names carved in the bottom we would know which pot belonged to who. It’s indescribable, it is just something you know. Although every potter works from inspiration, each piece is unique to the maker. Some people create an edge on their rims, where some people let it flow smoothly. Some people leave their mugs weighty, where some trim them light as a feather. There is a uniqueness about every pot before glaze has even been applied. Glaze is like a paint that is applied to the pot and it turns into a glass like coating after it is fired in the kiln. This is where most artists would get creative because you’re working with a blank canvas, but with pottery, you create your canvas. You have to make the vessel before you ever start glazing, so when creating a dinner set with drippy glazes you have to consider the shape of your bowls so that the glaze can be applied successfully. A lot of preparation and thought goes into each piece of pottery. There is a whole story hidden within a finished product.
Community is very important to me but also to my brand. My success is dependent on those in the community who feel a connection to what I am creating. I think about that often. How can I invoke relational connections through pottery? I love deep conversations, intentional relationships, and the intricate thoughts that weave around in your brain all day. Pottery is an outlet for me, but I also aim to create pieces that enhance those things that are dear to me. My hope is that over a simple coffee mug relationships will be built around the table, with an oil pourer a gift can be given to someone who’s hurting, or a platter can be brought to a gathering in celebration. I see my job as much bigger than creating pottery, I am working on the mission field.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is such a fun question to me because I love my little home town, in Perry, Ga. I could eat breakfast for every meal and the best local spot is Morning By Morning. It is a vintage gas station turned into a cute outdoor coffee shop. The food and coffee is great and the people are the cheerfulest morning people you will ever meet! Another great spot for hang outs and food is Bodega Brew right downtown. They have delicious food all day and drinks in the evening. On the weekends they have live music, so it really is the perfect spot for a night out with friends or a family dinner. I love to walk so if you are like me and enjoy a good stroll on a pretty day, then you would love Big Indian Creek Waterway Trails. The city just recently added several paved trails and a bridge over the creek. It is so peaceful and perfect for a picnic! Also I can’t forget to say make sure you come visit in October for the Perry National Fair! It is the most exciting time of the year for everyone who lives in Perry. There’s rides, shows, vendors, tons of delicious fried food, and you do not want to miss out!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A shoutout is necessary for several people in my life! My love for ceramics began when I was younger at a pottery studio but my ability to experience it first hand began in high school. My art teacher, Mrs. Heller created space for me to grow and to pursue something that I loved. She entered us in every art competition in the area, and that really gave me the confidence to believe I could do this as a job after I finished school. Because of that I pursued art in college. My ceramics professor at GCSU, Sandra Trujillo played an essential role in my life throughout my college career. She was vibrant, creative, and very hard working. Her persistence really pushed me outside of my comfort zone. As her student I learned that I really love the pottery wheel, but also how to take something I love and be technically skilled in that area. She was not content letting me be stagnant in my growth and I am very appreciative of that. I also want to shoutout my family. They have never wavered in supporting my artistic dreams. Life as an artist is not always promising, but they have never made me feel like I could be anything less than successful. They have attended all my shows, artist talks, and award ceremonies with cheerful hearts. They also sacrificed many extra hours to help me achieve those goals and for that I am greatly appreciative.
Finally I want to shoutout my husband, Jacob. He has been vital to my success as a business owner. I am quick to dream up big ideas that I often get overwhelmed starting. I am a major procrastinator when it comes to the endeavors that I think will be successful because I am afraid of the process, but Jacob is incredible at the beginnings. He’s passionate about starting what I can’t on my own and he has supported my pottery business more than me at times. I am so thankful that his strengths are my weaknesses and he has selflessly served me in getting this business set up for success. Third Bowl Pottery would not be where it is today without Jacob Collins.

Website: www.thirdbowlpottery.com

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