Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Neale.
Hi Cynthia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My passion for pottery began when I took Ceramics at my local college as an elective and something about it just clicked with me. I continued to take all of the ceramics courses offered at my school in my time there and when I ran out of courses my professor allowed me to continue with independent study – yet when I graduated my time there came to an end.
I went on to work in banking and finance for over 20 years before I picked up clay again. In 2018, I had a major health issue and began to reevaluate many things in my life. I started searching for a creative outlet again to find joy in my life, something I could get immersed in. My partner suggested I try an art class so I took an evening wheel-throwing course at a local pottery studio and it immediately rekindled that creative joy that had been missing for so long.
My journey with ceramics began all over again, progressing quickly in my skill and knowledge and I began building a home studio piece by piece and connecting with other local artists in my community. Turns out that putting together a home studio was a stroke of fortune since in January 2020, I decided to start selling my work. I signed up for some local shows and registered my business. We all know what a strange time 2020 was as everything was shut down my home studio because a resource not just for myself but some other local potters as well who now had no commercial place to work.
As the local shows got canceled or rescheduled that year I decided to sell online and created an Etsy storefront. I started selling my work in a local gallery when businesses opened up again and the response and feedback I received was invaluable to refine my work. Then in 2022, I finally started selling in person at local craft shows and the reality of working full-time in my creative pursuits started to look like a real possibility.
Now my business has begun to establish itself and my skills continually evolve.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Balancing a corporate career that sustains oneself financially with the need for an artistic outlet that sustains the soul can be a challenge. The funding needed to invest in a full studio can be pretty steep along with the time commitment to making ceramics. One piece can take a total of 4-6 weeks due to the multiple stages and so organization and time management is a must!
The biggest challenge was finding a window when one door closes. Deciding to start my business as a hobby business in 2020 turned out to be a good thing because it forced slower growth. Learning how to create and manage a small business can be intimidating.
Thankfully, Maryland has many resources and I certainly took advantage of the Maryland Business Express website to help navigate as well as the patient folks working in the Baltimore County Clerks office who helped me navigate all the licensing logistics.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create functional pottery and ceramic art for everyday use.
There is just something special about using handmade pottery throughout the day that grounds one in our increasingly manufactured life. Every piece I create is crafted by hand from a piece of clay individually. I choose to source my materials from local companies and suppliers as much as possible because I believe in supporting the local economy.
I believe handmade objects should be affordable for all and able to be used in everyday life.
What’s next?
On May 1st, I leaped and left my 22-year career in Banking and Finance to devote more time to Ashbourne Pottery and follow my creative pursuits. It has always been my dream to work as a full-time potter since that first ceramics class many years ago. A dream I never thought would be possible.
Now, I have shifted my full focus to Ashbourne Pottery and am rebuilding the website and Etsy storefront as my creative style has evolved over the past couple of years. By June 1st the new website will be live as a place to announce in-person shows and local gallery restocks of batches of new work.
Contact Info:
- Website: ashbournepottery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashbournepottery/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCEWZfQ4u_Y1a5tUqKTYPe_Q
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ashbournepottery/
