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Nicole Pepper | Episode 701
Nicole Pepper is a West Seattle Ceramic Artist, wife, and a mother of 3. Nicole has pursued a career in ceramics since 1995 where she graduated from Western Washington University with a BFA in Ceramics with a second concentration in Fiber Arts. Nicole’s hope is to bring work that is warm, functional, and delightful.
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How do you see your ceramic business as being a service to your customer?
I think part of my work is to meet people where they are at. I am hoping that it not only serves a purpose but also serves a meaning to them or an emotion or just kind of feed them and their soul.
How does that work out when you get out the clay and in the way you are thinking about your work?
I look at it and it has movement in it and I try to read the movement as it’s being made. So I hope, I mean I put my mark on it but I am hoping that the mark of the piece as it’s being created…it’s becoming itself too. If that makes any sense.
Do you have customers in mind when you are making pieces? Do you think about the end user?
I think of the whole community, I guess. The floral designs came because I was first off inspired by paper cutting an d in our community when Trump became president it was crazy so this was my response to that. So when I do my work I am taking what is going on around me into consideration and thinking how can I use this to communicate and how to comfort and bring a sense of solace to a person’s life.
Dos that mean when you are looking at what to make next that you are driven by market forces, like what will people buy?
Well, I know they will buy mugs. (laughter) But no I really do. I try to jump ahead a little bit, maybe. And I try to get a feel and I am always looking at stuff. And I don’t know, it’s kind of an internal…something that feed me that hopefully will feed other people too.
How do you go about serving your customers when you go about making the sales? How do you balance that out with not trying to be pushy whether it’s through email or just a sales page?
I would say, Oh it’s dishwasher safe! (laughter) I don’t know, honestly, you know, just showing up . Just showing up is a big deal. You just got to keep showing up, I think. And try to see where that person is coming from maybe. Trying to understand their needs.
How does your faith come into making in ceramics?
My faith directs my work. I use it as a way of allowing my faith to make what it wants to make. If that makes sense, I mean my Creator, I try to just be a person in between.
Book
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Contact
Instagram: @modhome.ceramics