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Jaspreet Kaur | Episode 777
Ceramics by Jas is a handmade ceramic studio based in Singapore. The artist behind the brand is Jaspreet Kaur. Jaspreet is a hand builder and believes in creating pottery as a form of functional art- a form of beauty and elegance to be enjoyed every single day. Apart from pottery, Jaspreet enjoys travelling and a lot of her work is inspired by her travels across Europe. Jaspreet enjoys playing with colours and textures and creating simple everyday functional items which are a treat to the senses- to see, hold and use.
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How important was introspection for you to get your head out of the game long enough to see it wasn’t bringing you happiness?
To be honest when I was running the race I wasn’t thinking so much, you know, I was just running. It’s how I am built and how I am supposed to be. You are kind of ticking the boxes and going about your life…I really don’t know when things changed for me. I won’t say I was amazing at my work. I was doing fine. But was it something I was thrilled about or that I wanted to do every day and look forward to? No. It wasn’t something I wanted to do for a long time. As you read more and meet more people and broaden your horizons a bit, that is when I started to realize it doesn’t have to be just one way. There can be more.
I’m curious about when you were having lunch with your husband and you told him, I can’t do this anymore. Is it important to be kind to yourself like that, where you just know what your limits are and to treat your limits with tenderness?
That’s very important. It’s extremely important, I think. Because I kept pushing for a long time, at least four years, I know. For sure, I have just been pushing. Yeah, I think you are right there was a kindness when I decided to do that but I think support from people around you is also very important because those are the times when you are not sure of your own decisions. So it is really important to have your loved ones around you to support you. At least one person who stands up for you and says, Okay, I am with you. You can take your time and figure this out.
How were you able to cut your losses to say, I am going in a new direction?
Oh my God, Paul, you have no idea, I think that is so true. I did think about it a lot and I still do sometimes. I wish I had discovered this ten years back to build this. I think about that sometimes. To be honest I think it is important to have this journey. I would not have found this or discovered this had I not been through that journey. Had I not come to a point where I knew I was running a blind race and I knew I was not going to win and decided to shift gears, I would have not come to this.
How important are the cheers of someone who is in your corner?
I think that is very important. I think it is very important at least with the first step that you take. You just need one person. You don’t need too many. I think you just need that one person because you are not in a place where you are sure of yourself. You are just doubting, you know. You have spent so much time building this life, building this profession, and then suddenly you realize you don’t want to do it anymore. You just need one person to say, It’s okay, take your time. catch a breath and we’ll figure this out. That is , I think, very important.
You have experienced these past few years having your soul come back to life. What does that feel like to you?
It’s liberating (laughter) to start with. I think everyday I can find beauty, I can find presence, I can find that moment in my day which I am grateful for. Every single day I get up and… I can’t sleep at night, trust me. It sounds kiddish, I know, but I can’t sleep at night because I have so many things I want to create or I want to do tomorrow. I have this whole vision, this whole dream that I am working towards. So for me there is a lot of excitement, there’s a lot of satisfaction, it’s something that’s feeding me right now. It is something I look forward to.
Book
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Contact
Instagram: @ceramics_by_jas