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Kelly Lever & Adam Russel | Episode 258
Wife and husband team, Kelly Lever and Adam Russel co-own Key West Pottery. Their studio and gallery are in the southern most city of the United States, Key West, Florida. Formally trained as painters, Kelly and Adam both take a very colorful and charismatic approach to their ceramic work, which is reflective of the tropical island they call home. Kelly and Adam are creating a modern interpretation of an ancient art form.
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How do you keep yourself from getting island fever?
Kelly: Well we do leave the rock once in a while. Island fever is a real thing. The first year I was here I was, what are you guys talking about? This is paradise. I also have a pretty serious gym and yoga practice and I think that keeps me grounded on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
Adam, because you guys are in a isolated community how do you keep yourself fresh and creative?
That’s an excellent question and it’s something I had to kind of discover. I realized, especially after my hobby became my profession, which is an interesting transition, that I had to find a new hobby. For me I have always been a reader and a studier and I feel really serious about some of my studies and endeavors. Now with the internet and connecting with people from all over I get to explore all my ancient cultures and comparative cosmologies amongst contemporaries from all over the world. I just try to stay really fresh with that. My big thing right now is that I look at a ton of artwork in a way that is kind of new to me.
Kelly, what is the key to being able to work successfully with a spouse?
Open communication for sure because you are sharing your life on so many different planes and so many different aspects of it that I think being able to verbalize and talk through things is really, really important.
Adam, how do you find the challenge of being an artist and a dad, how do you make those two mix successfully?
Honestly it is not something I have given a ton of thought to but I think parenting is an art. I think being a parent has made me a better artist in a lot of ways. I think being an artist, I want to say, has made me a better parent. Both are works in progress and yet un-perfected. Honest to God, I am deeply in love with both.
Kelly, when you look at Adam what would you say his superpower is?
He’s a great magician. He’s great at all sorts of juggling, multi-tasks at once and pulling rabbits out of his hat. He would definitely me the master magician.
Adam, what would Kelly’s superpower be?
I would say Kelly’s superpower would be balance. I don’t mean just keep your balance, I mean super-balance. We have a lot going on in life and living on the island is great but she is able to set a goal and knock it down regardless of what comes. Kelly sets a goal and she gets it. I think that’s rare now. She has a superpower on the balance and the decision making.
Kelly’s Book Recommendation
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Adam’s Book Recommendation
Be Here Now by Ram Dass
Contact
Instagram: @keywestpottery