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Rachel Saunders | Episode 809
Rachel Saunders is a multidisciplinary artist and designer from the West Coast of Canada currently working with clay as her primary medium. Rachel places value on simplicity, functionality, sustainability, playfulness, and connection. Rachel’s work aims to highlight the inherent beauty of natural materials through self-taught technique and design.
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Do you get greater progress by having a team of people working with you?
Yeah, I couldn’t do what I do now without them. And we are all kind of at a point now where we are kind of re-assessing our roles and shifting to best encompass what our skills and strengths are, which is really cool. So right now I am feeling like I need more support in just feeling like it’s okay for me to be out of the studio and out in the world and gathering inspiration and designing while they are holding it down and just having that kind of peace of mind is so imperative and helpful for me. Yeah, I am just making sure they are happy doing what they are doing and being challenged. Yeah, just that we are all using our skills and strengths to be in the right fit for us. I definitely rely on them and I am so grateful for them.
Do you have very defined roles that everyone is supposed to play?
Yes and no and yes, we are kind of realizing the value of being kind of cross-trained in everything, so because I think we have all kind of learned the past couple of years that at any point and any time you can be out on your feet for two weeks or more or something can happen. We have all just had that come into our lives. So taking the pressure off of one specific person who can only do one thing, that’s also a lot of pressure to carry if that person needs to take time off mentally or physically. So that is something we a leaning into at the moment.
Your name is on everything. Do you ever get a sense that you have lost creative control or do you feel that it has been enhanced?
I think it’s been enhanced because I wouldn’t be able to get it out into the world at the level that I do if I didn’t have a team and as well as I mentioned being able to take the time away from being so hands on in the studio, that’s when I am able to actually channel new ideas and designs through because I literally can’t do that when I am so exhausted by working. I have been in that loop so much in my career that right now it’s just not worth it. I can’t continue working that way so it’s so important for me to be able to take time away, to recharge, to be inspired. I feel like that is my role, to be inspired. To lead with a strong and clear vision.
As a leader do you tend to lead by command or consensus?
That’s interesting. I definitely wouldn’t say command. And I also kind of struggle with being in a leadership position too, because managing a team is not really my strong suit so we kind of have a couple of people who take charge of that too. I try and best communicate my vision and then we all kind of figure out how to make that happen.
How do you help your team fulfill their dreams?
Yeah, that’s a great question. I put a strong emphasis on making sure everyone feels heard and seen and is feeling good in what they do. I never want them to feel like they are a cog in a machine or anything because I don’t like that kind of work-life environment. So making everyone feel excited, joyful, doing team activities together, we have a monthly activity where we cook a big meal or go on a retreat. Those are the things that are really important to my company environment. And then going forward we have a really exciting collaboration with Alex where she will be designing a piece and will be putting it out into the world together, which I am really looking forward to. Being able to listen and see and hear people I think is so important.
Book
Many Shapes of Clay by Kenesha Sneed
Contact
Instagram: @rachelsaundersceramics