A New Year on the Island
I love New Year’s Day
In the weeks leading up to it I enjoy seeing what I’ve accomplished in different areas of my life over the past year and considering the things I want to do in the coming year. As we begin 2026 I’m feeling more settled than I have in a long time. The house is nearly finished, the gardens are in, and my studio is finally at home. After five years of frequent changes, the idea of having far fewer things to work on this year opens up so many possibilities for expanding my ceramics business as well as actually settling into the life we’ve created here on this small island.
2025 was a relatively good year around here. It was busy, it was hard work, and emotionally it was a shit show if I’m honest, for a lot of reasons. But it was also our first year in our new home on the island and that has been such a gift. It’s like the goodness of creating a home here has outweighed the heaviness of the challenging parts.
For some the idea of Wintering in these dark months is what they’re craving and I can understand the pull towards that. However, as a ceramicist my time is spent in a studio. And what better time to be indoors in a studio than on the dark cold days of winter and early spring. January is when I lay the groundwork for the coming year. It’s when I will experiment and play in my studio, and where I create some of the work that I will be sharing throughout the year. I love beginning these chilly dark mornings with my coffee, walking to my studio. Without the pressure of beautiful weather calling me to come outdoors I find I can accomplish so much in the winter months.
In our life, Summering is more of a thing. It’s when people visit the island, when we want to be outdoors, in the gardens or at the beach rather than indoors. It’s when we entertain, take road trips, or visit family. Those are the times I want to recharge and rest and enjoy the gorgeous weather we have throughout the summer.
The beauty of getting older is understanding that the best way forward is looking at your own life, your own patterns, and your aspirations and then making choices about how you walk forward with that in mind. Lately I’m finding that there is so much noise online about what we *should* be doing. This year I’m choosing to tune out a lot of that and instead find my answers in the life that’s right in front of me. I hope you can do the same.
I think 2026 is going to be a big year for both learning and expanding. This month I begin to work with my ceramics cohort group and I’m looking forward to gaining knowledge as well as community through working with the women in my group. I’ve also signed up for a comprehensive 16 week glaze course that I’m really excited about. Excited and a bit nervous because, well, chemistry… All that to say I see some fabulous growth in my ceramics practice this coming year.
My plan is to have regular shop updates online this year. I also hope to be accepted to a few markets that I will be applying for. I loved my first experience last year as it’s a great way to connect with people and share my work in person. I’m also working on a selection of pieces that will be available for wholesale. I’d love to find a few shops that feel like a great fit for my ceramics. In amongst all of that I will be attending a clay symposium and a rather large pottery tour - two ways to connect with the pottery community. Ceramics is a fairly solitary work environment and one of my goals this year is more community and in-person connection.
Wishing you all a year filled with good health, lots of laughter, and finding the joy wherever life takes you.
Happy new year friends.