I spent a lifetime wasting away my days trying to achieve what the world considers a 'dream life.' But instead of a dream, my days were actually filled with a nightmare of depression, anxiety, and alcoholism. Since 2020, I’ve traded in someone else’s dream for the things that ground me in peace. Today, I hope to make ceramics that are a visual study of my journey and share a bit of the peace I’ve found with you. My Swiss Family Robinson collection is a series of bowls, plates, platters, and clocks inspired by my favorite childhood book and sculpted from impressions of actual elephant ear plant leaves I grow in my backyard in Georgia. My ‘It Takes a Village’ set pieces are inspired by my years of work in community development learning the power we possess when we come together as a community. Finally, I’ve returned to my roots - my first experience with clay was making pinch pots in elementary school, and I elevate this basic form to serve as a vessel for experimenting with color breaking over clay.