This Artist Says Ambition Is a Trap
Portraits of Another Life
473,394 views
Jennifer Owen has spent most of her life working with clay.
She never wanted to turn pottery into a big business. Teaching gave her a steady way to make a living, and that meant she could keep making work without worrying about whether every piece had to sell.
That freedom gave her room to experiment. To let the kiln surprise her. To accept the pieces that came out uneven, strange, or different from what she expected.
Jennifer works with salt firing, where heat, salt, ash, and chance all leave their mark. You can guide the process, but you cannot control it completely. She likes that.
In this short documentary, Jennifer talks about pottery, teaching, and the life she has built in Maui. She talks about the years when she wanted her work to be recognized on a bigger level, and how that feeling has changed.
She does not feel like she has anything left to prove.
For her, ambition can become a trap if you are always chasing the next thing. More work. More attention. More success.
Jennifer seems more interested in something quieter now.
A day in the studio. A kiln firing. A swim in the ocean. A bowl that gets used every morning. A student who keeps making work years after leaving her class.
This film is about pottery, but it is also about the way she has chosen to live. A life with enough time, enough freedom, and enough space to keep making the work she cares about.
Subscribe for more short documentaries about pottery, ceramics, artist life, handmade work, creative freedom, slow living, and unconventional lives.
To see more of Jennifer's work:
https://www.jenniferowenceramics.com/
Learn more about us:
https://www.portraitsofanotherlife.com/
Join our newsletter for reflections, early access, event invites and more:
https://portraitsofanotherlife.beehii...
Watch uncut interviews, behind-the-scenes, get closer to the process and more:
Patreon: portraitsofanotherlife
Directed and Shot by Emil Lozada
Edited by Brittany Hammer and Emil Lozada
Produced by Arnelle Lozada
Music: Epidemic Sound
Archive and stock footage: Shutterstock
20 Comments
Art saved my life after 55 YEARS of addictions!
Encouraging others to realize that EVERYONE IS AN ARTIST, A CREATOR is what I spend my life doing TODAY!😊
This Artist Says Ambition Is a Trap
Portraits of Another Life
473,394 views
Jennifer Owen has spent most of her life working with clay.
She never wanted to turn pottery into a big business. Teaching gave her a steady way to make a living, and that meant she could keep making work without worrying about whether every piece had to sell.
That freedom gave her room to experiment. To let the kiln surprise her. To accept the pieces that came out uneven, strange, or different from what she expected.
Jennifer works with salt firing, where heat, salt, ash, and chance all leave their mark. You can guide the process, but you cannot control it completely. She likes that.
In this short documentary, Jennifer talks about pottery, teaching, and the life she has built in Maui. She talks about the years when she wanted her work to be recognized on a bigger level, and how that feeling has changed.
She does not feel like she has anything left to prove.
For her, ambition can become a trap if you are always chasing the next thing. More work. More attention. More success.
Jennifer seems more interested in something quieter now.
A day in the studio. A kiln firing. A swim in the ocean. A bowl that gets used every morning. A student who keeps making work years after leaving her class.
This film is about pottery, but it is also about the way she has chosen to live. A life with enough time, enough freedom, and enough space to keep making the work she cares about.
Subscribe for more short documentaries about pottery, ceramics, artist life, handmade work, creative freedom, slow living, and unconventional lives.
To see more of Jennifer's work:
https://www.jenniferowenceramics.com/
Learn more about us:
https://www.portraitsofanotherlife.com/
Join our newsletter for reflections, early access, event invites and more:
https://portraitsofanotherlife.beehii...
Watch uncut interviews, behind-the-scenes, get closer to the process and more:
Patreon: portraitsofanotherlife
Directed and Shot by Emil Lozada
Edited by Brittany Hammer and Emil Lozada
Produced by Arnelle Lozada
Music: Epidemic Sound
Archive and stock footage: Shutterstock