Helen Levi, Ceramicist

Sans Woman

15 - 08 - 17

We visited ceramicist Helen Levi at her Red Hook, Brooklyn studio as the sun was going down. An incredible one-woman operation, Levi (formerly a photographer) has turned a hobby into a thriving business, and now spends her days spinning everything from marbled mugs to stoneware planters.

Below, she shares her rituals with us…

Ritual for self-love...

I try to treat myself to small pleasures, like going to the beach with my dog before work or buying a fancy overpriced seltzer water to enjoy at the studio or going to see a blockbuster movie on a weeknight. I work hard and I love what I do, but it is also draining and consumes a lot of my time and energy. I try to think of little things I can do to keep an eye on myself and make sure I'm not getting burnt out.

Ritual with friends, family & loved ones...

My sister and I have a very serious weekly date to watch The Bachelorette. She always cooks me a delicious dinner and we never miss a week. It becomes an excuse to see each other regularly and check-in but also allows us to do something totally mindless and silly and escape whatever is on our minds.

Ritual for productivity...

It always helps me to sketch out a calendar of the upcoming month and write in what I'm planning to do each day. Even though I rarely actually stick to the plan, visualizing all the days makes me feel like there's time to get it all done!

Ritual for creativity...

I try out a ton of ideas, and only keep a couple. For me, a lot of creativity is just trying it! And being OK with the reality that not every idea is a winner, and not being discouraged by that. I think that all the tossed-out pieces build up to the final design I end up with.

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