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The audio file for this article was produced by the Ceramic Arts Network staff and not read by the author.
Ceramics Monthly: What inspires your work in clay?
Breana Ferreira: As someone learning to cope with ideas of control and purpose, my relationship with clay feels both incredibly challenging and immensely essential. My ongoing collaboration with the material continues to invite moments of patience, curiosity, consideration, and grace—all attributes I am especially determined to always carry with pride and encouragement into the classroom. Clay is a material that helps keep my inner child in sight, my conscience kind, and my compassion steady. As a maker, I am particularly fond of how well clay plays with other art practices and am especially inspired by its rich history of being crafted into objects of cultural narrative as a means of record keeping in honor of our own impermanence.
CM: What strategies have you developed to handle challenges you face, including setbacks in the studio or difficulties along the path to becoming an artist?
BF: Whether I feel like I’ve hit a wall of internalized inadequacy, find myself in a state of scattered creative frustration, or simply lack any ounce of motivation, I always find comfort and clarity in seeking out fresh perspective. The voices we choose to have in our ear are vital and make me especially grateful for not only the many incredible friendships I have made in this field, but also the many podcasts out there that provide a diverse array of thinkers and artists a platform to offer pieces of their minds as sources of enlightenment and encouragement.
When particularly impatient, I often find that the practice of revising my artist statement has proven to be a great way to ground myself in my ever-evolving intentions as a maker while encouraging a closer look at my practice; It keeps me sharp, my words relevant, and reminds me to recognize my own growth, no matter how painfully slow it may seem to be. During times of utmost frustration and discouragement, I find realignment through everything but the studio. I make a conscious effort to look at my life through a more considerate lens and direct my attention toward unapologetically channeling my creative energies into every other avenue, believing that the most fulfilling work we could possibly make is work made in honor of a life lived full and well.
Learn more at breanaferreira.com or follow on Instagram @brebreanam.
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