Madelyn Manus - Made by Madelyn

"It is my life fuel. It’s what wakes me up in the morning and what makes me tired enough to go to sleep at night.

When I started my art business eight years ago, I tried a lot of different things, but nothing felt like it truly came from within. Then, two years ago, I started pottery, and it immediately felt different. It felt like something I was meant to do.

I started my art business making clay earrings, so I already had some sculpting experience, but that was a trend. Pottery has been around since the dawn of civilization. Pottery is forever.

I’m completely self-taught. I tried a pottery wheel for the first time just to see if it was something I might want to have at home. After a couple of hours, I went home, ordered a wheel, and just kept going. If I ran into a problem, I used YouTube and the internet as my resources.

My favorite thing is throwing on the wheel. It’s amazing how such small movements can completely change the form of something. Every move you make, the clay has memory.

What I love most now is being able to share pottery with other people. For the first couple of years, it was just me creating at home. Now I get to connect with people and invite them into something that has brought me so much joy. I’m starting pottery classes in June and offering private lessons because I want people to experience it for themselves.

It’s been such a big change going from being at home for two years to being around people every day. It’s inspiring. I get to hear what people like, what they’re interested in, and what they want to see created. It gives me perspectives I never would have had sitting at home with my own thoughts.

People come in while I’m working and stop to chat. They ask questions about what I’m making and want to learn about all the different stages of the process. I love being able to share something that makes me so happy.

Pottery makes me feel whole, and getting to introduce other people to it makes it even more meaningful."

Madelyn Manus, Made by Madelyn @madebymadelynmanus 

Located inside QuickFrame at 823 Main Street, and is open Monday through Friday. If you see Madelyn in the window, pop in and introduce yourself!