Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Ipson.
Hi Hailey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I started pottery when I was 13. I signed up for a 3D art class where pottery was one of the options. Thanks to a random draw, I was lucky enough to be one of seven people who got to learn. I continued taking classes in school, all throughout Jr. High and Sr. High School. I received a talent award at BYU for my pottery and was an art major for my first year there to qualify for that scholarship. After changing my major, I didn’t have access to a studio for the first time in six years.
I accepted that the pottery part of my life was probably over, but I really missed it. For my birthday in 2020, my thoughtful husband bought me a membership to a local pottery studio in Spanish Fork. It had been four years since I had been on the wheel but it was so fun to be back. I wanted to keep my membership but knew it was going to be expensive. I started selling pieces just to cover the costs but quickly discovered that I could actually make a profit if I worked at it.
I started to realize that I didn’t have to give up on pottery, but could even make a job out of it. I bought my own wheel and converted a spare room into a makeshift studio. I’m still growing and it’s not an ideal setup, but I love that I have been able to live a dream that I didn’t think was going to be practical, let alone profitable.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Situationally, it has all worked out pretty well so far. The biggest challenge has been growing as a business. I’m trying to figure out what to do when we move out of state, how to start an online shop, and just get myself more well known.
I’ve created a good network here of markets and customers and I’m scared to lose that all when we move for my husband’s school. But I also have a lot of people outside of Utah asking for an online shop, so it might turn out alright.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a potter. I don’t say that often because I want to avoid the Harry Potter jokes so I usually just say that I sell pottery. I think that what sets me apart from others is the true individuality of all of my work. No two pieces are the same. Even if I make ten mugs in the same design, each will be a different shape with a different handle and hold a different amount.
I rotate through designs and products as I get interested in them. I refuse to feel like a factory which means that each piece is a unique piece of art that will never be duplicated. I enjoy exploring new designs and shapes and that is what keeps me motivated.
How do you think about luck?
Luck was what started this whole thing. In my jr. high art class, everyone that wanted to learn pottery put their names in a bowl. Our teacher drew out seven names and we were the ones that got the wheels. Having this head start guaranteed my spot in all of the high school classes that were in high demand and hard to get into.
The drawing that day had a much larger impact than I ever thought that it would.
Contact Info:
- Email: hspgirl@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haileysuepottery/?hl=en
