“Why ‘Devotion?’” : Stephen Answers Questions

What is this, some sort of religious endeavor? Did it come to you in a dream? What's devotional about a ceramic mug to put coffee in?

Well, you've got to name it something, after all.

Naming things can be tricky. I always thought the Beatles was sort of a dorky name, but it seems like they've done OK for themselves.

But the real answer is that pottery is good for me. I think there's something innately good about it. It's a very human endeavor, a very embodied thing to do. I've said many times that it's therapeutic for me, although of course I don't think of it as "therapy." So it's something I am devoted to because it feels natural and good.

I like "devotion" also as a brand because it connotes something sincere that also doesn't need to be taken seriously. I don't take pottery seriously. That would be silly. I'll never be fussy about it. It's messy, humble and in many ways the opposite of a sophisticated endeavor. I like that. I like derping around in the mud.

And though it was always something I wanted to share -- to sell mugs and bowls and the like -- it's never felt remotely right to burden the endeavor with any sense of paying the bills. So that's another way that there's "devotion" in my pottery. I do it because I love it and I want to make people things, and for whatever reason, the way we organize our human lives places a lot of importance around the marketplace, which necessitates a buying and selling component. I don't make those rules, I just have to sort out for myself how I want to live my life and relate to people amidst them. So that's why I set up a shop and sell my pottery for what I believe is a somewhat reasonable price. Not too much, not too little.