Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Hassmann.
Courtney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The very first thing I ever made from clay was a dragon. Now I make cups. And other somewhat more useful things.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not at all smooth. It’s been a windy twisty road with a few potholes and u-turns and forks and all that. When I first went to college I didn’t think I had what it took to choose art as a degree and a career. I thought for sure I had to do something much more important and lucrative. So I was going to go with engineering. I liked math, and my dad got to work at NASA with astronauts so I thought that would be a pretty neat thing to do. But I kept drawing and painting and making things instead of doing homework, so then I thought graphic design would be smart. Then I got in those classes and realized I hated sitting still clicking around on a harshly lit computer 24/7. Somewhere in that sleepless period of time I heard about ceramics and people making pottery. I hadn’t even taken a class yet before I switched my major. And now that I’m here in the ceramics world I struggle with having to be present on Instagram, making a website, keeping people interested and wanting to buy my work, always and forever being cool and creative, making money (duh), and never really knowing what to do but doing it anyway.
Please tell us about Courtney Hassmann.
My main thing is functional ceramics. Mugs, bowls, vases, planters, etc. I also screen-print t-shirts, embroider hats, and whatever else I feel like doing because I can. I usually make things that I want for myself and then see if other people want it too.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Maybe made a savings account when I was like 5. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Contact Info:
- Website: courtneyhassmann.com
- Email: courtneyhassmann@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyhassmann/
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