At four a.m., the dawn was just starting to crest over the Penland hills. It was dark, and cold for late spring, and I was up doing the sunrise wood kiln shift (my favorite).

My definition of “useful” keeps evolving. I’ve long believed that a pot’s true usefulness lies in its ability to generate caring, to inspire a cook to greater effort, to offer comfort and company in a cup of tea, to cause someone to pause and take note of a particular moment on a particular day.

As a maker of functional ceramics, I often wonder if my practice is sustainable. Climate change has not only affected how I perceive my work, but it has also shifted the cultural values of many makers; many of us are now aware of our “footprint” and what impact our actions have on the environment.

From the beginning, I figured out a. I don’t want to pay for anything, and b. there’s so much waste everywhere. I feel bad opening up a new bag of Neph Sy or something that was shipped here from California, or wherever.

If it were not for the proverbial bull in a china shop, I would have nothing to collect or write about.

Four of Canada’s celebrated potters, Harlan House, Kirk Creed, Gordon Hutchens, and Wayne Ngan, have set admirable examples of how to build a sustainable life as a ceramic artist.

For a long time, the question of sustainability for me was largely a question of how to sustain myself as an artist. After securing the basics like food, water, and shelter, there was always the matter of how to secure the space, the time, and the means to maintain a studio practice.