Juggling motherhood and creativity with ceramicist Ashley Morales
Embracing imperfection is one of Ashley's favourite things about pottery. The Australian mother-of-two shares how her journey started in the midst of the pandemic and how she juggles her creativity in her busy life.
As seen in Issue One, page 68 | Read the digital magazine
Hello, who are you?
My name is Ash Morales and I’m a potter living in Bendigo, Victoria, with my husband and two girls.
How did your love for ceramics start?
After attending a one-day workshop in 2019, I discovered my love for pottery. I quickly followed up with a six-week workshop. My teacher believed I had a natural talent for pottery and encouraged me to explore the art further.
In 2020, during the first Covid-19 lockdown, my teacher was unable to host classes due to restrictions so advertised her wheels for hire. I took the opportunity to hire a wheel and used my spare time to explore pottery further. I started an Instagram account and posted my work in progress. Interest grew quickly. I knew in my gut that this wasn’t temporary or something I just wanted to have as a hobby, so I purchased my own wheel and have since also purchased a kiln. I taught myself to build an online store which is where I exclusively sell my pieces.
Why do you love working with clay?
Pottery provides a welcome break from my busy mind. I am totally focussed on the clay beneath my hands and the techniques required to build my pieces.
I don’t love perfection. I prefer things that could be described as a ‘perfect mess’. To me, pottery hits the balance between being perfect and celebrating imperfections. Every bag of clay is slightly different and every firing presents ever- changing variations in colours and finishes.
When I’m not playing with clay, I’m playing with makeup – but rarely wear it myself! I have been a freelance makeup artist for over 10 years.
How do you juggle all of this?
Running two creative businesses is a tough juggle and I’m still learning how to find the balance. Being a freelance makeup artist requires me to be extremely flexible. My special event bookings are often months or years in advance, but commercial bookings often have just days
notice. I prioritise this work and fit in my pottery on the remaining days.
Some weeks that means I have no time for pottery and other weeks I have plenty. I then do emails and other admin at night. It is very important to me to look after my health and spend uninterrupted time with my girls. My advice to others is to believe in yourself and treat your art like a professional career. If you don’t take yourself seriously, who else will?
Don’t compare yourself to others and be kind to yourself – building any business can take time.
Has there ever been any doubt in this journey?
Self-doubt and imposter syndrome are a big part of my narrative. I’ve worked with a professional who has taught me methods on how to deal with these feelings. They are always there, but I’m getting better at parking them to the side and moving forward with my plans.
Despite my anxious feelings, I have always felt that becoming a professional potter was the right thing to do.
Bendigo, Australia
Photography: Christian Barkla
