Serenity in Ceramics
Growing up, Clay Wood found peace in ceramic art. Today, Wood owns Clay on First, a full-service ceramics studio in Long Beach. Wood shares how ceramic art has helped him, why he started his business, what it was like starting a business during a recession, and his plans for the future.
Photo courtesy of Clay Wood.
When did you first start working with clay?
The first time I ever touched clay I was 12 years old. My sixth-grade teacher brought her own personal pottery wheel and we all got to take turns. I probably sat on the wheel for an hour that entire year, but I really got into ceramics when I was 14. I was a troubled youth and I got sent to a therapeutic boarding school in the middle of nowhere. It was a really intensive therapeutic experience. There was a lot of group therapy and individual therapy, but they also had a great ceramics program for the kids. So, when I wasn’t in school or doing therapy, I spent the majority of my time there in the ceramic studio.
How did your time at the therapeutic boarding school influence you to study psychology?
That program shaped my youth and my life. I really appreciate the skills that I learned there and everything I got out of that program. My whole life was kind of built around that experience, psychology and ceramics.
What are some psychological benefits you’ve experienced through working with clay?
For me working with clay and making pottery is the purest form of self-expression. I feel very grounded and connected with all the elements, and in that moment everything else around me goes away. I see that with a lot of people and in a lot of the kids who struggle with their mental health or home life, they’re drawn to art. There’s a lot of peace in ceramics. There’s a natural connection between psychology and art.
Does clay help you connect with your inner child?
Absolutely! Children are just really simplified humans. They do all the things that we need. They eat, sleep, play, express their emotions, and then do it all again the next day. Those are the same things that adults need. I look at my son, he’s one-year old and he’s playing with his toys, fiddling with them, completely at peace. That’s what working with clay is to me, I feel completely at peace just fiddling with the clay and these tools. It’s like a one-year-old playing, you’re just focused on this task and the moment.
Photo courtesy of Clay Wood.
What led you to the shift from psychology to entrepreneurship?
I graduated from college, but I struggled with school and I just didn't want to go to graduate school. I couldn’t handle it, I barely made it through to graduate. I studied psychology in college because I wanted to help people, but with an undergraduate degree in psychology I did not feel that there was a career for me to help people without going to graduate school. There also aren’t a lot of careers for people who only have an undergraduate degree in psychology. I ended up working a random job while I tried to figure out what to do with my life. I had a professional career managing high-rise condominium buildings for three to five years and I was pretty miserable doing that;, it’s very political and stressful. Ceramics was always my passion, so I decided to take off my suit and pursue my passion, which, in a different way, allows me to help people by providing a space for people to have community.
What are some challenges you faced while keeping Clay on First running?
Pottery is not very lucrative and we started a business in 2009, when there was a great recession. We struggled a lot, and I struggled a lot. At the time, I was a functional, but raging, alcoholic, and the business was not profitable for many years. About three or four years into the business I got sober. I’ve been sober for about 10 years now. It was a big challenge, but it was very helpful in running a profitable business. Generally, it’s very hard to make a living making ceramics, so you have to be very creative and we’ve always had to pivot. When Groupon was popular in 2012, it basically paid our bills for two or three years. We even started doing some other stuff, like factory-style production which floated us for some time. Around 2016, suddenly pottery became very popular and that gave us this boom in business, which was very nice and welcome, but I don’t know how long that will last. Then, the pandemic happened and we had to close our doors, but we offered firings and did contactless pickups. It’s not the kind of business where you start it and money just starts rolling in. We constantly had to hustle to make a profit.
Photo courtesy of Clay Wood.
What was it like introducing a business idea in the midst of a recession?
I thought I would get a ton of investors, but I got no one. I had no track record, no one was interested, and no one had any money. We had $35,000, half of which I saved up from my job and the other half my parents had loaned to me. Looking back, it’s unbelievable I started a business with only $35,000. In a way, the recession helped me do that because during the permit process and the architectural submissions the city was more willing to be lenient and flexible since they wanted to promote business. When it came time to run the business though, customers were scarce and so was my income, so it was a double-edge sword.
What would you tell yourself 15 years ago?
Go for it. Take a shot. I was very scared to start my business and I waited probably longer than I should have. I should’ve just gone for it.
Did you have any other help running your business?
I’ve had a lot of help, mostly from family. My parents were very supportive financially. In the beginning my sister was out of work because of the recession, so she would help me a lot. My nephew also helped me run the business for the first five years in exchange for food and housing, which was great. My wife helps a tremendous amount now, she might even do more work than me. I am very thankful for the support of my family, friends and the community. Community support is the only reason any businesses are in existence. The community has been very supportive, generous and helpful.
What impact do you hope your business will have on the community?
A few years ago I started offering these donation-based classes for kids which we do a couple times a week, and that is very important to me. As I get older, I’m getting to the point where I don’t have what I want but I have what I need. So, I’d like to try to give back more and these classes for kids are the first step. I was hoping to get a nonprofit organization going to bring more art to more underserved communities, more ceramic specifically. We offer those free classes at Clay On First, but it doesn’t reach everyone. It still only reaches kids who can get to us and there are a lot of kids who can’t get to us. So, there’s a lot of art outreach I’d still like to do within the community.
Photo courtesy of Clay Wood.
How has your initial mission for Clay on First evolved?
My initial mission has totally shifted from when I first started. I was 26 years old trying to make a living. My intention was purely based on making enough money and having a successful business. Now, my intention is more holistic and community-oriented. I’m thinking about how I can better the future and my family. I’m thinking of my child and other children, and the future of the world. I think that comes with aging and maturing.
Where do you see your business in the future?
We are a totally different business today than when we first started. The most important thing that I’ve done as a business owner is be willing to shapeshift and evolve. Now, I need to serve the community. Whatever the community needs is what I need to provide. We’ll try to continue to serve the community the best we can. One of my personal goals is to bring ceramics to children. We’d also like to expand and have a larger studio, but there’s a lot of economic turmoil in this country and around the world, so we’ll see if that is feasible and what the future holds.