Carly Slade grew up in “Big sky” Alberta, Canada. Carly’s work is influenced by her blue-collar roots and plagued by a concern for the precarious nature of the working class. Using a mix of materials (most often including clay, embroidery, and building supplies), Carly creates dioramas of real places in an unreal perspective. Carly received her MFA from San Jose State University and her BFA from the Alberta University of the Arts. Carly is currently an Assistant Professor and Area Head at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, in Arcata, CA, USA.

Yael Braha is a ceramic artist of North African descent who applies her formal studies in Graphic Design (BA) and Cinema (MFA) to ceramics. In 2021 Yael received the Multicultural Fellowship Award from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). Yael’s work has been exhibited in Museums and Art Galleries in the Usa and Japan, and is part of permanent collections in the Usa. Yael has been a Ceramic Artist in Residence in the United States (Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Starworks Ceramics) and in Japan.

Kate Marotz currently lives in Marshfield, WI where she shares a studio with her spouse. At UW-Stout Kate earned a BFA in Ceramics and BS in Art Education. Kate pinches pots combine sculptural qualities with functional objects and preserves the handbuilding process on the finished terra sigillata surfaces.

What happens when we approach our artistic development not as lightning-bolt inspiration but as intentional practice—exploring the minute details that fascinate us while carefully choosing which external voices we allow to influence our work? Throughout her 23-year career, Martha Grover has done just that, and the iconic look of her distinct thrown and altered porcelain vessels reveals how a pragmatic approach to the mystical journey of finding your creative voice can often be the most sustainable approach. In this episode, Martha shares the realities of being a studio potter in 2025 and how that actually looks like balancing her time between many different roles. Whether it be teaching workshops, running a community studio or maintaining her own making practice, Martha demonstrates how “success” for artists today often means deciding what is enough rather than giving in to constant growth. Even when you have a 101 person waitlist. Could the clarity to set these boundaries be what allows your unique artistic voice to thrive both creatively and financially?