Meet Michelle Sakai-Hart | Ceramics Arist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Sakai-Hart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up in Aptos, California, a small coastal town in Santa Cruz County. Being close by the ocean has definitely influenced my lifestyle personally and as an artist. I get a lot of inspiration for my glaze combinations and designs from memories playing at the beach with my family and trips to Hawaii to visit our close family friends. Growing up in a small town also meant that life in general was sometimes a little slower. When I wasn’t playing sports, I was trying out as many craft projects as I could at home with my mom and sister. I took very few art lessons growing up and in many ways, I think I have benefited from this because I am willing to try whatever pops into my head versus overthinking whether what I am creating is the “right way” to do art and ceramics. I feel very fortunate to have been supported in exploring my creativity from a very young age.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have a very non-traditional background in the arts. I didn’t take my first pottery class until 2019. I was actually working full time as a science teacher while going to graduate school to get my Masters in Education so becoming a potter was not in the original game plan. Long story short, I became enamored with pottery and found myself being offered a position to teach ceramics. I took a leap of faith and worked very hard to get to where I am today professionally. It was not easy, especially once the pandemic hit. I took a lot of different jobs teaching pottery and working as a studio technician, learning on the job and realizing how physically demanding working in a pottery studio can be. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way is to always try new things. If you don’t put yourself out there and give an opportunity a chance, you’ll never know if you like it or not! Learning what you dislike is just as important, if not more important than knowing what you like, especially in a career. This also sets me apart as an artist and business owner. I’ve tried a lot of different jobs which have allowed me to connect with a lot of different people, something that has been and continues to be important to me. These experiences and opportunities have helped me in my art and business because I have a lot of knowledge and skills from a variety of jobs that I can pull from. My story also inspires others to try new things and is an example that you don’t always have to have a formal background or skill set to get a job in a field that interests you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ooh, there is so much to see and do in LA! First on the list would definitely be an all day beach day. We would get up early to pick up some sandwiches at Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica and take them to my favorite beach in Ocean Park to boogie board or up the coast to a beach in Malibu. We would spend an afternoon or evening on Sawtelle, exploring all of the historic nurseries like Hashimoto Nursery, eating yummy Japanese food (my favorite is Marugame Udon), and shopping at Giant Robot Store. The rest of our trip would be spent exploring museums and visiting different areas of the city based on the restaurants and foods we wanted to try. Some of my favorites are Night + Market Sahm, Father’s Office, Kazunori, Alibi Room, Felix, and Bestia. There are so many fun neighborhoods to walk around in LA and that to me makes it an interesting and exciting place to explore.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my mom, Julie. Without her love and knowledge of crafts, I wouldn’t have even dreamt of having my own creative business. She taught me all of my foundational skills in arts and crafts and has always encouraged me to make and crafts just for the fun of it. Although I am sure she would never admit it, she is also incredibly talented, particularly in sewing and quilting, and her eye for detail and perfection has most definitely rubbed off on me. She continues to support me and always makes an effort to come to my events.

Website: www.sakaihart.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sakaihartsandcrafts

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sakaihartsandcrafts

Image Credits
Photo Credit (only for two images where I am making pottery): Andy Putnam