MY NAME IS JONO SOMMER AND I LOVE TO MAKE THINGS. I'M IN A BAND, I LIKE TO COOK, AND I LIKE TO BUILD COOL STUFF. I STARTED MAKING POTTERY IN HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE I HAD A REALLY GREAT TEACHER WHO BELIEVED IN ME. I WON BEST IN SHOW MY FIRST YEAR, WHICH DEFINITELY WENT TO MY HEAD (SIGH...) BUT SUDDENLY I BELIEVED IN MYSELF TOO. I LEFT COLLEGE IN COVID AND LOOKED TO BE A POTTER'S APPRENTICE BECAUSE MY OTHER OPTIONS FELT STIFF. I KNOCKED ON A LOT OF OLD PEOPLE'S DOORS IN THAT TIME AND FOUND OUT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO JUST FIGURE IT OUT ON MY OWN - CHALLENGE ACCEPTED... SORT OF.
I STARTED BUILDING MY OWN EQUIPMENT AND TORE DOWN MY CHILDHOOD TREEHOUSE TO REBUILD ON THE GROUND AS MY NEW(ISH) STUDIO. I DUG A WOOD STOVE OUT OF MY BEST BUDDY'S WOODS AND, BAM, COMPLETE STUDIO. NOT REALLY, IT WAS SO MUCH HARDER THAN THAT BUT I WILL SPARE YOU. ANYWAY, I STARTED REALIZING THAT POTTERY IS WAY MORE AWESOME THAN MOST PEOPLE REALIZE. A NORMAL HUMAN BEING PROBABLY THINKS ABOUT POTTERY AS NOTHING MORE THAN A NOVEL MUG OR THEIR DINNER SET - VALID, BUT IT GETS BETTER. WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT POTTERY TAKES THE BEST PARTS OF ART AND THE MOST ROUTINE PARTS OF LIFE AND COMBINES THEM INTO ONE. YOU CAN CHOOSE TO EAT OFF OF A PIECE OF ART EVERY DAY. YOU CAN INTEGRATE A HEALTHY PACE, FIND THE GOOD IN SLOWNESS, INTENTIONALITY AND INCORPORATE A PERSONAL TOUCH INTO YOUR LIFE WITHOUT  HAVING TO MAKE EXTRA TIME. ITS A SUPERPOWER.
NOW, I TRY TO MAKE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO USE, MAYBE EVEN THINGS THAT INSPIRE MORE PEOPLE TO BECOME MAKERS THEMSELVES. I'M SET ON SHARING WHAT'S GOOD WITH MY PEOPLE. IF THAT SOUNDS LIKE YOU, THEN I'D LOVE TO MEET.