Taylor Christian: The Five Question Interview

July 12, 2022July 13, 2022Leave a comment

Taylor Christian is owner and creator at Log Ceramics in Elgin, Texas. She fires her funky + functional ceramics with 100% renewable energy.

She started doing ceramics during the pandemic and have a full workshop in my garage here in Elgin. Her work includes a mix of wheel thrown and slip cast goods using vintage molds, with the occasional extra weird item. Lots of planters and fun plant accessories too.

1. Why did you move to Elgin?

I had a few friends who moved out to Elgin and I fell in love with the small town vibe when I would come to visit. I grew up in a similar small town about 20 minutes from Dallas, and after 15 years living in Austin, Elgin felt nostalgic in the best way. Since moving I feel so lucky to have found a great group of friends and creative community. I really love it here.

2. What compels you to spend time creating?

I have always had a creative side since I was a kid always making things. I started college as a photography major but changed to geography and geology and really fell in love with physical science. I work as a water data scientist in my day job, which can be fast paced and highly analytical. So at the end of the day to only focus on what I am doing in that moment is meditative. I took a ceramics class at Austin Community College and just fell in love and kind of abandoned all my other crafts from that point on. I love how I am able to use my knowledge of minerals and geology to help inform the clay bodies I use. How utterly messy ceramics is. How there is always more to learn.

3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.

Wow in the last 5 years I have learned so much—but I want to specifically focus on what ceramics has taught me:

1. Let it go. This applies to ceramics and life. There are a million missteps you can make and ruin what you have been working on, and a million missteps you can make in life. Let it go, learn from it and move on.

2. Be patient. let the kiln cool, the best things come to those who are patient. I am mostly reminding myself this one, I have never once waiting for a kiln to fully cool.

3. Put yourself out there! Starting to do markets and show people my work was scary, but I have grown so much, found so much support, made so many friends and only been inspired more. Only good things come from trying new things.

4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?

I just finished reading tiny beautiful things by Cheryl Strayed- I laughed and cried at almost every story. Cant recommend it more. The songs of thsummer for me right now are Byoncé you can’t break my soul…..trying to be patient waiting for the new album.

5. Cake or Pie?

Cake, unless its chocolate then I want both.

Links:

Instagram @log.ceramics
Etsy Log Ceramics

Let’s Keep in Touch!

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Tessa McDonald: The Five Question Interview

May 4, 2022May 4, 2022Leave a comment

Tessa McDonald hails from the great state of Alaska. After serving in the U.S. Army she relocated to Texas. She owns and lives on Green Woman Farm amid an edible forest she is cultivating with her husband. With the aid of their sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, guineas, and turkeys they are regenerating the land without pesticides. Tessa’s interest in studying best practices in harvesting and preserving herbs led her to create hand rolled Incense, blended herbal teas, herbal extracts, and dried herbs grown on the farm.

1. Why did you move to Elgin?

I found my love for gardening quickly outgrew my backyard and wanted to start a farm with an lots of animals and an edible forest. I fell in love with Elgin’s downtown and how close knit everyone was like back home. After we settled, we quickly noticed we made the right choice with our community and don’t plan on ever leaving.

2. What compels you to spend time creating?

The need to discover is what got me on my journey of gardening, herbal remedies, & tea brewing. Many people don’t know how much one herb can help with so many problems, so I started to explore this and the many methods of preservation. I wanted to be able to take a small seed, and make that plant into natural cleaning supplies, dried herbs, soaps, extracts, anything my imagination could make. I take time to study, fertilize, and grow my plants. I put them to good use, and surprise myself a lot with the things I make and what can survive here.

3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.

I think my biggest lesson is learning when to stop. Farming is a nonstop job, but the need to slow down and rest is also just as important.

My second thing would be stuff doesn’t happen on my time. Mother nature will send us winter storms, spring hail, and sometimes drought and we have to move with it, not against it.

My third would be to let go, sometimes a plant or project cant be saved and you just need to yeet it & start from scratch and that’s just the circle of life.

4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?

So my current thing to do is binge watch tv at night while I roll incense. I just watched Ink Master and I’ve moved on to watching Greys Anatomy. I’m harvesting my collection of culinary and medicinal herbs to dry out and putting them to use in incense, oils, vinegars, teas, & extracts. As for music, I constantly have some blasting on the farm while I work, so mostly Electronic Dance music so my goats get a mini rave. My current favorite songs are My Best Life by KSHMR and Legacy by the Sidh. As for what I’m nose deep in reading, I got this new book the Lost Book of Herbal Remedies that’s inspiring me to expand the herb garden once again.

5. Cake or Pie?

Pie… and I know this won’t win me southern points but I love pumpkin.

Learn more about Tessa and Green Woman Farm…

Instagram @greenwomanfarm20

Website greenwomanfarm

Let’s Keep in Touch!

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The Five Question Interview: Rev. Amy Meyer

December 1, 2021Leave a comment

The Rev. Amy Meyer has been with 1st Presbyterian Church in Elgin since 2010. Pastor Amy holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and is an ordained minister in Mission Presbytery and has used her training in both church settings and as a chaplain for Hospice Austin. Before her seminary training, Pastor Amy held positions as a youth director for the Presbyterian Church of Lake Travis and as a graphic designer for a division of Trader Publishing.

She lives in Elgin with her husband, Chris and their two children.

1. Why did you move to Elgin?

I moved to Elgin from Austin after I was selected to be the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. I stay here because I fell in love with the church and the Elgin community!

2. What compels you to spend time creating?

One of the things I love most about being a pastor is having the space to create. Whether it’s a worship service, a special class, or even a short devotional, I have the opportunity to share my creations with the people I love on a weekly basis. I usually find that the most meaningful creations contain an infusion of the holy while still being grounded in the world. I have also discovered that ‘creating’ is ‘meaning-making,’ and it allows me to explore ancient wisdom as I grapple with difficult questions.

3. Tell me three things you’ve learned in the past five years.

1) If you have a voice at the table, use it to call institutions and individuals to the common good. Always remember to be the moral voice for the powerless.

2) Gratitude and forgiveness have a unique way of opening up a path for hope.

3) When the animal shelter tells you she’s a black lab, she’s probably a pit bull. But you will love her anyway.

4. What are you currently making, reading, watching, or listening to?

I’m reading “Texas Tough: The Rise of America’s Prison Empire.” It’s both disturbing and informative. I’d recommend it, though I’d also warn any interested readers that it’s not for the faint of heart.

5. Cake or Pie?

Either one as long as it’s vegan. In fact, if you’re interested in some great theological conversation along with some homemade Chocolate Tofu Pie, I’m your gal!

You can listen to her podcast Passing the Peace here or wherever you listen to your podcasts. And of course you can find her at 1st Presbyterian Elgin

Pastor Amy will be at the Holiday Luna Market with Beer & Hymns where they will be accepting donations for Advocacy Outreach.