F: Your first solo exhibition BLUME recently came to a close, from concept to creation what was the most memorable part of the journey?

 

F: You shared on Instagram that your labour intensive works can take a toll on your physical body, how do you nurture your mind to ensure you stay well during the height of creatively stressful times?

NJ: I struggle with severe anxiety at times and I can tell when it's getting really bad when I start coping with avoidance rather than dealing with a problem immediately.  When I notice this happening I just have to summon the willpower to confront what I need to get done head on, and I find that taking walks, meditating, and starting with small tasks helps so much.  Also talking to a psychologist!

 

F: While working on Blume you dreamt up stories for each of your pieces to create their own mythology. If you could be a mythological being from another time and place who would you be and why?

NJ: I'd love to be some kind of all-knowing, all-seeing goddess of the universe like Gaia or something. Go big or go home right!?

 

F: When did you first fall in love with clay? Any mud pie memories from your childhood?

NJ: I have collected vintage and second-hand pottery for years, way before I started learning ceramics.  I still trawl through op-shop shelves in hopes of finding a hidden gem of a pot, and that's definitely what sparked my interest and desire to start taking classes three years ago.  It wasn't long after I started my weekly classes at our local pottery studio in West End, Clayschool, that I purchased my own wheel and started making pots every day.

 

F: What’s next – a continuation of protrusions or something different that perhaps intuitively needs exploration?

NJ: Yes, the protrusions are continuing but evolving somewhat, maybe in a more subtle and hopefully more intrinsic manner!