Daily Inspiration: Meet Ian Dawson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Dawson.

Hi Ian, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Ian Dawson, and my journey into art probably isn’t the way most people would expect an artist’s story to begin.

I didn’t start out thinking I was going to become a glass artist or that someday I’d be traveling to Murano, Italy, working around some of the best glassmakers in the world. My journey really started back in 2012, when I got into recovery and decided I needed to change my life. I found blacksmithing and metalwork, and that gave me something positive to put my energy into. I learned from people like Hans Rubel at the Toledo Museum of Art, and eventually that love for metal led me toward glass.

In 2022, after making some major changes in my life, I moved back to Bowling Green and discovered the glass program at Bowling Green State University. I started taking workshops, practicing constantly, and eventually began blowing glass at the Toledo Museum of Art. I wasn’t somebody who had spent years in an art school. A lot of what I learned came from practicing, failing, trying again, and finding people who were willing to teach me.

I still remember when I first started working with glass. I was still working as a dishwasher at a restaurant called the Garrison. I’d go into work and proudly show people what I was making and what I was learning. I wasn’t famous, and I wasn’t selling work all over the world. I was just excited because I had found something that I loved. Looking back now, I think that excitement was the beginning of something much bigger than I could have imagined.

And that’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve learned: you don’t have to be the best when you start. You just have to keep going.

Eventually, I started combining my glass with metal, and that became a big part of my work. Mentors like Jim Yarrito helped me learn how to look at metal differently and how to design the metal around the glass instead of trying to force the glass to fit the metal. One of my pieces, Samurai, even received a Glass Axis Award at the 2024 Ohio State Fair.

But probably one of the biggest turning points in my journey was going to Murano, Italy.

I first went there because I wanted to see how the masters worked. I wanted to watch, learn and hopefully pick up whatever I could. I ended up making connections with glass artists there, and what started as a trip to learn eventually turned into something much bigger.

In 2025, I was able to take another huge step in that journey. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to apprentice and continue learning in Murano, including assisting in the studio of Davide Salvadore. Italy has become a very special place to me — almost like a second home. I have many friends there that I call family.

I had work displayed in Italy during Venice Glass Week 2025, and I also had my work displayed in Trattoria Ai Vetrai in Murano and Trattoria Storica in Venice. For me, that’s pretty incredible when I think about where I started.

As I started going back and forth to Murano and Venice, I also began taking photography. I wanted to capture the places, people and details that had become such an important part of my life. Photography quickly became another creative outlet for me, and I was fortunate enough to win several awards for my photography. It gave me a different way to look at art and helped me pay closer attention to light, composition and the small details that can make an image meaningful.

As my journey continues into 2026, I hope to continue honing my skills as an artisan. With more time living and working in Murano, I want to keep building relationships with the people and the culture that have become such an important part of my life.

I’m returning to Murano in September, where I will have new artwork displayed during Venice Glass Week 2026 at Trattoria Ai Vetrai in Murano. During that visit, I will also be studying under Fabiano Armani — another incredible opportunity to continue learning from the masters of Murano glass. Getting to bring my work back to Venice and Murano isn’t something I take for granted. It’s something I’m extremely proud of.

But honestly, the artwork isn’t the only thing I’m proud of.

I’m proud of being in recovery. I’ve been sober for 14 years. Recovery completely changed the direction of my life. It taught me that when things get hard, you don’t quit. You get back up and try again.

That’s actually a lot like working with glass and other mediums. It can be frustrating. You can spend hours making something and mess it up in a few seconds. But you learn from it, you start over, and you try again. Recovery taught me that same lesson.

One of the things that means the most to me is helping other people. I’ve learned that helping somebody else can be just as important as anything you accomplish for yourself. That’s why I try to use my art for more than just making things. I’ve donated artwork and portions of proceeds to charities and benefits, including causes connected to recovery, autism, drinking-and-driving crash victims, and military veterans. I’ve even created pieces specifically to raise money for those causes.

I never really got into art just because I wanted to make money. I started making things because I wanted to make something beautiful — something that would make somebody smile. If I can make a piece of glass that makes somebody happy, and at the same time use what I’ve learned to help somebody else, then that’s a pretty good life to me.

Today, I work with glass, metal, wood, resin and other materials, and I’m still learning. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning. There are always new techniques, new people to meet, new places to go and new things I want to create.

I’ve gone from being a guy in Ohio who was trying to figure out what he was going to do with his life, to having my artwork displayed in Venice and Murano, winning awards for glass, photography and furniture, and learning from people who have spent generations working with glass.

And I think the biggest thing my journey has taught me is that your past doesn’t have to determine your future. You can start over. You can find something you’re passionate about. You can help other people along the way. You can accomplish things you never thought were possible.

I’m proud of how far I’ve come, I’m grateful for the people who helped me get here, and I’m excited about where the journey takes me next.

Because as far as I’m concerned, I’m just getting started.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Before I became an artist, my life was far from easy. I grew up experiencing loss at a young age, including losing friends I had known since childhood. As I got older, I lost even more friends to drinking, drugs, and the choices that come with addiction. Those losses stayed with me and shaped the way I looked at life. I also survived a drinking-and-driving crash, and even though I was physically able to move forward, the mental and emotional impact of that experience stayed with me for years. Carrying those memories while growing up wasn’t always easy, and there were times when I didn’t really know how to deal with everything I had seen and experienced.

I also found myself in a toxic relationship that took an emotional toll on me and made an already difficult part of my life even harder. It took time to understand that I deserved better and that I couldn’t change someone else or continue losing myself just to keep a relationship together.

Looking back, those experiences taught me some painful but important lessons about life, loss, addiction, relationships, and resilience. Eventually, I found art and glassblowing, and it gave me somewhere to put all of those emotions. Creating became more than just making art—it became a way for me to heal, grow, and turn some of the hardest parts of my life into something positive. The things I’ve survived will always be part of my story, but they don’t define the person I am today. They became part of the reason I want to help other people, inspire them, and show that no matter where you’ve been, you can still build something meaningful with your life.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think what I’m probably best known for with my art is combining glass and metal and creating sculptures that actually have a meaning behind them. I don’t just want to make something that looks cool. I want people to look at it and feel something or maybe see a little bit of themselves in it. A lot of my work comes from my own experiences and the things I’ve been through.

The two pieces I’m probably most proud of are my Phoenix sculpture and Harmony. The Phoenix is really personal to me. To me, a phoenix is about being able to rise from the ashes, start over, and become something better. That idea means a lot to me because of my own journey and everything I’ve had to overcome. I’m proud of that piece because hopefully somebody can look at it and think, “If he can get through what he’s been through, maybe I can get through what I’m going through too.”

Harmony is another piece that means a lot to me because it’s about peace, balance, hope, and bringing people together. I wanted to make something positive—something that people could look at and just feel good about. Having my work out there where people in my community can actually see it is something I’m really proud of.

At the end of the day, I think the thing I’m most proud of isn’t just the sculptures themselves. It’s what they represent. I’ve been through some hard times, and I’ve been given another chance to do something positive with my life. If my art can inspire somebody, make somebody smile, or give somebody a little hope, then I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Real power isn’t about being loud, controlling everything, or proving yourself to other people. Real power is found in how you carry yourself through life.
The strongest people know how to be gentle. The smartest people don’t always feel the need to speak. Being brave doesn’t mean you’re never afraid—it means you can stay calm when things get difficult.
I’ve learned that happiness doesn’t always have to be put on display. Sometimes the best things in life are meant to be private. Real confidence doesn’t need constant attention or validation from everyone else.
I’d rather have peace than live in a world of fantasy and expectations. I’d rather be kind and expect nothing in return than let other people’s actions change who I am.
And patience is important because some things can’t be rushed. The things that truly matter take time, effort, and trust in the process.
At the end of the day, real power doesn’t need to prove itself. It speaks through your actions, your peace, your patience, and the way you treat others.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artisticcreationsbyian/. [1] (https://www.instagram.com/artisticcreationsbyian/)
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artisticmetalworks/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@iandawson77