Today we’d like to introduce you to Linnea Campbell.
Hi Linnea, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As long as I can remember I have loved making art and appreciating the beautiful details in the natural world around us. I was the little kid always trying to bring bugs into the house and wanting to know everything about them. I went to University of Cincinnati to study Fine Art in the DAAP program and focused on drawing and painting. During my sophomore year, I went through a rough patch and my mom signed us up for a wheel throwing class at Funke Fired Arts, now called Queen City Clay. I quickly fell in love with the physical process of forming the clay and started to transition my focus in school to ceramics as well. During my senior year, I went to a residency in China and learned about turning my own drawings into underglaze transfers to marry my love of drawing with my new love of pottery. I started selling my work at craft shows when I graduated in 2015 and had many different part-time jobs on the side, as the years went by, I was able to support myself more and more with my pottery working down to just one part-time job on the side. Two years ago, I was able to take my business full time and get to make a living creating pottery and illustrations that celebrate the beauty of the plants and animals around us and the large impact they have on our world.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Starting and running a small business has been so fulfilling and life-giving for me but it is also extremely challenging, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Wearing all of the hats and juggling all of the tasks of a business as one person takes a lot. There is so much pressure when everything relies on you to get it done. I have an amazing support system in my family and my mom and fiancé have been my first part-time hires that help with shipping and craft markets and I appreciate being able to share those tasks with them now. I think one of the biggest challenges has been balancing the burnout that comes with running a business. Each year that I have been doing this I have found ways to prioritize work-life balance, but I have also continued to grow each year adding more tasks to be juggled and making it more difficult to find or fit in the balance. And honestly, I am still just here figuring it out one day at a time.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a potter and illustrator. I create one-of-a-kind ceramic ware, using wheel throwing and hand-building methods. I hand draw illustrations of plants and animals that I decorate my pottery with as well as create fine art paper prints of. My drawings focus primarily on Midwestern plants and animals that we can find in our backyards or on nature walks. My goal is to draw attention to the beauty around us and remind us to appreciate and care for the creatures we share the earth with. One of the best compliments I get is when people see my illustrations of insects or what some might think of as pests or weeds and notice just how beautiful they are. Seeing people stop and appreciate their beauty and maybe in some cases recognize these creatures’ beauty for the first time fills me with so much hope!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The biggest lesson that I have learned and am continuing to learn is to befriend and trust myself. I have always struggled with self-confidence and starting a small business takes a lot of trust and big decision making. I am constantly learning ways to forgive myself for missteps and encourage myself to keep going. I focus on staying in an abundance mindset and learning to be gentle with myself.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@linnea-campbell.com
- Website: https://www.linnea-campbell.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/linneacampbellstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linneacampbellstudio
Image Credits
Lauren Meisberger
