Meet Callie Cullum | Potter & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Callie Cullum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Callie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I never set out to become a business owner, I went to school, got my Fine Arts degrees and began working in traditional 9-5 full time roles. After several years of this I realized that this lifestyle wasn’t serving me. My mental health was suffering, my physical health was suffering, and I generally wasn’t happy. So I decided to make a change. My dad is a business owner and built a really successful business so I talked with him through what it would look like to become a business owner and what would it look like if I trusted my intuition and went all in. How could I make this sustainable while also ensuring my business would serve me as a person? I began small with freelancing graphic design clients and was able to successfully form client relationships. This snowballed into a successful freelance design business but I still had the urge to create something more tangible and use my hands. Pottery was always something I wanted to try out so I began taking classes at a local studio just for fun. After a year or two I began to get really good at it and started having people inquire about purchasing my pieces. Then the pandemic hit and the studio shut down. I also learned I was pregnant. This was when everything really shifted for me. I knew I was happy when I was creating pottery and I knew I wanted to be home with my daughter as much as possible. So I began building a simple pottery studio little by little in my garage. I began building an online presence too —a brand, a website, social media, email list, etc. From there, it really blossomed. I’ve moved from my first little dingy studio to a bigger and much nicer studio. I’m working in a way that is serving my mental and physical health and I’m able to be home with my 2 daughters. So I would say the thought process was really about serving myself: my mental health, my physical health and doing something that allowed me to be with my daughters and really do something that I truly love.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create handmade pottery inspired by nature. My work is mostly functional–dinnerware, mugs, plates, etc. My intention is to create joyful, nature inspired pieces that are not locked away in a cabinet, but used and loved daily. I aim for my pieces to bring joy to your day and serve as a reminder to be intentional and to focus on what truly brings you joy in your daily life. I’ve gotten to where I am with a lot of hard work, trial and error, and determination. And I’m still learning!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live on John’s Island and I absolutely adore the lowcountry. I would say you have to check out the Angel Oak tree because it is just stunning. You won’t go wrong with anything along the coast here. The beaches are my favorite. I love paddleboarding and surfing so hang out at Folly a lot.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate this Shoutout to my pottery teachers — without them I wouldn’t be where I am now, I have learned so much from their mentorship. I also want to mention my partner, AJ, because without his support and literal sweat helping me build and maintain my studio, I wouldn’t have it. Lastly, my daughters because they are who inspire me to live my most authentic self.

Website: https://www.sunnyceramics.me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunnyceramicsatl