Potter In The Wild: Laykyn Bowman

I have the tendency to mistake others amazing-ness as my lack of amazing-ness. But what I’ve realized is that I can admire others as their own incredible beings and understand that I have my own qualities that are amazing and beautiful.

Lakyn Bowman is a full-time studio potter living and working in Jackson, TN. Her work emanates the colors and patterns of the 1960’s and 70’s, showing there is still beauty in mundane utility.

She received her BFA in ceramics from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2018 and her work is shown in galleries as well as invitational and juried exhibitions throughout the country. Lakyn has taught numerous online and in-person workshops, has been featured in and on the cover of Ceramics Monthly Magazine, and has been awarded Emerging Artist 2022. Lakyn fully operates and owns a hybrid vintage shop and pottery studio named The Nine Oh Six.

“I am captivated by finding new life and value through the connection of vintage and handmade pottery. I am enthralled with this era’s home design, outrageous fashion, and exciting color palettes.

I wonder how many conversations a particular chair or a kitchen table has been a part of? I want my work to be someone’s favorite morning coffee cup and be at the center of many conversations.

With vintage items, the original surfaces are worn away by decades of use, routines, and mundane utility while still maintaining their beauty. My ceramic surfaces illustrate this inspiration through a combination of layering vintage botanical designs, colored slip, underglaze, and applied texture.

When I first discovered the word “sonder,” it summarized the encompassing mindset I have towards life and making art and is now prevalent within my conceptual approach. It is the realization that each passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as one’s own. While the word is about a person’s story, my work is about the physical object’s existence in a person’s life. I wonder how many conversations a particular chair or a kitchen table has been a part of? I want my work to be someone’s favorite morning coffee cup and be at the center of many conversations.”

What emotion most often inspires your work? The excitement of connection inspires my work the most, which I continue to long and search for in the events I plan for The Nine Oh Six, vintage furniture I source, young entrepreneurs that I mentor, and the pottery I make. I connect with so many individuals when I’m sourcing, like buying a couch from the daughter who just lost her mom. I love hearing stories from the family members talking about the history of the couch. There are memories, relationships, and families behind all the stuff. How many conversations has this couch been a part of? I wonder what memories and stories are going to be shared around one of my dinner plates.

I love giving the couch a second chance at life while creating a brand-new life for the pots I make. Being a potter is such a small part of who I am. I cherish those ‘outside of ceramics’ experiences that make my work mine. One would not exist without the other. Clay starts as basically nothing. You have to make it into something so a connection can be created. At the end of the day, it’s not even really about clay. It’s the experiences that make clay exciting.

I think our pots are an extension of ourselves and a collection of everything that makes us, us. Collectors and other artists who buy my work get to spend a little moment with me when they choose my mug for their morning coffee. How exciting that we get to deeply connect with artists and their work over something that started as a ball of dirt.

Tell us about some of your personal goals: Differentiating between personal goals and work goals has been a challenge that I’m currently unpacking. The line is blurred when my business is structured around only doing things that I really love and enjoy. If you were to ask me what I want to do on my day off, most of the time it’s scheming up the next idea, thrifting, or making pots.

It’s unfortunate that some people are so unhappy with their jobs that it inhibits them from fully enjoying their life; however, I feel incredibly grateful that my job is a direct extension of who I am, and that doing what I love also pays the bills. I’ve stopped trying to spot the difference of who I am separate from my work. A few recent developments I might consider personal goals is expanding our garden for the next season. This summer I have found a lot of enjoyment being outside tending to our garden, cooking meals with the fresh food we grow, and making bouquets from the zinnias in our backyard.

I am always pursuing a deeper, general understanding of self. I’ve recognized that being outside has given me a closer look into what I can enjoy that is independent of The Nine Oh Six’s goals or making pots. But who knows, how fun would it be if I bought a vintage Volkswagen van to sell wildflowers in handmade vases?

Favorite Quote:

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

What holds you back? When I first started questioning the possibility of owning my own business, I would always tell myself that failure is not an option. Although I learned so much from my previous job experiences, I was desperate to get out of working for someone else. When I first made the transition from my day job into full-time artist and entrepreneur, someone once told me, “I know the floor feels like it just fell from underneath you, but so did the ceiling.” This statement is so empowering. The only thing that holds me back is what I can’t imagine. I can dream and scheme all day and know that whatever I set my mind on I will make happen as the possibilities of achieving are endless. Of course, money, location, etc. can be legitimate setbacks, but I find ways to make the business work with the resources I’ve got. Maybe there are some levels of delusion in this life, but if something is holding me back, I’m going to find a way around it.

What are your limiting beliefs? “I’ll never be able to do it like them” “I’m not as good as they are.” “I want what they have.” Comparison is the thief of joy. I have a reseller friend who owns a vintage shop just 45 minutes from my town. She has been someone I’ve looked up to especially when I was starting my business. She is so talented, kind, and creative. I joke and wish to be just like her when I grow up. Sometimes I catch myself feeling jealous watching people live their lives full of success and authenticity and compare it to my own. I have the tendency to mistake others amazing-ness as my lack of amazing-ness. But what I’ve realized is that I can admire others as their own incredible beings and understand that I have my own qualities that are amazing and beautiful. I can look to others as an expansion to what I can personally achieve. When I catch myself comparing, I realize that I want to have the same full experience that I witness them having. The thing is, I actually am experiencing my version of a fulfilling life. I’m running my own vintage shop, making art I love, a thriving vegetable garden for meals I get to cook, and a partner who is such a match you’d think I made him up. Not that it always matters how others view my life, but I do realize I am in a position where people look to me like I look at my friends in business. I hope that my authenticity inspires others to want to live their best lives and do what makes them feel happy, fulfilled, and capable with no limitations.

Do you have a recipe to share?

Zucchini and Squash Lemon Pasta

Something that shook me to my core is the recent discovery that I’m gluten free. You know how hard is it to grow up eating handmade pasta and now all of a sudden, you’re gluten free? I haven’t mastered the handmade gluten free pasta just yet, but the box noodles will do just fine. If you’re one of the lucky ones that can eat gluten, please make this recipe with handmade noodles. Trust me, it’s just better that way. It’s zucchini and squash season here so it’s the perfect summer dish with the abundance of squash we’ve got growing. The vegetables and herbs used in this recipe are grown straight from our garden.

We took a cooking class when my family visited Italy back in 2014. We learned how to make handmade pasta from scratch, and that lemon is the key to success for this simple recipe. My great grandma on my dad’s side is 100% Italian. Which makes me only 1/8 Italian, but I still like to claim it. We grew up eating pizzelles and making cappellettis from scratch. Now that’s a family recipe that I can’t share, but this recipebelow comes from Italy herself. The next best thing.