Personal Narrative: Mystic Acres Kennels

My formative years were shaped by two mediums: my family’s kennel business and clay. As a young child, my parents founded Mystic Acres Kennels, a kennel that resides on our property and is run by my family. My earliest memories are playing at the desk in the kennel, waiting to greet dogs as they entered. To distract me when large dogs came in, my mom had a constant supply of playdough, a toy which provided endless entertainment. These two mediums, clay and my parents’ business, would flourish in my life to become the foundation of the person I am today.
Ceramics is a delicate process. After kneading the clay to ensure it has no air bubbles, it is shaped and molded into a piece of art. It is not until that clay is drying in a 400 degree kiln that you will know if your kneading at the beginning of the process was successful. If an air bubble was missed, the clay explodes in the kiln, sending ceramic shrapnel into all the other art around it.
As a beginner, my teacher handed me pre-worked clay and I would create ornaments using cookie cutters. The risk of a kiln massacre has been removed since my teacher worked the air bubbles out for me. She would then hand the kiln dried
While most of my tasks are again menial, I now spend a hundred hours on a single piece that eventually must be put into the kiln and tested by the fire. Owning a small business is no different. My family works hard to create a masterpiece, but ultimately, one small air bubble can blow it all up. We protect the ones we love from this truth, but ultimately maturity brings the reality of the kiln to the forefront. This is where my parents taught me the most important thing about clay, and maybe entrepreneurship in general. It is simple: put in the work and then be brave. This mantra is what gets our family through bad days at the kennel and the inevitable kiln massacres. I put in the work, and when its time, I put my clay into the