Check Out Monica Young’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Young.

Hi Monica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I believe creativity is one of life’s greatest gifts. Being a maker and horticulturist is in my blood. At a young age I was inspired watching my father and grandfather build, and create things people thought weren’t possible. I watched and learned as my mother handed down generations of horticulture experience and knowledge. Plants are what brought me down this path. An idea to make planters that were both beneficial for plants and also beautiful to look at. When I jumped into working with concrete then later with other cast stone mediums such as hempcrete, I knew I had met my match. I love the challenges it poses and its huge range of creative possibility. I love the industrial feeling of cast stone yet its look can be both chic and organic. Maybe that’s what I love the most; exploring the limits of the medium, pushing its boundaries, and seeing which custom mix, what hand tooling technique will bring out the best and most unique qualities in each piece. That is why each piece has its own personality and no two are exactly alike. I believe the beauty of our surroundings is essential to life. I strive to create unique, beautiful, sustainable, timeless objects for every person and every space.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I started this work when my children we babies with a vision that as they grow I will have some meaningful work for myself aside the work of being a mother. I had already thought of the name and a set of goals. Motherhood came first, but over the following years I was able to carve more and more time out for my business. I will be honest creating the boundaries around my time was difficult. I am much better at it today. When covid happened I had to switch up how I reached customers. Instead of being in stores and at markets, I moved online. That proved to be a good move, however as my products are changing and getting larger I would like to find some local shops where I can see my pieces doing well.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an artist who works in the medium of cast stone and hand building with concrete and hemp-crete. I make pots, sculpture, vessels, and furniture. I starting working with concrete and hemp-crete about 17 years ago, I went from getting concrete stuck in molds or having it gush out of them to now having refined my skills and mix design to the point that some of my concrete pieces are pencil thin. I love the challenges it poses and the huge range of creative possibilities. Maybe that’s what I love the most; exploring the limits of the medium, pushing its boundaries, and seeing which custom mix, what hand tooling technique will bring out the best and most unique qualities in each piece. When I discovered hemp-crete my world opened up in a new way. I can use it similarly to concrete however it is a sustainable eco friendly material that’s lighter than concrete and actually locks up carbon as cures. I realized it can be packed on to an armature or pressed into a mold. I think bringing awareness to hemp-crete is what I am most proud of, and the use of it in my pieces is what sets me apart from others, that and the unique style of my work.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
My willingness to keep coming back and trying again and again until I figure it out. My stubbornness not to give up when things fail. Once I have decided I am going to do something I see it through. My desire to create is always evolving, I love when a new idea comes to me and I can’t wait to see it through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://modpot.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modpot_/
• Other: https://modpotshop.etsy.com

Image Credits
Jenn Olsen