Meet Deidra Krois

Today we’d like to introduce you to Deidra Krois.

Deidra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a Mother, wife, potter, entrepreneur, environmental activist and adventurer loving life in the San Juan Mountains in southwest, Colorado. I grew up in central Pennsylvania, studied fine art at Colorado State University and graduated in 1997 with a BFA in fiber art. After graduation I moved to Telluride, Colorado where I worked at the local community arts organization managing their clay studio and teaching classes. Mostly a self-taught potter, my love of clay and my ceramic skills blossomed during my time in Telluride. I met my husband in Telluride and we moved to Ridgway, Colorado in 2002 to start a family, build our straw bale home and launch an electrical contracting business. My art was put on the back burner for ten years while I focused on being a stay at home Mom. When my three children were all attending school, I dusted off my pottery tools and began working at a local community clay studio in Ridgway with a focus on creating a new business. Interested in making a statement with my work I began throwing simple shapes and experimenting with ways to display inspirational words, quotes and poetry on my forms. Wishing Star Pottery was born in 2013 with the belief that a wishing star is the symbol of hope, dreams and aspirations. Everything that I infuse into my work and wished to share with the world. The theme “Everyday Inspiration” became the thread that stitches my work together. My ceramics display images and words that reflect the things I love: nature, travel, bikes, family, mindfulness, positivity and poetry. My vision is to make timeless pieces that motivate the user to be happy, be mindful, and be here now.

In 2017 I opened the Mountain Girl Gallery with three other local female artists to create a supportive environment where women can sell their art and feel empowered as business owners. The gallery is located in the heart of the Ridgway historic business district and it has been a great success in cooperative business management. Raising children, running an art business and maintaining a household all while balancing personal goals and adventuring is not easy, but the challenge is worth it.

A few recent accomplishments I am especially proud of are more about family than art, but each experience allows me to bring something new to my work. In 2017 my 14-year-old daughter and I spearheaded a plastic bag ban campaign in our town which resulted in a comprehensive single use plastic bag ban ordinance in 2018. In 2019 my 18-year-old daughter and I completed hiking the 500-mile Colorado Trail that stretches from Denver to Durango. Also, in 2019 my daughters and I founded Carry on Reusables. We sell zero waste kits made out of up-cycled materials filled with quality reusable products. We are on a mission to reduce single use plastic waste and to empower others to join in this effort. My husband and I summited Mount Kilimanjaro, 19,341′, in Tanzania in October 2019! I would be remiss if I did not mention that my 10 year old son teaches me to be a better person every day by reminding the joys of living in the now.
Family, adventure, art and making the world a better place are my inspirations and holding these values close I strive to inspire the world one pot and one zero waste kit at a time.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I try to be mindful to do what I can when I can. This helps me to focus on the things that I can control and not to worry too much about the things I cannot. I am generally happy with the trajectory of my business as it fits into my personal and family goals. Being self-employed and working in my home studio allows me the flexibility to make sure I am balancing work, family and play. Of course, daily challenges arrive, but I take it all in stride.

Tell us more about the business.
Wishing Star Pottery grew out of a simple mantra:
Make Art.
Live Simply.
Be Happy.Dream BIG.

I am a maker of inspirational art that speaks to me about place, adventure and love. I am a mostly self-taught potter who has fallen in love with clay through many serendipitous clay studio encounters. I have fostered my love affair with clay and words by creating a ceramic business that inspires the world one pot at a time. My work consists of functional and decorative ceramics that display hand stamped words, quotes, poetry, original decal illustrations, hand drawn designs and textures. My ceramics are both hands thrown on the potter’s wheel and hand built from slabs of clay. I treasure the feel of earth in my hands, molding and manipulating it into timeless pieces of art that are used, loved and cherished. I take time with each piece I make, honoring its uniqueness and ensure that it holds the authentic marks of a maker, not a manufacturer. My heart and passions are infused into my creations. The words I choose to include resonate with my soul and are meant to be a conversation with the user, between friends, family and lovers.

My ceramic forms are mostly functional. They serve a purpose: hold coffee, display flowers, serve appetizers. But I always wanted my work to be about more than function. I wanted them to create a moment in time each day when they are used or seen that provokes people to be more, do more and open their minds to appreciating poetry.

I am most proud of continuing to run my business with integrity and persistence. I choose to make things that I love and that bring me joy and hope that I find customers that connect with what I am creating. I am a one woman show. I am the maker, studio manager, web designer, shipper, customer service representative, marketing team, etc. Customers appreciate a human connection and I always want them to be happy with their purchase. Sure, sometimes things break during shipping, or I stamp a word with the wrong spelling, but I pride myself on making it right. I am just one woman trying to make people smile with my work. I do what I love. I love what I do.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
My life and work are full of good fortune. I live in the most beautiful place surrounded by wilderness, pure air and majestic mountains. My family is healthy and happy. I run three successful businesses that fill my heart with joy and have provided for my family to build a natural home, eat healthy, travel, adventure and enjoy many amazing opportunities set in our path. Definitely GOOD luck has been my guide so far.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.wishingstarpottery.com/
• Email: wishingstarpottery@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wishingstarpottery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wishingstarpottery

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