Sudbury potter gains recognition in Vanity Fair

A health care worker in Sudbury, Ont. left that career three years ago to pursue her life’s passion; pottery.

Amanda Payette told CTV News she had never touched clay or tried pottery, but said she’s always been drawn to the arts.Amanda Payette at the wheel in her home pottery studio. (Amanda Hicks/CTV News Northern Ontario)“I was obsessed with watching YouTube and Instagram stories of people doing pottery and I just knew I wanted to do it. It’s as easy as that,” Payette said.

She said her husband encouraged her to follow her passions.

“I bought a wheel and a kiln and started practicing and the rest is history,” said Payette.

Payette said she took it upon herself to take online courses and watch YouTube videos; adding that as this was during the height of the pandemic, she didn’t have a lot of options.

“I was not good at first,” Payette said while laughing.

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She said she would practice every day and her husband would take care of their two children.

“I would just put the video in front of me and just practice and try and do exactly what they were doing and it took months for me to actually get good forms, but then it just clicked one day,” she said.

Payette’s business, White Loft Ceramics, began taking off when Crosscut Distillery invited her to a pop-up shop they were having.

“I saw lineups of people saying they loved my work on Instagram. That’s when I knew I could sell this for a living,” she said.

One day she received an email from Vogue House in London, but thought initially that it was a scam, she said. Again, her husband encouraged her to call them, and she eventually did.

“They said they came across my account organically, they loved my pieces and they wanted to have me in their magazine,” she said.

“From there, the World of Interiors and then Vanity Fair wanted me as well.”

Payette said since then, she gained a lot of followers from the United Kingdom and received numerous messages asking if she ships to the U.K.

While Loft Ceramics now ships to Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

She said her career-change allowed her to support her family during the pandemic. Her husband, who’s a gym owner, was home and not working due to restrictions.

“Now this is my full-time job,” she said.

“It’s been amazing.”

For those considering changing careers, Payette advises to have a plan.

“If you’re not happy in the job you’re doing. Maybe pursuing your passion is the way to go,” she said.

“I honestly believe if you go for what you love, it’ll show in your work.”