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Thank you for taking the time to talk about creativity, and your wanting to try pottery. What do you feel like is the current context for you about it?
It’s been there — a desire to do pottery, but I hadn’t had an urgent need yet, and now I do.
My day-to-day is really in the business of humans. The work that I do, and the collaborations that I engage in are around amplifying voice for those who are under-represented and under-resourced. With that comes a lot of work and dedication, it’s very emotionally taxing work.
I know for my own benefit, to be able to be my best self and continue what I’m doing at the same time, then I have to prioritize caring for myself too. Thinking about creativity and my goal around finding a way to ground myself and explore my own gift — it’s all a big part of the context for me right now.
We also have a busy and thriving family life. My husband, Marquet, is concerned about making sure that I take care of myself too. I need to model what I’m asking others to do in my work every day, and absolutely model it for my children — Emery who is 14, and Maverick who is almost 18 months old.
What was your relationship with the creative arts like during childhood?
Wow. I always had a connection with creativity, even if I didn’t see myself as “A Creative.”
I was born in New York, and raised in Brooklyn before my family moved to New Haven in 1989.
As a child, I remember elementary school — and having the experience of having a band, a music teacher, and music class. We would learn songs, sing and perform them. It was a very comfortable space. It was always fun to go to music, because we would always be able to sing songs. We would learn Michael Jackson songs, and the Black National Anthem, it was always very memorable.
My best friend Kia of 35+ years, we were in first grade together, and we still talk about those stories of when we would sing. It’s that memorable and powerful to feel represented in the arts, even at that age.
I also remember my second-grade teacher, Miss Martin, she was very fashionista — she always gave us things to do with our hands. She was our main teacher for everything, so she wasn’t a separate ‘art teacher’ or ‘music teacher.’ You could always do something fun, create something, in her classroom. Crayons or markers and paper, you could always grab them off the desk in between your work or when you were done toward the end of the day. There was always something there for you to be creative with.
I love that. I want my current day to be like that too.
I know! [laughing] We were at Barnard Elementary School in New Haven. The whole time, first through fourth grade, we would have assemblies. People would play instruments, and everyone was included, everyone would sing, do poem readings — we were all a part of the performance. It wasn’t for Black History Month, or Veteran’s Day; we always had events and family engagement. Award ceremonies, end of the year, spelling bee, those types of things. I remember that so, so clearly.
Music wasn’t separate; it wasn’t like today, where you go to band, or go to choir. It was all-encompassing music program back then, and we all participated in all the parts. It was so cool.
I wish that for every young person everywhere.
Me too. Those are my earliest memories. There was always some opportunity to learn and express — even though I didn’t know at the time that’s what those things were doing. Those were some of the best classes.
Did the creative arts continue for you in middle school?
When I got to middle school — Troup Magnet Academy of Sciences — for fifth grade, we had home economics class for sewing and cooking, and woodworking. They were separate classrooms, but it wasn’t gendered, the whole class went to both. There were some music classes, but it was more low key. By sixth or seventh grade, it was more of an elective thing.
My other huge relationship with being creative was fashion — what I wanted to wear, how I wanted to dress. Style was very connected to expression for me; I always wanted to have my own style growing up. I had a passion for shoes very early. So for me, creativity was definitely attached to expressing myself through what I wore.
Did you ever create fashion?
I did, when I was a teenager and in my early twenties. I would cut up stuff, and put it together, and clip things on. I was never like, “I’m going to sew this, and create it.” I did know how to sew, but it was never that deep. [laughing]
When I was really young, my grandmother would sew my aunt’s and uncle’s clothing, and some of my clothing. I was three when she passed away. And my mom would sew things for Easter, so I learned a lot about the love and attention that could go into sewing your own clothing or clothing for your children or your family.
I used to help my mom sometimes make a whole fabric pattern of paper, and you pin it to the fabric, and go to Joanne Fabric in Hamden — I remember that from a young age. But I never took up sewing. I know how to throw up a stitch of something if it gets a hole in it, but something with a whole pattern? No. I was more of an assistant — I never took it up on my own. For me it was more about mixing things and matching, putting together things that wouldn’t be so common, that kind of thing.
That was the extent of my hands-on, fashion creativity. And I think just making the connection for me of — I wake up in the morning and how I’m feeling guides how I dress. That’s the expressive part of it for me. And how I control my creativity through fashion.
How did creativity evolve for you in high school?
The other creative expression I can remember having a relationship with was writing, language arts. Language was always enjoyable for me. I loved spelling bee, writing essays, making stories, things like that, I always enjoyed it and had a good time. But I never took it very seriously.
When I got to high school, I was getting feedback around it — some of the teachers would point it out to me, asking about stories I would write. It started to make me think, ‘ok I do have some writing skills, there’s something noticeable here.’ I never looked at it as, “I’m a creative writer.” I don’t think I got that inspiration or direct encouragement about it.
You mentioned that middle school was at a science academy; were you still in the sciences in high school?
Yes — hard science, social science. Hearing stories, capturing stories, being a part of someone’s story, I think is how I landed in the human services field and decided to make that my focus. It was about people and how do you connect with people.
I see a lot of creativity in my work, in terms of how I relate to people, how they relate to me, always looking for a different approach based on the person that’s in front of me and what they need — in my work and in my relationships that I’ve built.
Is cooking a creative art for you?
I’m the chef in the house, I cook for my family. I cook out of necessity most of the time, but I also enjoy it. It’s very calming and peaceful using my hands, and bringing something that’s gonna keep my family going. When I’m very exhausted I’m like, “nooooo, I have to cook.” [laughing] But most of the time I’m enjoying it when I do it.
What is it about pottery specifically that’s calling you?
I’ve been thinking about doing something that challenges my creativity and allows me to be physical while centering myself. Something that could be peaceful, to focus the mind. I don’t have the “I’m going to draw, I’m going to write” drive – but I’ve had an interest in doing pottery for months now.
It’s like pausing.
Pausing, for me, has been hard when I’m in the house. I want to go do something outside, for me. The reason I choose and attach it to pottery is because I can actually see the work, and see the effort that I put into slowing down. And being with myself, being physical, seeing what creativity looks like after that process happens. If I can walk away from the experience with something visual, that could also hold me accountable in the future to create more.
Have you ever done pottery before?
No! Never. Never.
Does your home have pottery in it, do you shop for it?
No! [laughing] I see things in the stores, something creative, and I think “that’s interesting.” But, no.
Maybe it’s from watching something, I don’t know if it’s a longtime memory of thinking back to the movie Ghost, with Patrick Swayze.
It also could have been from seeing a place in New Haven over a year ago, where someone I know had their child’s birthday thing, and my daughter went. I didn’t go in, and I didn’t think about it at the time. But more recently I thought, “Oh, that’s a place I know, I need to see what they have there, or if they have an extension, or could direct me to an adult place.”
I am ready. I want to make it happen, make a commitment to begin a class before Christmas — it will be a Christmas gift I give to myself.
Get in touch with Miriam directly: miriammjohnson212@gmail.com or on Instagram