in practice: a conversation with camille beckles
on ceramics, ritual, and not rushing yourself
Dear reader,
Welcome back to in practice, a column in which I interview friends and strangers about their creative practices across a variety of disciplines. This week, I’m excited to share my conversation with ceramic artist Camille Beckles!
Camille Beckles is the ceramicist behind Camille at the Wheel, a collection of handmade vessels meant to bring users joy and usefulness in equal measure. She works out of a shared studio in Queens, NY. Her work has been featured by West Elm, Starbucks, Architectural Digest, and more.
I met Camille at a Queens Craft Brigade market back in 2019, when I lived in Astoria. I remember being so drawn to the warm simplicity of the mugs, plates, and bowls she was selling, fantasizing about a future in which I had enough money to buy all my tablewares from local artists and keep fresh-cut flowers in gorgeous vases like these. (That future has not yet come to pass, but I have invested in a handful of excellent pieces by artists like Camille that bring magic to my everyday life!) Without further ado, here’s our conversation.
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Talk to me about your creative practice. What does that phrase mean to you?
The word "practice" indicates something that is always growing and improving. While I can achieve a certain level of proficiency at ceramics, there is always more for me to learn, and my style and approach to the craft are always evolving. The creative element implies that it is generative. In my case, my practice is also a small business, but it’s not just about dollars and cents—it’s something that enriches my life and that gives me energy. And my hope is that it enriches the lives of the people who purchase my work!
How did you first come to ceramics and start to pursue this medium and this form of art?
I took my first ceramics class in 2015 after wanting to sign up for a class for a long time. I finally stopped procrastinating and took the plunge, and I was hooked from my very first class. I got my start at a community studio in New York City and continued taking classes for a number of years before launching Camille at the Wheel as a venue for selling my work. I'm not sure what drew me to ceramics other than an innate pull to try it. Once I took my first class, I fell in love with how tactile and wholly consuming it is. You can't do anything else while making pots—there is no multitasking. I loved that it forced me to be in the moment, without distraction. It was one of the only times that my brain was quiet and I lost complete track of time. I still have that feeling today, after years of practicing.
I love that you touched on what an embodied form of art-making pottery is. How do you view the relationship between body and mind in your creative process?
Pottery is absolutely an embodied form of art-making. I cannot make good pots when I am in a bad mood. That energy transfers to the clay and I inevitably make mistakes. In many ways, I’m able to zone out in the studio because so much of what I do is repetitive motion based on muscle memory from years of practice. But even with this muscle memory, I find that if my mind is wandering completely, I’ll hit a snag and ruin a piece. Keeping a loose but focused mind is necessary for me to make a good pot. There is also the practical reality that pottery is a very physical art form. I have to keep my body in good shape and listen to the cues it gives me while making -- sit up straight! Stretch from time to time! Remember to drink water! Pottery will take a toll on the body if you don't respect your limits.
A great deal of care and foresight clearly goes into your practice! What’s your relationship like with routine?
I thrive on routine. Ritual is calming to me and gives me something steady to look forward to. I tend to wake up at the same time every day, do some type of exercise, and then partake in a slightly elaborate coffee making routine—I find a lot of enjoyment in doing simple things daily. It makes me appreciate the small pleasures of my life. I’ll admit that because of this, I struggle sometimes with being flexible -- I like to know what's up ahead of me, and it can be hard for me to bend. But I recognize the value and importance of letting some things take me by surprise. I try to balance the sense of control that I enjoy from maintaining a routine with an openness to embracing the surprises that come my way.
I want to hear more about this elaborate coffee-making ritual! On your website, you say that you create ceramics that “gently demand a user’s attention, inviting their touch and elevating their daily rituals.” What are the objects that elevate this ritual for you?
I have an espresso machine, an Aeropress, a French press, and a cold brew press. Right now I am in an Aeropress phase (it is my newest gadget) but whichever method I choose, I enjoy all of the steps: measuring the beans, grinding them, smelling the aroma. The Aeropress has different recipes for brewing, and I've enjoyed trying new ones to find my favorite. With the espresso machine, I love tamping the coffee in the portafilter and pulling shots. Perhaps my favorite part of the ritual is choosing which mug to drink from that morning. I have a growing collection of handmade mugs from some really talented potters, and taking a couple minutes each morning to select a vessel, prepare the coffee, and then take that first sip is a real treat. Sometimes I will drink from a mug that I have made -- I really enjoy using my own work as well! In all, the coffee ritual only takes 5-10 minutes. It's not a lot of time, but it's time that I savor each day.
Going back to this idea of surprises along the way—did you always know you would sell your ceramics, or was it a surprise that unfolded over time?
I didn’t start ceramics with the intention of selling anything—I gradually realized that I wanted to sell my work after a long build up of friends and family asking me when they would be able to purchase pieces from me. I think a lot of people probably rush to sell their work before they've taken the time to invest in their practice and develop their voice and technique, and I knew that I wanted my work to reach a certain level of craftswomanship before I felt comfortable taking people's hard earned money in exchange for one of my pots. I also wanted to make sure that I had developed my own style and aesthetic. So I approached the decision to sell my work with intentionality. It's why I launched with a logo and a mission statement and a polished brand—I wanted to make sure I was embodying those things from the start of my business.
What's a piece of creative advice you've received that you want to pass along to other people?
"Notice what you notice." This means to be curious about what attracts you to the things you like, and what repels you from the things you don't. If you're drawn to a piece of art, think about why. Is it the colors, the technique, the content of the artwork? Developing an understanding of your own preferences can help you figure out what to incorporate into your own creative practice and give you a richer understanding of your own interests and motivations.
Okay, last question: what’s one thing that lights your creative fire you wish you did more of?
I love being outdoors in more natural environments. I love living in New York City, but I feel an immediate release when I can leave the built environment and stretch out more in natural settings. Within and without New York City we have access to some beautiful natural environments, but I don't often take advantage of them -- usually opting to spend my free time in the pottery studio instead! But I just bought new hiking boots recently and I am determined to make good use of my investment -- more trails are in my future, I hope!
Thank you for reading! If you have suggestions for creative people I should interview in future columns, give me a shout.
See you in the real world ❣️
🌱 Nadine
P.S. If you’re reading this before 5pm EST on Friday, January 17, there’s still time to enter this raffle for LA fire relief on Camille’s instagram. Your donation goes to a great cause, and you might win a really unique wood-fired vessel!
