Love and pottery on purpose

When love meets pottery, creativity and pure magic are their happily ever after. Don't believe me? Just ask Deja Harris and Fabian Gordon. The two took what seemed like an unfortunate circumstance and made their love for a shared entrepreneurial dream a reality.

Harris and Gordon, met almost three years ago at a mutual place of employment, where they embarked on a new, exciting journey together. Gordon moved on to greater strides, but Harris stayed put.

Tired of her job, she stared right in the face of dismissal last November and accepted that fate, taking it as a sign that she should work for herself instead of others. But what would be her brand? That's where she said her other half, Gordon, came up with a new plan.

"How I look at life: sometimes we have to be pushed to our true calling. The idea came to me one day during economics class. We needed a second source of income, but we also wanted to provide something that people would love. One day, we were mixing some cement and it landed on one of our household items by accident, ruining it. But when we saw how it took form, it hit me: we could do this on purpose," Gordon told Outlook. He confessed that Harris is his go-to person for everything, so he ran it by her, telling her in the process that he wanted to create a business, just for them.

With Harris' interest piqued, they got to work, creating a sample and going around, asking persons what they thought about it and if they would purchase something of that nature. Friends adored it and said yes. It was that labour of love, which gave birth to DG Potters.

Five months into the business, they could not be happier with the growth along with the constructive feedback they have received. Getting business mostly by referrals, they found that personally delivering the products, assisted them in landing purchases as well.

"Fabian is a whiz at selling the pottery. The products are different, so they already attract attention, but he's quite the charmer, so in no time, he and strangers would strike up a conversation and he'll either exchange business cards or make a sale then and there."

They started out by making medium to large pots, but after persons expressed concerns pertaining to their pocket, they decided to expand their artistic horizons, constructing smaller ones to fit these budgets. Their pots can be used for plants or as stand alone statement vases. Lighter than they appear and durable, they also do repairs.

When asked why pottery, they took turns in explaining that they wanted to create something that was one-of-a-kind and lasting... something that would remain true to their roots.

"With technology taking over, people don't make things from scratch anymore. So, we wanted to bridge the gap between tradition and style and merge the two, making an impact and leaving an image, or rather a legacy behind," they revealed.

Two peas in a pod, Harris and Gordon, are both pretty hands-on when it comes to doing the manual work, creating, painting and/or spraying to suit their clients' needs.

These are the questions they ask: What's your style? What's your taste? What's the look you're going for? What colour(s) are you interested in? What space are you working with: indoor or outdoor? (They cater to both) And last, what can you afford? Once those questions are answered, the requests are met, personalised and tailored. You think it, they create it, for any season or occasion.

They express joy in doing what they love, with who they love, and encourage others to push through and find their purpose, whether it's financial or emotional.

"When you speak about creativity and style, then you're speaking about DG Potters. Plus, love and care is placed in every single piece we make. So, if you want something unique for yourself, then check us out: you will love it. So if you're interested in what you see and want to place an order, or you want to find out more about the creations, you can contact us on Instagram: @dg_potters or email: dgpotters2017@gmail.com".

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com