Today we’d like to introduce you to Abril Robbins.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I discovered the magic of art and how good it makes me feel during my time in high school. I began with drawing and painting and during my college years, I enjoyed experimenting with different mediums. In my last year of college, I took my first ceramic course. It was the most challenging time for me, but working with clay was like no other medium I had experienced. The bug caught me and knew I wanted to continue my practice with ceramics. In 2018, I told my husband (who has a background in art and design) that I wanted to start a business and I needed his help. We brainstormed for a few months and finally came up with a business name, the goods we would sell and applied for the licenses we would need to start our business. Our first market was The Renegade Craft where we sold our goods beside other creatives who gave us great insight. At this time, I was working a full-time job and figuring out how to keep the momentum going since I didn’t own any ceramic equipment. I ended up taking ceramic classes around Austin to produce more work, but soon I realized that these classes were getting too expensive for the amount of studio time I needed. With this in mind, I did some research and found Imagine Art, a non-profit that transforms the lives of artists with disabilities by providing resources such as day habilitation, long-term care and affordable housing. I applied as a volunteer in the ceramic studio and a few weeks later, I began volunteering once a week in return for use of their studio. The time at this organization was crucial for my budding business plus I learned so much and I met so many wonderful people! Oddly enough, the turning point for my business happened during the start of the pandemic of 2020. I lost my full-time job along with my studio time at Imagine Art, but I made the best of the situation. I had been saving for a ceramic wheel for a while and made the leap into my passion. Once I got my wheel everything changed for me. I was producing more work and using our local ceramic store for their firing services. In 2021, when things started opening up again, I was part of several outdoor markets around town and I was fortunate to have been sought after for wholesale orders for Amanda Deer Jewelry and The Contemporary Austin. This year I continue to push myself as an artist and hope to empower others to take the leap and follow their passion.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The most challenging part of being a ceramicist is the necessity of a kiln and the space needed to operate it. This crucial piece of equipment fires at high temperatures in order to finalize the work after the creative portion is complete. Since I haven’t been able to make that leap in my business financially, I’ve had to research for places to fire my work. Aside from this, running a small business has been a bumpy road and a great learning experience. I’ve had to wear many hats and become a full administration team-of-one. I spend a large amount of time connecting with others and using my creativity to market my work. I am in charge of all the necessary accounting and still have to find time to create more work. On top of running my business, I have a full-time job so sometimes I work from 8am-12 midnight with small breaks. I’ve had to learn to organize my time efficiently, to meet deadlines and most importantly, take care of my well-being, some of which comes through my creative work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in ceramics and have been running a small supporting art business with growing success for the past four years. My goal is to create playfully functional pieces intended to brighten your home and your day. I produce small-batch handmade work and no one piece is the same as another. I am most proud of getting the opportunity to have my work at The Contemporary Austin along with so many talented artists. I use my art as a personal therapy and expression and I hope that it imparts some amount of happiness and in a manner-of-speaking, therapy for those who view and choose to buy.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
When I began my journey, ceramic studios were very limited and classes were hard to find. As of today, there are more studios, classes, and firing services around town, therefore I definitely foresee our ceramic community expanding, making it more accessible for others to explore their creative expression.
Contact Info:
- Email: freewheelingoods@gmail.com
- Website: www.freewheelingoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freewheelin_goods
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freewheelingoods
