Scores of people have given up their childhood dreams for corporate jobs, but far less abandon traditional careers to pursue their passions.
But that’s exactly what Clay Wood, the serendipitously named owner of Clay on First, did.
Wood fell in love with creating pottery when he was 12, thanks to his sixth-grade teacher bringing her personal pottery wheel from home for her students to try out. With only one pottery wheel for over 20 students, Wood waited in anticipation for the times he was allowed to use it.
“It was really generous,” Wood said. “I remember like I couldn’t wait for that half hour for my turn to come. I really enjoyed it.”
Those half-hour sessions with the pottery wheel had a lifelong impact on Wood. When he entered high school, Wood became heavily involved with the ceramics program and built his first home studio at 16. In college, he made sure to enroll in a ceramics class every semester even though it had nothing to do with his psychology major.
Like all too many creative children, by adulthood Wood found himself “miserable” in a corporate job managing high-rise buildings. In 2009, he made the leap to pursue his passion and open his own pottery studio in downtown Long Beach.
“I just wanted to share what I was passionate about with other people,” Wood said. “And I think that pottery generally brings people a lot of joy.”
In order to spread that joy to others in the community, Wood opened Clay on First in Long Beach in 2009.
But keeping the dream alive isn’t cheap; Clay on First was already in a financial hole when a fire broke out in the studio on April 14, caused by someone leaving a wooden drying rack too close to one of the kilns. While most of the fire damage was contained to one area, there was smoke and soot damage throughout the business as well as a decommissioned garage door where firefighters cut through to contain the blaze.
According to the GoFundMe page, the fire caused around $10,000 in damages. Besides that, Clay on First had already taken on $60,000 in debt last summer, and temporarily decreased staffs’ working hours, after a decrease in revenue to avoid layoffs.
Woods created an online fundraising campaign to help keep his business going, and the community came through and donated $10,000 as of May 8.
“It’s been so uplifting to see the community come out to support and help us and we just really hope that over time we can pay it back,” Wood said.
Clay on First has two sections within: a studio where experienced ceramicists can work on their own projects, and a teaching area where pottery classes are held. Classes include stand-alone intro classes, courses ranging from three to 12 classes, specialized workshops, private classes, a summer camp and donation-based classes for children.
The children’s classes cost only what families can or want to pay, and have garnered a supportive community response, with all five sessions between May 10 and May 24 already fully booked. These classes last for an hour and a half, and are open to kids between the ages of six and 17.
All materials are provided, and the kids’ creations can be picked up four to six weeks after the class after it’s been fired in the kiln.
To keep up with Clay on First visit clayonfirst.com or visit its Instagram page, @clayonfirst.
Clay on First is located at 406 E First St. Unit B and open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.