Today we’d like to introduce you to Claymates Sarah Veak & Emily Reinhardt.
Hi Claymates, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Claymates started out of necessity. We’re two full-time working artists with over 30 years of combined experience in clay, each running our own individual practices. One day, we sat down and realized we both had the same desire to share our knowledge, our time, and our space with others. It felt like perfect timing, and joining forces was the natural next step.
Running small, production-based ceramic businesses can sometimes drain the joy from the process that drew us in originally. Claymates became our way of reconnecting with that sense of play and creativity not just for ourselves, but for others as well.
We also recognized a growing need for offline, hands-on experiences. We wanted to create a space where people could explore ceramics without the full commitment of a studio membership. Our beginner-friendly workshops give people the chance to make something meaningful, while reminding them that creativity isn’t reserved for “artists”. It’s something we all have.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any small business, there are always challenges, but overall our first year has been incredibly rewarding. As we’ve grown, one of our main focuses has been consistently filling our classes and reaching the people who would really benefit from what we offer.
A big part of the Claymates experience is the sense of connection with others. People don’t just leave having made something with their hands, they often leave having shared a meaningful experience with others, sometimes even making a new friend. Building awareness around that community aspect is something we’re continuing to develop.
On the creative side, we’re constantly designing new projects that feel exciting and inspiring, while still fitting within a two- to three-hour workshop format. That balance can be challenging since we have a lot of big ideas, and part of our process is refining them into approachable, bite-sized experiences that still feel special and fulfilling.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Claymates?
Claymates is a community-centered ceramics studio founded by artists Emily Reinhardt from The Object Enthusiast and Sarah Veak, the artist behind Veak Ceramics. We bring nearly 30 years of combined experience in clay to our teaching and practice. Claymates is known for a welcoming, unfussy, and beginner-friendly approach, specializing in creating approachable, hands-on workshops that make ceramics accessible to everyone, without any prior clay experience required. What sets us apart is our focus on both creativity and connection: our classes are designed not just for making, but for fostering a sense of joy, confidence, and community. We’re especially proud of the environment we’ve built, one where people feel comfortable getting their hands dirty, trying something new, and reconnecting with their creativity. Whether through group workshops or private lessons, our goal is to offer meaningful, offline experiences that leave people with something tangible and a renewed sense of creative possibility.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
We both have a shared realization about why we fell in love with clay and the shared love of making things with our hands. That feeling of being young, and realizing that clay can become something real, it can become anything you want it to be, and sitting at a worktable with hands completely covered, we remember the feeling of pressing, pinching, and shaping something from nothing. We would both become completely and utterly absorbed, losing complete track of time. What starts as a ball of clay soon becomes something else, made by us. Maybe a small bowl, or a wonky cup. It’s unrecognizable but entirely our own. There’s something magical about the process and we both saw it at an early age. We both felt that immediate feeling of complete freedom. Freedom to make a mess, get weird and experimental, and to create without pressure and to have fun. That sense of wonder is something we still carry into our work today, and something we hope every Claymates student gets to experience for themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.clay-mates.com
- Instagram: @clay___mates
