Life doesn’t come with a clear roadmap, but the start of a new year can be a catalyst for change, whether that means trying something new, shifting careers, or simply slowing down to reconnect with yourself.
One place helping Bostonians do just that is a pottery studio on Newbury Street. Rainbows Pottery Studio invites you to sit, relax, and live in the moment while you create art. With Mamma Mia Mondays, Taylor Swift Tuesdays, and other themed nights, it’s both a communal space and an artistic outlet.
On this week’s Joy Beat, we’re telling the story behind Rainbow’s Pottery Studio and the journey to its 2016 creation. Owner Allie Carroll joined GBH’s All Things Considered Arun Rath to share more about the studio. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.
Arun Rath: Tell us about the original inspiration. What got you going with opening Rainbows Pottery Studio? This was back in 2016.
Allie Carroll: Basically, the story starts about 20 years earlier, when I went on a date with a guy in college to a pottery studio. I always tell people I fell in love that night, but not with him. I loved the business, and I continued working for the business after that day, just loosely, because I was in school. I always wanted to open the brand that I now have, Rainbows Pottery Studio.
So what had happened was, I went on to do what I was, quote, unquote, “supposed to do.” I followed the career path that I thought I should follow, and everyone wanted me to follow. But I always had this inkling and this yearning to open this pottery studio. It was just something I never felt checked the box. So, one day, I decided I had enough, and I quit my job, and I moved on to take a leap of faith to not let myself down and to know that I went for it. I was so terrified because you never know if these things are going to work, but I do believe with love and passion, everything will work. And, if you set your mind to anything, you can accomplish it.
So, I quit my job, and I took a leap of faith and started this beautiful business. In the first couple of weeks, most days were just spent cleaning the floors and brainstorming. A lot of the time now is spent getting new creative ideas as well. Covid was one of the times when I had the most creative ideas, which was to offer custom pottery.... [I was] very scared, but something I thought would be great for the community, especially in Boston. I love the Boston community, and I love all of the ways in which we are able to offer all these awesome experiences, like bachelorette and birthday parties, all kinds of things that we offer.
Rath: So, you moved from Charles Street to Newbury Street. Tell us how the studio has changed over the years since you started it.
Carroll: Basically, what had happened is we had outgrown Charles Street. Charles Street was just much too small. We were turning away business regularly. We wanted to focus more on bigger events like corporate, private, team building, celebrity events, and we wanted to enter in wheel throwing and sculpting, which is pottery made by hand. We weren’t offering that in the Beacon Hill location, the space was just too small. So, we opted out of our lease, we went over to Newbury Street, and it has just been fantastic. The space is gorgeous, and it’s much more comfortable for everyone involved.
We have a section that’s for artists. We do support 45 local artists. And then we also have our space for people who want to come in and paint, make, or sculpt their own. It’s really a great opportunity for people to have an avenue to create and have art exploration together, whether it be just the regular person off the street or a private team-building, corporate, pre-scheduled event.
Rath: I’ve never had luck with pottery, but sculpting with clay, a little bit. I just know that boy, it just feels therapeutic. Is it like some kind of self-care?
Carroll: Yes, I visited all kinds of hospitals — children’s hospitals, rehab hospitals, falling rehab hospitals — all kinds of places I’ve gone to help people with our exploration. The beauty of it is that when you’re sculpting with your hands, you cannot be using your device. It’s a device-free activity, which I believe we need so much more of. It’s also so great to be using your hands, and a lot of people carry around those stress balls. It’s very simple, it’s very similar to that. When you’re working with your hands and you’re able to create a product, it is just a really special experience. Having a device-free time where you’re not scrolling, looking at your phone, entering toxic behaviors, it’s just very cleansing, almost like a Sabbath experience, where you don’t have to worry about what’s going to happen next. You’re just in the moment.
Rath: Tell us about what you’ve heard from people describing their experiences or maybe their first experience at Rainbows.
Carroll: What’s really cool about my studio… THE studio. I don’t even like to say my studio. I genuinely don’t. I think that’s just so…it’s THE studio. It’s the studio for the community, and I want the community to come enjoy it and feel free to try all kinds of avenues that we offer. We offer bracelet-making, we offer pottery-painting on already pre-fired things, we offer this making any piece you want, like a pinch pot or on-the-wheel private lessons.
What people have said to me is, “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I’ve been here this long, and I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve actually checked my phone,” or, “I don’t even care what’s happening in the outside world right now.” It’s just a very peaceful environment. We have classical music playing most times. It’s a very positive chat that happens. Every stool is made shaped like a heart because we need so much more love in this world and less of the opposite.
I love the fact that we have had so many walks of life come through with different stories and backgrounds, and it just makes it such a special experience to have an opportunity to have a spot where people can come and just feel like they can be themselves, their uninhibited selves. Then, walk away with a creation that they can have to memorialize, and go back and say that was a really peaceful time for me.
Rath: I was going to ask you about your own favorite piece that you’ve created, but I’ll ask you that as well. I was also going to ask, given what you said about the studio, what’s the favorite piece you’ve seen created there?
Carroll: So, a lot of people love to paint mugs. Mugs are the number one thing that we paint — that we see painted, I should say — and that we also sell and paint. People really enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea out of a mug, and they also enjoy making little figurines or plates. Maybe they’ve made a special birthday plate for a little niece or nephew, or a little friend turning five or six or something. It’s just a very adorable, very personalized gift that you can give to someone.
In terms of what I’ve made that I really gravitate towards, I can’t say one specific thing. I’ve said this before, and I will always say that the number of pieces that I feel the most proud of is the piece that goes to the person who I know appreciates it the most and loves it the most. You know, when you’re an artist and you create artwork, you kind of become attached to that piece. It’s kind of like your baby. You want it to go to a good home and make sure that it’s taken care of, it’s appreciated, and that people who have purchased it will love it as much as you did while creating it.
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