Meet Ceramicist Rachel Saunders

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey to starting Rachel Saunders Ceramics?

I started my business 7 years ago with the intent on working for myself and working with my hands. I’m self-taught and started from the ground up, and now have a team of 7 wonderful women who make and send out beautiful, intentional ceramics all over the world.

Where did you grow up, and where do you call home now? 

I was born on a little island called Salt Spring Island, and my pottery studio and team are located in Victoria, BC. I’ve actually been living out of a suitcase for the entirety of this year, moving around to different spaces and places that call to me. I’ve found myself in Spain, Greece, LA, Mexico, and have oscillated between rural villages and rolling hills to dense cityscapes and concrete jungles. It’s been a big year of exploration. 

What’s something most people don’t know about you? 

That I never know what I’m doing until I do it, and I make everything up as I go – usually the night before. The people close to me know this because they get an intimate view of this manic process, but the serene outer world I create for myself and business is a coping strategy to counteract the internal chaos I often feel. 

What’s the first thing you do in the morning? 

On a good day, I express gratitude for waking up, put on some jazz, and move slowly through an intuitive couple of hours doing whatever feels best, be it meditation, walking, cooking. On an average day, I hit snooze 7 times, and then reach for my phone to give me a jolt of dopamine in order to get me out of bed. 

Are there any daily rituals that keep you grounded?

My go-tos when I’m feeling off my rocker are: EFT tapping, breathing deeply in nature, touching and communing with plants, spending time with children and animals, making lists, and going to the sea to soak up the negative ions. 

Who inspires you? 

People who are kind and patient in less than ideal circumstances, live life in a limitless fashion, and are able to laugh through a lot of it. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things. 

What book changed the way you think?

I have yet to find a book that has been more impactful on my life than Letting Go by David R. Hawkins. 

What mantra do you live by? 

Treat everyone you meet like God in drag. 

What does wellness mean to you?

It’s ever evolving. And it’s something that I keep under constant review, because often what helps me get through one phase will hinder me in the next. In this process of collective evolution nothing stays static and there’s always something to learn and unlearn. I found Who Is Wellness For by Fariha Roisin to be a recent read that touched on this beautifully. But to summarize this layered thought, wellness to me means a state of inner and outer harmony.