Does human connection still matter?

That Friday morning started with me dragging furniture around and rolling out the white photo paper. My office has the best natural light, so it became our studio for the day. Gato (yes, I am a cat person) was not happy about it — he gave me that classic look, like why are you ruining my day?

And maybe it was the two coffees before 8 a.m., but I also found myself making a flat lay–style mood board on the dining room table. Not like I had anything else to do, you know…

By 11 a.m., Karen showed up, then Caitlin walked in with her camera, and suddenly the quiet space I work in every day felt different — alive. We started laying out the ceramic disks, shifting them, rearranging them, stepping back to see how the light hit. There were moments when we’d all crowd around a single piece and move it a fraction of an inch. It sounds funny, but that’s the creative process — messy, obsessive, and strangely joyful.

Somewhere between the laughter, the constant rearranging, and the obsessive “just one more shot,” there we were: three women with totally different creative businesses, creating side by side. And I felt… relief. Gratitude. Connection.

The truth is when I moved here, I didn’t know anyone. I spent a lot of lonely days in my studio, wondering if I was on the right path. This past year, I made a promise to myself: to seek out connections and build a community. And slowly, I can see it taking shape. I don’t know exactly where this is headed, but I do know it feels right.

And maybe that’s why these ceramics mean so much to me. They carry the story of collaboration, connection, and community.

I can’t wait to share more with you soon.

For now, we’ve got some work to do.

Katarina