FROM HOBBY TO BUSINESS – MEET JESSE WOODWORTH
In the heart of downtown Shipshewana, Riverwood Pottery stands a beacon of artistic perseverance and community harmony. Founded by Jesse Woodworth, whose journey from hobbyist to business owner encapsulates the essence of turning passion into livelihood, Riverwood Pottery is not just a shop. It’s a story of dreams, challenges, and a community that values handmade artistry.
Jesse wasn’t always a potter, he discovered a latent talent and passion for the craft in a college class, which slowly burgeoned into a side hustle alongside a career in social work. For ten years, this passion simmered in the background, nurtured through a job with a seasoned potter in Colorado and sustained in the garage-turned-studio that witnessed the transformation of clay into beautiful creations. It was through the encouragement of Rebecca Harr that Jesse purchase half of her building and open a pottery shop.
The transition from hobby to shop owner has it’s challenges. For Riverwood Pottery, these were magnified by the timing of its opening, which coincided with COVID-19, as well as balancing the demands of home renovations, farming, and family. Jesse also finds a challenge in getting shoppers to understand the pricing and value of his handmade items. “Robots making mugs, plates, and dinnerware is hard to compete with,” Jesse says, “you have to make a conscious choice to support a handmade artisan.” He tries to stay positive about the struggle of providing a handmade piece and a price visitors are willing to pay.
Jesse’s favorite creations—pieces that integrate clay with found objects like wood, antlers, and bike parts—highlight his sense of uniqueness and sustainability. Yet, it’s the pragmatic, high-demand items like mugs, birch vases and spoon rests that are Jesse’s best sellers. This balance between passion projects and practical products reflects a broader balancing act: creating art that sustains both the soul of its maker and the body of the business. Jesse has adapted his growing pottery business by understanding that he can’t just make things for fun anymore, choosing to make items that “pay the bills” is what allows him to continue to sustain and grow Riverwood Pottery. He jokes that his most satisfying entrepreneur moment is not going out of business or losing money.
Balancing farming, family, and pottery sounds like quite the colorful job and Jesse does it with the help of his wife Ariana. A typical day for Jesse has him on dad duty as he and his wife team up to get the kids ready and out the door to daycare. Then it’s on to farm chores with the cows, pigs and chickens, clean up, and then he’s headed to the shop by 10. He embraces his “Farter Life”: Farmer + Potter = Farter, and told people his goal was to be a fulltime “Farter” someday.
Jesse looks to his wife Ariana for guidance and mentorship. When it comes to pottery chat, he looks to one of his best friends, a full time potter in Kansas.
Joining the SRMA (Shipshewana Retail Merchant’s Association) was a deliberate step towards becoming more connected with other small businesses in town. Jesse wanted to take a more organic approach with his advertising dollars and appreciates the larger, community vibe of the SRMA. One of Jesse’s goals is to spend time being a tourist in his own town and getting to know other business owners. He believes in the SRMA slogan of “Better Together” and sees the uniqueness in each shop. Jesse states, “a fun thing for me is collabing with other people and businesses to come up with products that are sellable, marketable, and benefit your shop, my shop, and what we are trying to do as a town.” Jesse would love for his items to be in other shops around town, and is open to discussing wholesale or consignment options with shop owners.
With eyes set on the future, the aspirations for Riverwood Pottery are clear: to grow modestly but meaningfully, to offer classes, and to bring on an apprentice. The objective is not just the proliferation of the business but the promotion of a culture that reveres handcrafted quality over quantity, that values the stories behind the objects that populate our lives.
Riverwood Pottery’s journey from inception to integration into the heart of its community encapsulates the dream of many artisans: to live by their craft, amidst the challenges and changes that shape the business landscape. It’s a reminder of the resilience required to follow one’s passions and the strength found in community camaraderie. Riverwood isn’t just crafting pottery; it’s molding a legacy of creativity, resilience, and collective spirit.
