Make a date to rediscover your passion and creativity.
Countless studies have shown that creative endeavors are good for the body and the soul: they promote emotional wellness, provide an outlet for the mind, and can even improve and enrich long-term romantic and personal relationships. If you’re looking for a good date night option, or a fun self-care exercise —or just need a good excuse to get together with friends — Pottery Island, owned by Sandy and Vaughn Goff, fits the bill.
The Pottery Island experience allows individuals, couples, or groups to express themselves by choosing a piece of pottery, applying paint through a technique of their liking, and bringing it to life.
“They apply the underglaze into whatever design they want,” Sandy explains. “We also have lots of tools to help them, stencils and stamps and sponges, all kinds of stuff. And then, when they’re finished, I glaze and fire it, and they get it back in about a week. If we have it in stock, you can make it.”
Sandy also frequently teaches and provides instruction about different painting techniques. She’s passionate about guiding those who are looking to learn something new, while also creating a space for people to create freely.
“I’ll give you all the help you want —some people don’t want any, and that’s great,” Sandy says. “I just love to see people being creative.”
Pottery Island’s clientele runs the gambit between young and old.
“We have babies coming in to get their little footprints, or their little handprints, where they’re a little older, all the way to people a hundred years old who have Alzheimer’s, who loved to do it, and they want to do it again, and we show them how,” Sandy says. The Goffs host veterans from the VA hospital, homeschool students, Girl Scouts, and 4-H clubs, among others, all of whom can benefit from Pottery Island’s creative space.
Sandy also makes it a ritual to sit with her sister (who partnered with her in the business at its inception), once a week, so they can do some painting of their own. She deeply values creativity because it was an important presence in her past and continues to enrich her present. Her love for making beautiful things goes back to her teenage years. That motivation continues to run the Goff’s business and a mission to create a therapeutic environment where lovely things can grow.
“To unwind, and let yourself go, and let yourself express, whether it’s good or bad, it doesn’t matter — this is a good safe space to walk in, be yourself, do your thing, and not be judged,” she says.
Pottery Island is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It also is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Goffs regularly welcome individuals and couples as walk-ins and for groups and parties. Be sure to call ahead to reserve the party room for groups of six or more people.
Pottery Island
573-356-5234
601 Business Loop 70 West, Ste 213C
Facebook.com/pottery_island
pottery-island.com
