Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Barrett.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Michelle. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always been a person driven by creative expression, and not until I sunk my hands into a block of clay for the first time in 2013, did I finally feel like I had a place to focus my desire to make beautiful things. After initially taking a beginner wheel throwing class at Mudflat pottery school and failing miserably in the company of skilled throwers and semi-professionals, I was gifted a pottery studio for my 30th birthday. For several years I worked out of my 89 square foot converted sun porch in my Somerville rental – it was just big enough for my wheel, some shelves, and a work table and even though it wasn’t heated or air conditioned, and the proximity to my living space meant regularly managing porcelain covered doorknobs and a trail of clay footprints from studio to bathroom water source – I loved my second story space with all its windows overlooking my neighborhood. I spent most of my free time there honing my skills in the quiet, light-filled, comfort of my own home.
In 2016 I knew I wanted to turn my love of making and passion for handmade goods into something greater, but the cost of rents for retail spaces and studios alike were way outside my reach in the Greater Boston Area. I wanted a space I wouldn’t outgrow quickly and a place to sell my wares directly. Via the unending magic of craigslist, I found myself exploring downtown Maynard that summer, and it was not only super affordable, it had this kind of artsy/up-and-coming vibe, and it felt like the kind of place I could spread my wings a little and build something great.
In November of 2016 I moved in, and eight months of space-rehab and studio building later, I opened the doors to my shop, Kind Goods in June of 2017. Over the last year I’ve learned so much about brick and mortar shop keeping, expanding my own wholesale ceramics business, and managing my expectations about setting up shop off the beaten path. It’s not easy, but it is (almost) everything I wanted it to be, and I look forward to the growth that comes with time, effort, and hopefully – wisdom.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest obstacle has been foot traffic. Despite being highly walk-able (with a walk score of 80!), recently getting designated as a cultural district, having several anchor businesses and cafes, and being kid/dog/bike friendly, mostly downtown Maynard is still in the beginning of its revitalization. That works for and against me in equally important ways. On the one hand – my rent is low enough that I felt comfortable doing something I have never done before (owning a brick and mortar shop), and on the other – sales wise, it’s not yet economically stable enough to support start-ups, boutiques, and the like. This naturally leads to high turnover and an overall sense of emptiness in the central business district which in turn, doesn’t exactly attract the throngs of people needed to sustain small businesses. I feel lucky to have alternate streams of revenue with my pottery business to cover my overhead, but at this point I’m still working part time elsewhere to covert my cost of living while I gain momentum. I believe Maynard is trending towards being that bustling, vibrant, bedroom-community village it has been in the past, and I hope that I can be part of that. The greatest challenge I currently face is deciding on whether or not I am going to stay. My lease is up at the end of 2019, and at that point my business will be two years old. I want a future where I can devote the time and attention needed to my craft, and creating an oasis of locally handmade objects, gifts, and goods for my customers. A future where I am doing it for both the love of it, and because it’s my living. Right now, all I’m missing is the latter. A shop without customers is just a volunteer project.
Kind Goods / Michelle Barrett Ceramics – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Kind Goods is a pottery studio + handmade market place. I source handmade goods exclusively, and products from small-batch New England makers. Many of my vendors (or friendors, as I like to call them) are emerging brands, and most of them are people I know in real life from my time on the local craft show circuit. I believe in knowing the stories of how each “thing” came to be, and sharing that with my customers if they are so inclined to hear about it. Buying local isn’t just for the hell of it, it directly affects a person or family, the economy of an area, and I love that my small business represents dozens of other small businesses. All local. All wonderful. All stuff you can’t get on Amazon. Not that there’s anything wrong with Amazon, but I am driven by the idea that as we get more digitally connected, we get more and more humanly disconnected. I want to be a space where you can have face time in real life. Be that by running into your neighbor while buying a mug, by stopping in with your dog to say hello, or coming in to gather with strangers on a night when the shop is closed and I’m hosting a workshop.
I’m most proud of the fact that kindness is on the shelves all around, even if you can’t see it. We are Kind Goods.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Building something for myself, and not giving up. Doing the gritty tasks with equal fervor as the pretty stuff. Allowing change gracefully. I celebrate these small victories daily, and I’m still waiting for a singular “I’ve made it” moment. It’s coming. I can feel it.
Maybe also every time a stranger picks up my work and holds it in their hands, turning it over, looking at it from all angles, silently appreciating it, then decides they can’t live without whatever it is, and buys it without knowing the person they are buying it from also made it in the very shop they are both standing in. You can’t get more local than that, or more directly supportive. I don’t need recognition in those moments. I just hold them as ammunition against my quiet moments of doubt, few as they are.
Contact Info:
- Address: 85 Main Street
Maynard, MA
01754 - Website: www.kindgoodsmarket.com
- Email: kindgoodsmarket@gmail.com
- Instagram: kindgoodsmaynard + michellebarrettceramics
Image Credit:
Joy Lifestyle Photography, Michelle Barrett
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