Awesome, full of surprises--a collection of experiences, both positive and negative, shaping my life into what it is now. I would not change a thing.

My name is Sandra Chaves. I was born in Bogota, Colombia as the youngest child of an incredibly loving family of six. I grew up with many of the wonders of my country’s cultures. A proud Colombian, I left my country 17 years ago trying to find opportunities without knowing what I really needed was to find myself.  

As a child my parents always supported me, regardless of how crazy my ideas were (including my fashion choices). They love being creative and they are very talented too. That quality was inherited by my sibling and me; and my parents made sure that we have the liberty to explore and express that sensibility by showing us how to appreciate art, design, nature, different cultures, different places, food, sports, and so much more.  

At six years old I fell in love with fashion design. I spent hours using a sewing machine, unsupervised, making dresses for my dolls. Even then, I knew I wanted to be a designer.

Later on, I experimented with many materials: wood, fabric, ceramics, metal, natural fibers, and more. As soon as I graduated from high school, I decided to focus on my art by using metal. I learned silversmithing and jewelry-making, and worked as a jeweler for 7 years.

During my second year in college, I got my dream job. I became the product designer and instructor working with a group of 50 people displaced by the terrible violence in my country. I mainly worked with women from various regions who wanted to learn a skill and start a business. I loved my job, but I didn’t have the experience or maturity to successfully manage many of the situations I faced. After nine months, I returned to finish my bachelor’s degree. I continued developing my skills as a jeweler until I realized I couldn’t compete with all the mass-produced products coming from China.  

 During my last year in college, I opened a small, artisanal chocolate store as part of my graduation thesis. I wrote a business plan and developed a product line for use in my store. I was very proud of my store, but I was very busy at school and entrusted it to people who didn’t love it the way I did, resulting in the loss of customers and sales.

I sold the store and moved to Barcelona--one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I found a Flamenco academy 3 blocks from where I was staying and embraced my love of dance, something I’d loved since I was three.

Everything in Barcelona was different: the food, the culture, the environment, and sometimes even the language. I was in a melting pot of people from all over the world--a place where my senses were in constant alert because there was something new, different, and amazing everywhere I looked. Unfortunately, I ran out of money and my visa expired, so I decided to come to the U.S to visit my sister and try to learn some English.

In 2008 I moved to San Antonio, TX under a student visa to improve my English. I pushed myself, taking college classes in web design and graphic design, even though my English was extremely limited. I presented my projects to a class of very confused students who barely understood me. Both fellow students and professors were very understanding and helpful. I believe this decision helped me the most in learning a new language at 30 years old.

Living in San Antonio gave me the chance to work at many things, I was a volunteer at Sprocket Productions, a video company whose owner, Alejando Maya, was the first person who gave me the chance to work in an office surrounded by creative people, where I practiced my English and met new and interesting people.

I worked as a sales associate at Gordon’s with a boss who could fill up an entire room just by standing there. I worked for the first time in design, when Home Depot gave me the opportunity to work as a kitchen and bath designer.

After a few years I needed a change. I got a job as an Executive Assistant to the President of SMPSR, LLC. It was a very good job with an administration that cared about me, but after 4 years I decided to leave and start an intensive MBA. During my last semester I felt overwhelmed, empty, and without real purpose. I needed to let my creative self bloom again--something I had been neglecting to give space to my “business self”.

I have a wonderful husband who, just like my parents, supports me and my ideas. Thanks to him and his love, I was able to quit my job and become a full-time student. It is also thanks to him I was able to discover my love for ceramics and rediscover my creativity and self-confidence.

Ceramics has been a constant in humankind’s lives. Look around you and you will find at least two pieces made of clay in your home. During a childhood vacation, my dad found natural clay near the house and made two small pieces. The handles were two dancing women. Even though we didn’t have a kiln, they were on display at my family’s library for many years until, finally, they fell apart little by little. The image of him transforming a lump of clay into something beautiful has stayed with me.

Thanks to my major in industrial design, I had the chance to experiment with a lot of different materials, including clay. The little time I spent doing ceramics only produced more questions and the bug grew. But life always took me in a different direction.

At the end of 2019 I decided I wasn’t going to allow any more excuses to postpone learning ceramics. I found a community studio, Alamo City Pottery Workshop, in the heart of Bulverde, TX. It couldn’t have been more perfect. I started classes with Patty Hoffman, a self-taught potter who has worked and played in clay since she was a little girl. I continued classes until I was able to become a member. That is when I starting “harassing” April Grunspan, the owner of the studio--someone who has become very important in my life. I have learned so much from her and every single member of the studio--they are my little clay family and I love it.

Thanks to the generosity within the local, online, and workshop community, I have had the opportunity to meet open and helpful potters from all over the world.

After graduating with my MBA, I decided to become a full-time potter. I knew I needed to immerse myself in the work, since there is so much to learn. I have been experimenting with techniques and exploring my own style. Everything I make has intention, function, and design. I combine wheel throwing with hand building to give my pieces unique details.

As my skill grows, I see all the previous experiences working with other materials and my love for dance become part of my process. When I’m working with clay, I feel like a choreographer in which, step by step, I’m putting parts together to create a final piece. Just like dance, working with clay is personal and mindful. It’s both relaxing and exciting, resulting in a complete expression of me.

I put time and love into what I do and, when I sell a piece, I’m sharing a little part of my soul. For many years I have known what I wanted, but always had a voice telling me I wasn’t good enough to accomplish my dreams. Now, even though the voice is still there, I manage to mute it. I’m following my dreams. I know it will take time and hard work, but I’m doing it--and that makes me happy.