AmyWynne Designs -The Beginning of My Story
To say it's been a long journey is an understatement. I found my passion in hand-building pottery during my first marriage in the mid-1990s. But I'm already getting ahead of myself. I moved to Atlanta almost immediately after graduating Ithaca College when I got the call that I'd passed my first and final interview at CNN. The morning after moving home post-graduation, my mom woke me to tell me that someone from CNN was on the phone. I think I was still half asleep when I got to the phone as I could barely remember it the next day. However, it must have gone well, as I was soon packing up the old family Subaru wagon to drive myself from Syracuse, NY to Atlanta, GA to begin my adventure as an adult. My time at CNN was a whirlwind. It is seven years that I will never forget! Working at CNN in the late 80's early 90's as a twenty-something was like a dream come true. I'd say it was a cross between grad school and working at a start-up all while being part of a giant coed fraternity. I have been fortunate enough to maintain a few of those early friendships and those women are a crucial part of my life today. Whether we were grunts running cameras, behind the scenes editors or producers, or anchors and vice presidents, most of us from the old days still stay in touch courtesy of Facebook.
As an only child, I was very close to both my mom and my dad. My dad and I lived for the weekends when we could watch professional football or college basketball. The NY Giants and Syracuse Orangemen were our jam. Being raised watching sports I naturally was drawn to the CNN Sports department which is where I met one of my awesome roommates. My first husband was an avid sports fan as well which later translated into too much gambling. It wasn't just the gambling, it was also the physical and emotional distance. I still remember playing in an ALTA championship match and being the only player, whose husband never showed. When the gambling and watching games became more important than the marriage, I knew what I had to do. Even though it was something I had to do, ending the marriage was utterly heartbreaking to me. In the end, I was never able to have a healthy relationship with sports again. I still root for SU, the Giants and the Falcons, but it's not the same.
The solitude in my first marriage was a lot to deal with especially since I was just in my mid-twenties. A friend of mine knew I was bored and lonely and suggested I join her pottery class in Sandy Springs. That's when I found my passion - hand building with clay. After taking all the beginner classes where I learned how to make a coil pots, pinch pots and throw slabs, I had the chance to start exploring and creating many different styles and techniques. I was having a blast! Working independently but alongside other women around my age and older, I realized I was surrounded by creative, intelligent, and independent women. This new community brought me a strong sense of comfort and belonging. I found myself at the studio multiple nights of the week. The pottery studio is the one place where I didn’t feel so alone; the place and people that helped me build back my confidence and positivity. This is where I found not only my sense of self, but my new passion!