Broken Vessel's Story
In January of 2000, my whole world crumbled.
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My three-year-old daughter and I (Jeanne) found that we were about to have to figure out life without the man we loved. On top of that, I learned we would be welcoming a baby in October.
My husband was a Navy Seal, stationed in San Diego. We loved it in Southern California; it is where I had grown up. But something changed and he decided to leave.
I had lost myself in who I was married to and the pride of being part of the elite of the Navy.
I sank very deep into depression, barely able to take care of my daughter or myself. Thankfully, I had already registered for spring classes at the community college - which became my saving grace.
One class, ceramics, became the escape from my nightmare and also my therapy. Music was always playing as we worked away on each of our assigned projects.
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One project in particular I found to be the hardest thing to work on. We had to make a vessel, a coil pot, at least 12 inches in height and incorporate a body part that we had made a mold of. I had made a mold of my face. It creeped me out. I hated it, until I got to the final stage of decorating and firing it. The professor found it quite interesting and actually asked if she could enter my piece in the art show. What? That ugly piece? You find it interesting and worthy of display?!
Oh! How that changed something in me! I had made something that other people liked and wanted! What a salve for my soul and self-worth. I did have something of value inside me that wasn’t connected to anyone else. I had something to offer to the world!
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From that experience, I discovered how artistic creativity and being in the company of others could be a wonderful healing experience. I want to bring that kind of place to the community so that people can discover their own worth and purpose hidden inside them.
The Broken Vessel is meant to be a place to find artistic release. It is a place of encouragement within a community, a zone of freedom to experience love and validity finding purpose through creativity.
In this life, you will have struggles. We are hard-pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, stressed, and depressed. Find peace within. There is hope. There is healing!