ceramics in the wild: surprises on the sidewalks of san francisco

1. nice surprises

Lately I’ve been thinking about how small surprises can bring big joy.

Our 80-year-old neighbor Terry sometimes leaves baked goods in our mailbox with sweet, handwritten notes.
As a kid, I loved organizing elaborate scavenger hunts for my friends and sister—mainly because I enjoyed seeing their excitement for what was to come.
Even something as odd as a piece of dog poo can be a nice surprise. Hear me out—it might sound strange—but one day I saw a heart-shaped cupcake topper on a piece of dog poo. It made me stop, laugh, and even snap a pic. It was absurd and delightful all at once, and it reminded me how an unexpected moment can completely change your day.
Ingrid Fetell Lee's book Joyful helped me understand what these moments had in common. Her chapter on surprise gave me language to describe how unexpected encounters, whether they’re small acts of kindness or something quirky like the cupcake topper, can inject joy into everyday life. The toolkit in the back of her book offers ways to bring this “aesthetic of joy” to the world, and this is exactly the kind of feeling I want to capture with this project—the thrill of stumbling upon a nice surprise.

2. objects with personality

I’ve always loved the idea of personifying objects:

In our home, even the lamps have names—Google Home doesn’t just control "Bedroom Light," it’s "Susan."
A favorite podcast of mine is Everything is Alive, where each episode interviews an inanimate object—like a can of soda or a tooth—giving it a personality and voice, as if it has its own story to tell.
It guess it makes sense that Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie when I was two. The "Be Our Guest" scene always stood out, with napkins, candlesticks, and spoons spinning and dancing across the table. That sense of liveliness and fun is exactly what I hope to capture in this project.
To add some personality to the ceramics:
- Each piece will include a handwritten note, addressed to the finder and written from the ceramic’s perspective, adding a personal and playful touch.
- I’d like to explore anthropomorphized forms and different "footed/shoed" designs—like giving ceramics cowboy boots. I was inspired by these hotdog stands with boots (though I couldn’t find the original creator for credit). I plan to experiment with this idea by creating molds from plastic cowboy boot shot glasses I found on Amazon, adding a whimsical element to the pieces.

1. nice surprises

Lately I’ve been thinking about how small surprises can bring big joy.

Our 80-year-old neighbor Terry sometimes leaves baked goods in our mailbox with sweet, handwritten notes.
As a kid, I loved organizing elaborate scavenger hunts for my friends and sister—mainly because I enjoyed seeing their excitement for what was to come.
Even something as odd as a piece of dog poo can be a nice surprise. Hear me out—it might sound strange—but one day I saw a heart-shaped cupcake topper on a piece of dog poo. It made me stop, laugh, and even snap a pic. It was absurd and delightful all at once, and it reminded me how an unexpected moment can completely change your day.
Ingrid Fetell Lee's book Joyful helped me understand what these moments had in common. Her chapter on surprise gave me language to describe how unexpected encounters, whether they’re small acts of kindness or something quirky like the cupcake topper, can inject joy into everyday life. The toolkit in the back of her book offers ways to bring this “aesthetic of joy” to the world, and this is exactly the kind of feeling I want to capture with this project—the thrill of stumbling upon a nice surprise.

2. objects with personality

I’ve always loved the idea of personifying objects:

In our home, even the lamps have names—Google Home doesn’t just control "Bedroom Light," it’s "Susan."
A favorite podcast of mine is Everything is Alive, where each episode interviews an inanimate object—like a can of soda or a tooth—giving it a personality and voice, as if it has its own story to tell.
It guess it makes sense that Beauty and the Beast was my favorite movie when I was two. The "Be Our Guest" scene always stood out, with napkins, candlesticks, and spoons spinning and dancing across the table. That sense of liveliness and fun is exactly what I hope to capture in this project.
To add some personality to the ceramics:
- Each piece will include a handwritten note, addressed to the finder and written from the ceramic’s perspective, adding a personal and playful touch.
- I’d like to explore anthropomorphized forms and different "footed/shoed" designs—like giving ceramics cowboy boots. I was inspired by these hotdog stands with boots (though I couldn’t find the original creator for credit). I plan to experiment with this idea by creating molds from plastic cowboy boot shot glasses I found on Amazon, adding a whimsical element to the pieces.

inspiration