Jan 18

Jan 18 Ariel Zimman | Owner + Ceramicist, Stonedware Company

Ariel is the founder behind Stonedware Co., a Portland, OR-based small biz driven by both form and function, created for customers seeking a deeper connection with the objects in their life. An artist and activist who lives and creates with intention at the forefront, Ariel strives to run a business focused on standards of crafts(wo)manship, woman empowerment, community involvement, philanthropy and environmentally friendly practices. Read on to learn more about the Stonedware story—from booming business to peak level burnout and everything in-between.

The Basics:

Hometown: Reston, Virginia
Current city: Lincoln City & Portland, Oregon
Alma mater: The School of the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston; Tufts University
Degree: Bachelor of Fine Art
Very first job: Babysitting (12yrs) + CVS (16yrs)
Hustle: Ceramicist & Owner, Stonedware Company

The Interests:

Babe you admire and why?

Forever and always my Mom. She just always seems to know what’s important in life, as well as what we just have to let go of.

How do you like to spend your free time?

Walking the beach with my dog, Bernadette. Going on any outdoor adventure and/or taking my SUP out for a ride. I love getting totally absorbed by a good book, and spending time with my friends and family.

If you could invite anyone to dinner (past or present), who would you ask and where would you go?

I’m currently just wanting to see my family. Due to COVID, this is the longest I’ve ever gone without seeing my parents, siblings and extended family.

One album, no skips: what are you listening to?

When in doubt, Rihanna’s Anti.

The Hustle:

Tell us about your hustle, including a summary of your roles and the work you do daily.

For the past six years I’ve run pretty much every aspect of Stonedware, from social media to production, sales, distribution, marketing, and every step in-between. Over 2020, despite great sales (turns out a lot of people while stuck at home wanted to smoke weed out of fancy pipes!) I experienced peak level burnout and slowed all operations down to a halt. Stopping all wholesale, and even selling down all my retail inventory, and reducing back to being the sole employee. Over the past year I’ve been slowly re-imagining how I want to both live my life and run Stonedware. This has meant leaning into the idea of outsourcing production and distribution—of which I’m currently in the weeds, heyo—of changing the infrastructure Stonedware is run on.

What’s the Stonedware origin story?

Stonedware was born out of my own personal desire to smoke out of a pipe that suited my own personal style. I wanted a piece that I wasn’t ashamed to leave on the coffee table—not because I was ashamed to smoke weed, but because traditional glass pieces do not match my home decor. I set out to make pieces that were beautiful, highly functional and felt good in your hand. All GeoPipes, despite their angular shape, are all ergonomically designed to sit comfortably in the user's hand.

Which came first: your passion for ceramics or interest in cannabis?

I took my first pottery lesson in 3rd grade and have been working with clay ever since! I didn’t discover my love of cannabis until college, and it wasn’t until Stonedware that I ever thought I’d work in the industry.

What are all of the artistic mediums you currently dabble in? How do you determine what takes priority within these mediums and projects, both for your career and for your own artistic pursuits?

I’ve always been an “artsy” person, dabbling in all media from clay to paints, photography to woodworking, and even some welding—but ceramics has always been my preferred medium and has drawn me back time after time. I’m currently taking time to get back into throwing on the pottery wheel, and having a lot of fun practicing while exploring different shapes and glaze techniques.

With that said, what’s one of your favorite products you’ve created—Stonedware or otherwise?

I truly love all the pipes I’ve designed and brought to life for Stonedware. They all smoke wonderfully and I find great enjoyment in providing an option (especially for women) to indulge and partake in cannabis within a style that feels more authentic to their sensibilities. Additionally, I really enjoy some of the larger-scale, site-specific installations I’ve created.

How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?

Since being a woman is the only experience I’ve had, it’s hard to say how it would be any other way! I feel very lucky and fortunate that when starting Stoneware, there was an uprising of local Portland women working in the industry, and I found great support and connections with other women. I was able to choose who I wanted to work and surround myself with, and it was never “weed bros.” For that I am grateful, and found full enjoyment in my peers and others working in the industry. I think it’s super important to know where your money is going, and who you are directly supporting with your purchasing power. It’s up to the consumer to support women and BIPOC-owned businesses with ethics built into their core values.

What does success look like to you?

Living comfortably while still able to support other individuals, my community, and causes that are important to me—both financially and with my time and experience. Being able to create art and travel is also important, but currently on hold because of COVID.

What’s next for Stonedware Co.?

Getting Stonedware back into production mode, and being able to offer wholesale and custom pieces, while also bringing new designs into the lineup.

Career and/or life advice for others (both inside and outside of your industry?)

A few things that I have carried with me as an entrepreneur and human: Never be jealous of others' success. Done is better than perfect. Just keep moving forward. And if it were easy, everyone would do it.