Growing up surrounded by my Greek American culture, I learned the significance a name carries. Names have the ability to hold meaning and power and give honor. That is why it's so important to me to choose a thoughtful name for each of my ceramic pieces. Each piece in our shop is carefully prepared and thoughtfully named after an amazing woman in my life who has inspired me in some way. Today I want to share a little bit with you of the history and the behind the scenes process of how we name our pottery pieces.
Our Family History of Names
The name “Eleni” sprawls through four generations of women in my family starting with my great grandmother, who survived the Great Depression. She then passed the name down to my grandmother who passed it on to my mother, who put clay in my hands before I could even speak. These intelligent, determined, generous women, along with so many others, serve as a reminder for me to keep going even in hard times.
Not only does my name carry great family history, but there is also a special meaning in the word itself. In Greek, “Eleni” means light. I wanted to find a way to incorporate the meaning of the name in our products and now, it has become a signature element in all the pieces we create. Sparkle and gold can be found in all of our products and it is those elements that are reminiscent of a name that carries so much meaning.
Want to learn more about our pottery making process? Check out this blog post!
How We Name the Ceramic Pieces in Our Pottery Shop
Feeling inspired by the power of names, I name each piece in the Pottery by Eleni collections after the amazing women in my life as my thank you for their inspiration. The pieces, such as The Elaine Mug, The Tierney Rae Painter's Palette, and The Peggy Serving Bowl not only are beautiful and functional pieces, but they also honor my loved ones, something that I hope our customers will connect to. We strive to create beautiful, functional homeware pottery pieces that can be enjoyed for decades and passed down as timeless additions to holiday tables.
Because the pieces we create are so close to my heart, it especially means a lot to me when customers reach out to tell me that a piece shares their name or a loved ones name and makes them feel like it was meant especially for them. Being able to connect with our customers in this way truly brings fulfillment to the work.
There is no shortage of amazing women that I have met in my walk through life and it has been a joy to honor those women by naming our pottery pieces after them. Ceramic pieces will come and go from our collections, but the impact my friends and family have made on my life is forever.
When you purchase a ceramic piece from our shop, remember, you’re not just getting another dinner plate or serving bowl. You’re getting a piece of of history, a legacy from brave and strong women around the world.