Life Took a Turn and He Turned to Pottery | Hector Kriete | Episode 607

Hector Kriete's life and art has been a path of breaking boundaries that are formed by rules and expectations. As a Latino immigrant from Colombia, Hector grew up with the mindset that financial stability was the primary goal in life. But on the inside, Hector always had a strong desire to create art and a need to be surrounded by nature. Hector spent his teenage years in Southern California trying to assimilate and suppress his true self. When Hector started accepting who he was and rediscovering himself through his roots, Hector's soul was nourished and his creativity was sparked. Hector started doing ceramics when he was a child in Colombia. When he moved to the States, Hector focused on his drawing skills, but soon felt constrained by the overwhelming amount of rules imposed by one of his high school teachers. Hector rediscovered ceramics through a teacher who allowed him to experiment and create without strict direction. This freed Hector to discover a world of unlimited possibilities. Another inspirational teacher in college taught Hector the value of making mistakes and not being afraid to take risks. Hector has learned that the best things can often come from not having expectations and allowing a co-creative process with the medium.