Conversations with Sarah Keith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Keith

Hi Sarah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Toronto, Canada and am now based in the small mountain town of Mammoth Lakes, CA. I love to bake, ski, and foster animals, but then keep them. You’ll usually find me dreaming of chocolate chip cookies and listening to either Stevie Nicks or Taylor Swift. I’m married to a TV writer, who I’m pretty obsessed with and I’m a mama to a dog named Jeff, a Golden retriever named Goldie, 3 cats, and 2 beautiful children, Ophelia and Teddy. Mostly I’m just really really grateful to have this life.

In 2022, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. My doctor referred to it as a piranha in my body. A tumor as aggressive as it could be. I had been breastfeeding my babies for almost 6 years straight and it truly felt like my entire life exploded in an instant. After a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, one of my friends asked me to take a pottery class with her. We started noticing how many life lessons could be learned through pottery and at the end of our 6 week course, I held a tiny vase in my hand and pushed two little boobs into the clay. Next to all of the cat food dishes I had made, it felt like the most beautiful thing I had ever created and the perfect way to pay tribute to the end of my active cancer treatment, as I had also just finished 6 weeks radiation.

We signed up for another course and I started making boobie vases for all of my doctors and other survivors I had met on my journey. It is never lost on me that my cancer journey has been filled with so much love and positivity (as far as cancer goes). What started out as a new hobby to process my diagnosis, quickly turned into a business that I am so incredibly proud of.

Many young women do not have the means and support that I have been blessed with, so I donate profits from my Nice Tits collection to organizations that support those women… it’s a small way that I can continue to make beautiful things and support other women.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been just over two years since my diagnosis and I am healthy and cancer free! I have had five surgeries in the past two years, as well as chemotherapy and aggressive radiation, so active treatment is now behind me. After taking a stroll down the cancer highway, most struggles have a new light to them…
When I started my small business, it was really a personal adventure to process everything that I and my body had just been through. I had no intention of doing anything with it besides giving myself a new hobby. But I think that other survivors, caregivers and women quickly connected to what I was making and the power that these little ceramics pieces represented and by the time I got my website up and running and did my first drop, I sold out in just a few hours!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Nice Tits is a collection of mugs, vases, and other giftable and useful ceramics that are adorned with all shapes and sizes of breasts and scars to represent each woman’s unique body and journey. I keep each new drop exciting by painting flowers and other designs on my pieces, all with a slightly retro feel which reflects my own personal style. Each piece is one of a kind. Since I started Nice Tits just over a year ago, I have donated several thousand dollars to different organizations that support young breast cancer survivors and early detection. I also love to ship out surprise pieces to women that are going through or have gone through breast cancer treatment and need a smile or a reminder of their strength. Creating something that represents the beauty in something so painful has helped me heal and I hope that I am able to pass a little of that on to others and make a difference in my community.

How do you think about luck?
Well, good luck and bad luck have definitely both been heavy handed players in my story. I always tell my children that getting cancer at 36 is just plain old bad luck. I didn’t have any risk factors or family history. I am healthy and active. We eat organic and clean with vinegar so that our house smells like a salad instead of chemicals… I had really focused so much of my energy on having a healthy, clean home. So when I was diagnosed with cancer, it really felt so unfair. So unlucky. Why me? I did all the right things!
But after my initial bad luck, I believe that my journey has been sprinkled with so much good luck…. “Good” isn’t even the right word… I would say “amazing, incredible and extraordinary luck!”
My family moved to Mammoth Lakes, where we are all absolutely thriving, I started my small business, and I’m HEALTHY. There’s nothing else I could possible ask for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Sarahkeithceramics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkeithceramics/