Inspiring Conversations with Lauren Allison of Not Another Pottery Studio (NAPS!)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Allison.

Lauren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland. If you’ve watched Derry Girls, that’s a pretty accurate depiction of my childhood 🙂

I started my career in politics as a speech writer and researcher after completing a Master of Arts (Honours) in International Relations from The University of St Andrews in conjunction with L’Institut des Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) and studying at the Centre for Comparative Conflict Studies at Singidunum University, Belgrade.

In 2012-2014 I trained as a public diplomacy professional at the University of Southern California (USC) as a UK Fulbright Postgraduate Award Recipient. I received an International Peace Scholarship from the Philanthropic Education Organization (PEO) Scholarship Fund and the British Universities North America Club (BUNAC) Education Scholarship Trust Award

The majority of my career so far has been as a public diplomacy professional and speech writer, mostly in politics and for tech companies. In 2019, I was hired as the CEO of #techmums- an influential non-profit in the UK that works to support mothers in becoming more familiar, confident, and excited about the use of technology in their personal and professional lives.

When I moved back to Los Angeles a few years ago, my husband playfully teased me that I didn’t have hobbies outside of work. To prove a point, I registered in a pottery class immediately and within 20 minutes was sitting in my first class as an adult.

Initially frustrating, pottery soon captivated me with its transformative magic—taking a simple lump of clay and turning it into something beautiful and functional. After working from a home studio and acquiring my first kiln, I realized I wanted to create a pottery studio that stood out—a welcoming, community-oriented space right here in Northeast LA. I’ve run businesses before, but this would be my first brick and morter so I registered in night classes at UCLA and made the weekly trek across town to build a business plan. I think it was a sign of real determination that I managed rush hour traffic from Highland Park to Westwood on Dodger game nights…

After developing the plan and a two-year search for the perfect location, I found our home in Eagle Rock, a neighborhood close to my heart and home here in LA.

On St Patrick’s Day weekend last year, I got the keys, and after a few months of magic, Not Another Pottery Studio (NAPS) opened its doors on July 2 2024.

Our studio name—Not Another Pottery Studio—reflects our intention to offer something different. We focus deeply on three core values: cleanliness, kindness, and creative community.

Cleanliness ensures a safe, enjoyable environment for everyone, with rigorous cleaning protocols and air filtration to handle clay and glaze dust.

Kindness is about providing a supportive, nurturing space where mistakes are celebrated as experiments, encouraging creative vulnerability among members and students. Creativity, especially as an adult, can be very vulnerable and intimate; we strive to create an environment where everyone feels genuinely supported in exploring and expressing their creativity. Whether it’s the gentle reassurance from a staff member after a pottery piece collapses or the joyful cheers when someone completes their first successful project, kindness is deeply woven into our studio culture.

The heart of our studio is our creative community- both inside the studio and in NELA more broadly. We offer memberships for experienced potters, beginner-friendly courses, one-time workshops, kids’ classes, and Spanish-language sessions, embracing all ages and backgrounds. Regular free community events, collaborations, and inclusive policies—such as no charges for firing, glazing, or tools—reinforce our commitment to accessibility and community engagement. During the LA wildfires, we quickly turned our studio into day shelter for those who needed electricity, clean air, Internet, company, food, masks, and just somewhere to be and create. We fired over 400 pieces for free that people made during this time. I’m so proud of our team (most were evacuated) and our members who volunteered daily to support families during this time.

At Not Another Pottery Studio, everyone is encouraged to explore, experiment, and fall in love with clay (and their creative selves!) supported by a community defined by kindness and creativity.

We’re almost a year old and I’m blown away by the response of the community and the amount of joy and healing these 2000sq ft have brought to so many so far.

During the hunt for a location, I trained as a fully comprehensively classical Pilates instructor and qualified on all apparatus last year under Carrie Macy Samper’s program at Equinox.

My husband is now encouraging me to find a new hobby that I don’t turn into a business 🙂

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Turning a passion into a business is an existential dance. I started pottery as a respite from my laptop and screens but opening a business, screen time is unfortunately a big part of it. Trying to balance my own creative time and being able to recharge is still a lesson I’m learning.

Being a solo founder is tough – you’re the bookkeeper, the strategic planner, the bathroom cleaner, the teacher, the head of HR, the plumber, the customer service rep and sometimes all of these before your second coffee.

All of the things you’re required to do as a business owner really pile up and the learning curve is so steep. I joke that I knew enough to be able to be prepared and get started and not too much to scare me off starting!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Not Another Pottery Studio (NAPS!)?
Not Another Pottery Studio (NAPS) is a new, exciting, and growing pottery studio in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles.

NAPS offers memberships for experienced potters, courses for those wanting to learn or expand their skills, one-off classes and workshops, pottery painting, and event space rental. Whether you’re a beginner or family that wants to get their hands dirty, or a seasoned potter that wants a new studio to call home, we offer an inclusive, welcoming, and kind space.

As the name suggests, NAPS is not (just!) another pottery studio. Our memberships and classes include firing, over 100 different brushable, dippable glazes and underglazes, and we provide as many different, fun tools as possible so your only additional expense should only ever be clay!

NAPS is dedicated to providing the local North East Los Angeles (NELA) community with free and low cost arts events (including and beyond pottery) so that everyone has the opportunity to be a part of our space and discover their inner artist while connecting with others in our welcoming community.

Our studio name—Not Another Pottery Studio—reflects our intention to offer something different. We focus deeply on three core values: cleanliness, kindness, and creative community.

Cleanliness ensures a safe, enjoyable environment for everyone, with rigorous cleaning protocols and air filtration to handle clay and glaze dust.

Kindness is about providing a supportive, nurturing space where mistakes are celebrated as experiments, encouraging creative vulnerability among members and students. Creativity, especially as an adult, can be very vulnerable and intimate; we strive to create an environment where everyone feels genuinely supported in exploring and expressing their creativity. Whether it’s the gentle reassurance from a staff member after a pottery piece collapses or the joyful cheers when someone completes their first successful project, kindness is deeply woven into our studio culture.

The heart of our studio is our creative community- both inside the studio and in NELA more broadly. We offer memberships for experienced potters, beginner-friendly courses, one-time workshops, kids’ classes, and Spanish-language sessions, embracing all ages and backgrounds. Regular free community events, collaborations, and inclusive policies—such as no charges for firing, glazing, or tools—reinforce our commitment to accessibility and community engagement. During the LA wildfires, we quickly turned our studio into day shelter for those who needed electricity, clean air, Internet, company, food, masks, and just somewhere to be and create. We fired over 400 pieces for free that people made during this time. I’m so proud of our team (most were evacuated) and our members who volunteered daily to support families during this time.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Such an interesting question to answer!

My first reaction is that I’m risk adverse but I probably don’t seem it from the outside. I’ve picked up my life and moved, lived, or studied in so many cities across the world: St Andrews, Paris, Belgrade, Washington D.C., Berlin, and of course LA. Travel , moving, embracing something new, is something I naturally fall into (even though I am a natural worrier!). In my previous positions, I took on average 54 flights a year and during 2020 I took about 20 flights – I was one of a handful of people on a plane in May 2020. That might sound like I’m a risk taker, but I’m also a heavy preparation person with check lists and back ups of everything always. I’m the friend who has a spare battery in her purse, extra snacks on a trip, a water filter straw on a hike.

Growing up in Northern Ireland in the second half of “The Troubles” has definitely played a role in me being someone who constantly calculates risks, comes up with contingency plans, knows the 45 ways something might be dangerous, but it’s also what makes me driven and tough and able to overcome whatever comes my way.

My life seems to always follow a very “exception-to-the-rule” trajectory so I think I just view risk differently from other people. I’m very practical and love preparing for things but I’m also not afraid of embracing the big shifts and unknowns. There’s always something beautiful that comes out of a big jump.

Opening NAPS was one of the “biggest” things I’ve done in quite a while. Opening a new business and my first brick and mortar. Refusing to follow the business model I’ve seen elsewhere and define my business model on kindness and inclusivity like free firing, 100s of glazes and tools for member and student use. I think if you take a risk rooted in your values and with a mission and passion at its heart, then you’re moving in the right direction.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.notanotherpotterystudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notanotherpotterystudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Not-Another-Pottery-Studio/61556590291580/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/not-another-pottery-studio-los-angeles

Image Credits
Headshot by Nadine Tschira