Hello, I am Haley Cristina

I am the heart, soul, and hands behind

Ginkgo Goddess Ceramics.

I love romanticizing the everyday. The way the flowers bloom in spring, the way the clouds look like marshmallows that you could dive into, the perfect swoosh a stream makes, and how things flow all around you if you are paying attention. 

I was born and raised in New Jersey, and I grew up constantly outside. I fondly remember the sweet changes of the seasons. My favorite memories are of the summertime out in the garden, getting my hands dirty with my grandfather. Sometimes it was helping him tend to his vegetables or my favorite— getting lost finding the perfect fig inside his massive fig trees, buzzing with life and sweetness. I spent every summer at the Jersey shore digging in the sand and building sandcastles. I’d say now, I can see how drawn I have always been to getting my hands into the earth.

  I have spent a good portion of my life feeling like everyone else knows what to do or which road to take and I just never have. That mentality cultivated a feeling of being unsure and sometimes (most times) confused on which path to travel down and in turn, has led to just taking one and going all in.

I spent the first 10 years of my professional life as a zookeeper more specifically a bird keeper (cool, i know),I learned patience, how to pay very close attention and to always be thinking on my toes. It taught me so many things that I will carry with me always. After years of pouring all of myself into it, I knew a slower more intentional path was what I ultimately wanted (and lets be real needed).

A real shift happened when I realized that no-one really knows what they are doing and there is real beauty in the simple fact that we’re all just here on this floating rock figuring it out as we go. When you let go of thinking you need to know, you are able to find your way. When you can see that everything is happening right on time, your perspective shifts.

One path I never questioned was my journey with clay.

I did pottery for the first time at summer camp (shout out Rambling Pines) when I was 8 years old, and ever since that initial moment, no matter what path I was on, there was always a detour pulling me back to clay.

Working with my hands has always felt like a path to get out of my own way, allowing me to find trust in myself. Which, for a long time, I really lacked.

The work I create is an extension of me and my inner world. What is formed comes from a deep trust in myself and trust in the process. Ever since the first time I touched clay, it has felt like magic to me. It has shown me that anything is possible, and if you believe it is you really can create anything.That is something so special and something that I cant help but want to share with others.

I live right outside Seattle, WA with my husband and our two fur babes and I spend a lot of my time outside drawing inspiration from the world around me.

Sometimes it’s the patterns of leaves or the ripples in the water. Anything that sparks an emotion. I try to capture those feelings through my pots. I love to incorporate presence in my pieces, where you can find yourself getting into the present by finding the small details my hands leave behind. I love that pottery can last many lifetimes if handled with care. I love that it can find its way into your daily routine and make the everyday regular moments extraordinary. And finally, i love that it can create connections with others but most importantly.. with yourself.