Jessie Smit Design

Life is busy for Jessie Smit and, at times, somewhat of a capricious adventure….such as the way she
connected with husband Greg and married him twice.
“In 2008, when I was 20, I traveled to Australia for a Bible scholarship. Two of the Dean’s sons were
married to two of Greg’s sisters! I met Greg and we immediately liked one another, but it was time for
me to return home. We had three years of long-distance dating, with a few in-person visits.
“We decided to get married but hit some passport problems. He was denied twice, but finally made it in
January 2012. Then, we had just 90-days to get married. We did that in February and had our real
wedding in May.”
Greg is a photographer. Jessie, who always nurtured a broad creative streak, joined him in Greg and Jess
Photography.
“He left a job in finance to go fulltime into photography in 2020,” Jessie explained. “Our main focus is
weddings, but he’s branching into commercial and product jobs.” The couple moved to Nolensville in
2017 when Jessie was seven months pregnant with their first daughter. Their second daughter came just
over a year later. Then, COVID clamped down in 2020.
“All I did was feed babies and clean house,” Jessie said, laughing. “I mean, that was great, but I wanted
to create. Pottery always fascinated me, but it was too expensive.”
Finally, Jessie gave in to her creative urges. She watched pottery-making films on YouTube over and
over. She bought clay and other supplies on a strict budget. She watched more YouTube. She bought an
inexpensive wheel from Amazon. She watched more YouTube. She bought a kiln. She watched….never
mind, you already know about that.
What emerged was a beautifully creative, self-taught potter who is committed to further developing her
skills.
“The birth of a plate or a mug or a vase or a bowl goes through several stages before it’s ready for the
world to see it,” she explained, “and I’m addicted to every stage. It’s never boring or repetitive. I’m
constantly failing but, at the same time, constantly succeeding.
“I began moving forward in earnest in March 2020. I pushed myself and was selling by 2021. My studio is
at home. I don’t have a storefront but I’m on Facebook and Instagram at Jessie Smit Design. I’ve
watched myself grow, and even that becomes an inspiration.”
Today, Jessie has a top-of-the-line kiln and a much better wheel. She has a supportive, creative husband,
with two beautiful daughters. She relishes the feel of wet clay and experiences both pride and humility
as she sees a gray glob transforming into an energy-filled creation.
Check her out for yourself. You’ll like it.