We chatted with Saint Yocom, who so excellently described the business’ origins on the floor of a tiny bedroom, the ever-evolving process behind each piece, and the ways chat GPT has acted as a business assistant.
Some of my favorite art is born out of the beautification of practical objects. Raised by a hyper-practical mother, there’s a special place in my heart for things that are simultaneously wonderful to look at and functional to their core. If you too crave this combination look no further than Vines and Vessels; the LA small business creating handmade, one-of-one vessels that hang on your wall.
When Saint’s work was first introduced to me while preparing to host Vines and Vessels at a Maker’s Market, I was taken with the innovative nature of each piece, allowing vases to act in an entirely new way. Actually, the vessels are much more than a vase and are rather works of art acting in conjunction with whatever greenery rests inside. Each seems to grow out of the wall and exhibit a natural quality only enhanced by the plants they contain. I was thrilled to chat with the artist behind these works, Saint Yocom, who so excellently described the business’ origins on the floor of a tiny bedroom, the ever-evolving process behind each piece, and the ways chat GPT has acted as a business assistant.
Q: What were you doing before Vines and Vessels?
A: Before Vines & Vessels I was actually in school. At the time, I thought my future would be many more years of education, studying math and psychology, then working on research or in higher education. I had tutored math as well as psychology at Berkeley City College and I just really loved it. I’ve always made art, but it was always for myself and certainly not something I thought would become as large a part of my life as it is now.
Q: Your pieces provide customers with artistry and practicality at once. How did you get the idea?
A: When I first started making my vessels, I was living in the smallest room of an already small four-bedroom apartment. I had become obsessed with the idea of the vessel, an object whose purpose is simply to hold other objects. The idea of that just felt so romantic, selfless and vast. I was doing all of my sculpting on the floor of my room because it was the only space I had to sculpt them and to be honest, making vases that hang on the wall came more out of necessity. All of the surfaces of my room were becoming full of the things I had been sculpting so it just felt right to start making things that would be able to go onto the walls.
Q: What’s the execution like? Did it take some experimenting to refine your process?
A: The execution is definitely much more smooth of a process than it used to be. There has been a lot of trial and error trying to figure out what works best. As for the experimentation, I don’t think it will ever stop. I hope that I never become complacent, thinking that my process is fully refined. There will ideally always be new ideas, new techniques, even new tools and technology that I would be willing to incorporate into my practice, or at least test out.
Q: Our managing director Brianne told me that you were the first person she heard of using Chat-GPT for a business plan. Can you tell me more about that? Are there specific ways you have found it to be helpful?
A: It's true. I simply can not believe I am alive during the bloom of chat-GPT and artificial intelligence. I began using chat-GPT very soon after it first became public and it was also only a short while after I had first started selling my pieces. I previously didn’t have any experience in making products that I sell and I certainly didn't have any experience starting any kind of business. At first, I would use it like a very fancy calculator, asking it to price things for me based on how much time and money I had put into making it. But eventually it became my assistant, my advisor, and at times even my boss. I would ask it financial questions, marketing questions or just bounce ideas off of it. What helped me the most though is when I would tell it longer-term goals and have it break down each step on how to achieve those goals. I could really go on and on about how much it helped me, but as someone who didn’t know what I was doing, there was room for a lot of self-doubt to creep in. But the ability to express my goals, and in return get a step-by-step list of what to do, gave me guidance when I didn’t know what to do.
Q: How did you sell your first few pieces? What is your experience with selling online?
A: I am very fortunate to have a great community where I live. I’m close with many of my neighbors as well as with people who work on my block or in my neighborhood. Because of that, my neighbors knew about the ceramics that I had been working on and one day asked me if I would like to have a booth at a winter market that was going on in our neighborhood. I was so nervous that, to be honest, I considered canceling at the last minute. I had no idea what I was doing and no idea what to expect which terrified me. Thankfully, I pushed myself to do it anyway and because of that, I ended up selling every piece that I had brought to the market. Currently, most of my pieces are sold online. There are huge differences in each method of selling but I personally tend to favor selling my pieces online. Sending something that I have made with my own hands to places I have never been to, to people that I will likely never meet is an extraordinarily beautiful feeling for me. It makes any of the challenges well worth it.
Q: Where do most of your customers find you? Would you say it’s mostly markets, word of mouth, or somewhere else?
A: I believe that most of my customers currently find me through social media. But people often tell me that they bought a piece because they saw it on their friend’s wall, which I really love.
Q: How have you found LA’s art community to be? More specifically, what is it like being in Chinatown and part of the art scene there?
A: Well, having grown up in Los Angeles I certainly have a big bias and just love the incredible work that comes out of it. Most of my friends are also artists that also grew up here and they are constantly impressing me with the work they are creating. As for Chinatown specifically, I couldn't ask for a better community. I couldn’t attend all of the amazing performances, shows, openings, etc. if I tried my hardest. It's truly beautiful and inspiring to see.
Q: What does a typical day look like? Where do you find inspiration for new pieces?
A: Well my days can vary quite a bit based on what needs to get done, but my days are typically filled with lots of sculpting, glazing, and packaging. I still sculpt all of my ceramics at home so most days I try to have a coffee at the park, just to reset and take a step back so I don’t lose my mind. I often become inspired in these moments. My inspiration really comes from anywhere, it can be the architecture on buildings while I am on a walk, or even the tiling on a public bathroom floor. It’s whatever catches my eyes or my thoughts.
Q: I wanted to ask, how has making one-of-a-kind pieces impacted your work? Do you find there are any hurdles with one-of-one work that is made by hand, or is it freeing? Maybe some of both?
A: I really love this question. There is no doubt that if I made pieces that were identical to each other it would be easier, faster, and possibly more financially beneficial. There is also a level of stress that can come with trying to make every piece unique. I have to constantly be thinking of new shapes, colors, patterns, styles, and everything in between. I get a lot of people contacting me asking if I can make a specific piece again which is bittersweet because I am happy they like something I made, but I also hope they will like what I continue to make. Despite all of these things though, creating pieces that are unique, even if they are only slightly unique, is what keeps me growing and exploring and that is ultimately what I hope to always be doing. Doing the same thing, the same way I've always done it, every single day just isn't the way I want to live my life. It allows me to evolve and to be able to trace my own evolution over time and I like the ability to look back on everything like a journal.
Q: Thanks so much, Saint. Is there anything else you think we should know about you or your work?
A: Thank you so much, I appreciate this opportunity to talk about my work. Today (September 28th) is actually the two year anniversary of when I first brought my work online so it is very special timing to be talking about these things for me. All I really have to say is that I am very excited for all of the new ideas and visions that I have for this year to come to fruition
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