about

Hello Friends! My name is Mackenzie, and I am the messy hands and mind behind Merry Mack. I’ve sat here and really tried to pinpoint what brought me to clay, or when I had that “ah-ha” moment, but the truth is, that it just kind of happened. I’m sure that’s not the magical story you were hoping for, but ceramics really came into my life when I so desperately needed a creative outlet to rediscover myself and my innate desire to create, after experiencing a terrible loss.

For as long as I can remember I have had a creative spirit and a desire to make. I come from a long line of artistic women and growing up my mother always encouraged and pushed me to use my imagination. My first real creative memory is when she gifted me a sewing basket that had belonged to my great grandmother. It was full of colorful ribbons, textures, fabrics and hand sewing tools. I used the pieces from the basket to make fun, new outfits for my Barbies and it quickly became one of my favorite things. Eventually my mama upgraded me to a hand-me-down sewing machine – and from there I started making alterations and additions to my clothing, really making it my own. As I got older and more involved in school, I was able to use my creative abilities in other areas. I was on planning committees where I got to coordinate, decorate, and run school events and rallies. I wrote and took pictures for the school paper and I was involved in our theater program where I performed and did stage/costume design. I wanted to experience as many creative opportunities as I could! Fast forward a few years when I then had the opportunity to work for organizations that also encouraged me to utilize my creative side in my work. I had the privilege of helping plan conferences, fundraisers, retreats, and implement outdoor camp programming. I also married a man who is incredibly artistic and talented himself.

But then a few years ago I very unexpectedly lost my mama. She had always been one of my biggest encouragers and inspiration. She herself was a creator and a writer – not to mention she had some mad hot glue gun skills. Growing up I had the best costumes, dioramas, papers and presentations because of her guidance and abilities. I felt like a big side of my creative identity was in part to her and after she was gone, I wanted nothing to do with it, and the more I pushed that away, the more I started to lose myself. Little to my knowledge it wasn’t something I could ignore for too long. Later down the road, there was an opportunity that presented itself to my husband and I, and after many long nights of preparation and planning we opened a Ceramics studio in the Sacramento Area, known as “Sincere Ceramics.” Our studio provides a creative space for artists and makers to come and connect and collaborate with others, and as much as I wanted to not take part of it – the pull was hard to ignore. With the encouragement of my husband I slowly started to experiment and play with clay. Now clay was never a medium that I used previously (it was just always something cool my husband did) but it has really started to make me feel like myself again. The more I immerse myself in clay, the more I have come to realize that I SO need a creative outlet. Working with clay has slowly helped me rediscover my creative spirit, a side of me that I kept suppressed for too long.

My hope is that when you wear your Merry Mack pieces that you feel fun, confident and that you use them as a small statement of who you are - because they really are small pieces of what has made me, me again.