In My Hands

Ed King is the Executive Director of Pottery Northwest,, Seattle's longest-running nonprofit ceramic studio. He built an independent art business in Miami for over a decade, cut his teeth in advertising, and later moved into arts administration. A national search led him to a job posting that read differently than the rest, and he and his wife made the move across the country to Seattle. Now he serves stockbrokers, surgeons, rocket scientists, refugee resettlement workers, and first-time students who've never touched clay.We talk about art, craft, money, and bodies. He helps us understand why he thinks the art-vs-craft debate is beside the point, what it actually costs to build an inclusive space, and what's ahead as Pottery Northwest moves into its next chapter.00:00 – Introduction03:16 – Who is Ed King, and what does he do here05:31 – How he became Executive Director09:05 – Moving to Seattle, and the "Seattle Freeze"13:19 – Background: born in Cleveland, raised in Miami14:59 – Where art and money actually meet18:32 – Art vs. craft: "I'm not really moved by definitions"22:50 – Results vs. the journey, and walking the Camino de Santiago26:29 – What Pottery Northwest is, and how people get involved29:38 – Who shows up to make things here32:58 – The financial reality of running an arts nonprofit35:01 – Bodies in the studio: accessibility and safety36:54 – The "no asshole rule" and setting boundaries38:31 – Building a space that's safe for Black, brown, and queer communities47:54 – Where his grounding comes from: family, history, self-respect53:20 – Buying student work, and what it means to artists financially56:03 – The move to South Lake Union1:05:08 – On criticism, and staying the course1:08:36 – Closing thoughtsIn My Hands is a documentary series exploring what happens when you work at the intersection of people, bodies, and money.Based on the ethnographic framework from Dustin Kiskaddon's book, "Blood and Lightning: On Becoming a Tattooer" (Stanford University Press, 2024).Hosted by Dustin KiskaddonShot by Sean Ryan

Laura Cassidy works at Recompose, Seattle's human composting facility.

She came from journalism, spent a year at a traditional funeral home, and now helps people, including those with terminal diagnoses, navigate one of the most personal decisions of their lives.

We talk about:

• What human composting is and how it works
• How to talk about money in a sacred space without being weird about it
• What it takes to work in death care without burning out
• The complex character of grief in the body
• Why more people are ready to have this conversation than you might think

In My Hands is a podcast about people, bodies, and money. We aim to capture the deeper contours of everyday life.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Welcome / What is Recompose?

2:52 – What human composting actually is, explained plainly

4:23 – Laura's path: from fashion journalism to grief work

17:05 – PEOPLE: Building a world to die in

24:25 – BODIES: How the body is held, spoken about, and thought about here

36:36 – MONEY: Talking about cost in a sacred space

44:35 – Advice for anyone who wants to work in death care

This series is built on a framework from Dustin Kiskaddon's ethnography on becoming a tattoo artist: "Blood and Lightning: On Becoming a Tattooer." https://www.sup.org/books/sociology/b...

Shawna Williams is the owner of Free Range Cycles, a 790 sq ft bike shop in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. She graduated with a political science degree and bought the shop at age 27.

She helps us understand what it actually means to run a small business, the unexpected intimacy of a bike shop, learning how to charging what your work is worth, and building a space where people who've been othered feel genuinely welcome.

There's lots to love about Free Range, including sweet steel frame bikes, custom bike packing rigs, and the party pace life of cool bikes and great people. There's also so much hiding just under the surface.

This series is built on a framework from Dustin Kiskaddon's ethnography on becoming a tattoo artist: "⁠Blood and Lightning: On Becoming a Tattooer⁠."

Watch on ⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠ :)

Chapters

(00:00) Intro / Shawna at Free Range Cycles

(01:42) How she got here

(06:40) People: the human side of bike repair

(15:46) Building an inclusive space

(17:37) Bodies: the physical qualities of human experience

(24:56) Money: charging what your worth, and earning bread

(36:59) What she'd tell her younger self

A sociologist enters a bike shop, a human composting facility, and a pottery studio.

In My Hands is a series of conversations with folks working at the intersection of people, bodies, and money. Whether they're small business owners or nonprofit directors, they building something specific and tangible.

Part character study, these aren't success stories or cautionary tales. They reveal hidden contours of everyday life, reminding me (at least) that the things I care about most are the things I interact with on a daily basis.

 Partner with my curiosity, I’d love to have you along for the ride.

The show is a passion project of me, Dustin Kiskaddon, author of Blood and Lightning: On Becoming a Tattooer. Videography and promo reel editing by Sean Ryan. Photographic and conceptual help from Caroline Colón.