A Dragon, a Teapot, and the Ocean: One Ceramic Artist's Strange, Beautiful World of Memorial Urns
About this episode
Rae Delai discusses her journey from nursing to creating memorial urns, inspired by a promise to her dying aunt.
If you've ever wondered how a dying loved one's request could become a calling, episode 440 of Grief and Happiness is for you. Ceramic artist Rae Delai shares how a promise to her dying aunt led her to leave nursing and open White Lily Urns, crafting memorial pieces — including a teapot urn for a young woman lost to anorexia and a reef urn that becomes part of the ocean. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (00:55) Rae's path from 30 years in nursing to becoming a full-time ceramic artist (01:27) How her dying aunt's request for an urn led to White Lily Urns (08:30) Why Australian culture — and even most potters — avoid making urns (13:54) The meditative discipline of clay: why you can't create while angry (14:33) How clients find Rae's work and why most of her urns ship overseas (16:38) The personal stories behind her urns, including a dragon urn for a teen who died by suicide (19:00) Designing a custom teapot urn for a young woman who died of anorexia (22:26) Why ceramics are like crystals — and the surprises every kiln firing brings (24:28) How grieving clients choose an urn in the moment, without overthinking it (25:40) The reef-friendly urn Rae created for her own grief, built…
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