Today’s artist is a Big Deal. Master glassmaker Annie Morhauser has been making glorious glass items, both practical and impractical, for decades. She founded her company Annieglass in 1983, and her work is included in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and my favorite place on Earth, the Corning Museum of Glass. The artist has even been granted patents for a few of her more innovative techniques. And though her more practical pieces are considered affordable, her work has graced dining tables from Oprah’s house to the White House. This remarkable powerhouse of a woman turns out between 50K and 70K HANDMADE items per year. Annieglass has 26 employees and 25 independent salespeople, and is the owner of a 16,000 square foot studio and store.

Morhauser says she started her business with “debt and determination,” and reading her story, I believe her. The artist has made a career of trial and error, which, apparently is pretty common with glasswork. But when she gives a VIP a tour of her studio, she always includes what she calls the Boneyard, the room filled with her failures. She tells people that what she likes about glass is that mistakes give you a chance for reinvention. There’s a lesson there for all of us!

You can follow Annie Morhauser on her AnnieGlass website and on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.