Shayne and I met in the most modern glass-artist way possible — on Instagram.

At the time, we were both working in New England and both running “blow-your-own” style classes out of hot shops. He happened to visit my studio on his birthday, and with the help of a few friends, I surprised him by having him make his own glass cupcake. We kicked off a friendship and creative connection that’s continued ever since.

Right now, Shayne is in a really unique chapter of his life. After more than 13 years of working full-time with soft glass and Borosilicate he’s stepped away from glass as an income and has transitioned into a career as a middle school teacher.

Even so, his years in glass have laid a foundation that he carries with him, and he’s far from done exploring what glassmaking means to him.

In this episode, Shayne talks about his early years in theater and martial arts, and how he first discovered glass in college at Salem State. He shares the story of cold-calling every studio he could find until one finally agreed to teach him in exchange for work — an opportunity he stuck with for years until that studio eventually dissolved. From there, he built a home torch setup and hustled his way into selling his work, mostly through networking, persistence, and calling shops directly.

He also walks us through how rock climbing eventually led him to finding a new hot shop, where he transitioned into working for someone else. Shayne opens up about the grind of being a production spoon maker, and the very real differences between working independently at the torch for yourself versus working in a hot shop environment as an employee.

We dig into the big feelings of identity shifts that come with leaving the glass world as a full-time career and how he found his path into teaching middle school. He reflects on the importance of having passions, stability, and community outside of your work, to avoid burnout. He also talks about how stepping away from glass as his main income has actually opened the door to bigger creative ideas. Pieces to make that don’t need to sell, and concepts that he wants to explore.

Of course, he wraps it all up with some truly incredible words of wisdom, so make sure to listen until the very end.

Lindsay and I have been friends for years, and she’s been making glass for going on 17. We first met in New England, USA before she went off to Mass Art in Boston. A hard-earned semester abroad in Ireland ended up shaping where she found herself today.

After graduating, she spent time traveling the country cooking at music festivals and helping put on big art installations. She then settled in Arizona for a bit before making a big move back to Ireland for her master’s.

Her passion? Eco horror. She shares some of her work that I think is just incredible. Life abroad as an immigrant isn’t always easy, but she’s finding her flow, her voice, and honestly, I’m so excited to see what comes next for her.

Please support Lindsay by finding her on Instagram: @loolooglass

You can find @shapingstoriespod on Facebook, Instagram, and all podcast platforms including Spotify and YouTube.

To follow along with my personal glassy life, check out my Instagram: @dominiquecaissieglass

Adrienne Ladd has been working with glass since 2009, starting out of necessity as a mom searching for a path that let her raise her child the way she envisioned. While she doesn’t necessarily recommend this unconventional route for everyone, it worked beautifully for her as the pieces fell into place.

In our conversation, Adrienne shares her journey from the coast of Massachusetts to Maine, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and back to Maine, where she now calls home. She opens up about how her signature designs came to life, the challenges she’s faced within the glass community, and the ways she prioritizes her health and body while navigating the demands of the craft.

This is a story of resilience, creativity, and finding alignment between art and life.