Hey,
My name is Carmen Anastasia Paloma Proffitt (she/they).
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I was born and raised in the SF Bay Area (mainly Pacifica); original homelands of the Ohlone-speaking peoples (Ramaytush Ohlone and Muwekma Ohlone). I grew up with the ocean and tasty foods at my fingertips alongside many siblings and loving friends.
I currently live on the unceded ancestral homelands of the Shasta and Takelma Nations who have symbiotically lived with this land since time before memory (so-called Ashland, Oregon). As a descendent of colonizers, I recognize that I benefit from living on and running my ceramics business on their traditional homeland in a society designed to exclude them and erase their culture and the true history. I wish to honor and pay my respect to their ancestors, relatives, and future generations by affirming their sovereign rights as the First Nations of this land. This acknowledgement reflects my commitment to beginning the process of dismantling the ongoing legacies of colonialism within myself, and may that continue to be more reflected in our local community and society at large.
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I mostly hold a mix of European (English, Irish, and Scottish) and Boricua (Spanish, Portuguese, and Taino) descent and have a large bio family of ranging personalities, shapes, and colors that has all molded me into the human I am today.
For the majority of my life, I was in survival mode due to various circumstances. In my early adulthood, I was able to address some of my trauma and begin a healing journey that I am still exploring today. Working with clay has been a constant throughout. Waves of grief and joy carry me through the current times we live in as I experience the world in a new light and try to live toward a better future for many generations after me.
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I received my bachelor's in psychology and a post-baccalaureate certificate in accounting from Southern Oregon University. I originally just wanted to make sense of my upbringing and be able to help others, but without any support, I pursued a path that would more likely pay the bills and freshly dealt student loans. For a few years, I spent time in both public and private accounting. During that time overall, I felt disconnected and unhappy.
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In 2021, I traded what felt like my hamster wheel for a pottery wheel. My hopes are to invest in myself, my community, and the world around me more. I feel more connected and happier since that shift despite knowing it was just the beginning of my journey.
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Where I currently live, I have volunteered with various groups like the Women's Leadership Conference of Southern Oregon, Southern Oregon Climate Action Now, Maslow Project, Unete Center for Farm Worker Advocacy, Northwest Seasonal Workers Association, and Rogue Valley Farm to School.
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As I work towards living a life more aligned with my values and spirit, I find myself studying Traditional Ecological Knowledge and permaculture.
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I also am working on a business plan for a food establishment called Noemi's Eatery. Noemi is my little sister who is no longer here in the physical. The intention is to bring into fruition the potential of who she could have been, who I can be, and what my local community can be. There is a lot to observe and learn beforehand, and working with clay will continue to help me balance out what I see with what I feel as I go along.