Lauren Babitz
I first got my hands on a pottery wheel in an art class at school, and fell in love immediately. Since then, I’ve been working with clay on and off for over a decade.
Living and working in New York’s fast-paced tech landscape, pottery has provided an outlet to slow down and reconnect. Pottery, for me, is about transformation—shaping earth into form through patience, technique, and presence. I often tell my students that when you start on the wheel, it’s you against the clay: it pushes back, resists. But the key is remembering—you guide the clay, not the other way around. And over time, you stop fighting and start working together. The clay moves with you.
I’m not a pottery master—and I don’t pretend to be. But this craft has taken me farther than I ever expected. I’ve traveled to new places learning learning traditional techniques, and have also built a vibrant queer community here in New York. I’ve explored a range of styles and methods, always driven by a love of the process and a desire to keep learning. What I bring to this retreat isn’t perfection, but a passion for the craft and a commitment to sharing what I’ve gathered along the way.
Queer Pottery Nights in NYC
I started Queer Pottery NYC in January 2025 with a simple idea: create a space where queer folks could come together around the wheel. Our first event was a single pottery night at Choplet Studio in Brooklyn—and I wasn’t sure if anyone would show up. But people did. And then they kept coming.
In just a few months, it’s grown into something much bigger: a vibrant, welcoming community of over 1,500 people and counting. Each month, we host Queer Pottery Nights that bring together folks of all backgrounds to slow down, get their hands dirty, and connect—whether they’re total beginners or longtime potters.
Wheel & Wood is an evolution of that vision—bringing people together through clay, community, and the quiet beauty of the Catskills.
Queer Pottery NYC
Follow along @queerpotterynyc
Teaching philosophy
Before working in tech, I spent years as a public school teacher—and that experience still shapes the way I approach every learning environment. I believe the best learning happens when people are engaged, having fun, and invited to participate fully.
For me, teaching isn’t about lectures or perfection—it’s about exploration. I’ve practiced experiential learning for years, and I bring that same spirit to both the pottery studio and my work today as a Sales Enablement Manager. Whether I’m training sellers or guiding someone through their first time on the wheel, my goal is the same: make complex ideas feel accessible, and create a space where people feel confident enough to try, mess up, and grow.
