Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Cannon.
Hi Chris, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t plan to become an artist. In fact, I studied art in college and hated ceramics so much back then that I didn’t touch clay again for over a decade. But life took me on a journey that wasn’t picture perfect, and it changed everything.
For most of my career, I worked in community development, planning, and engagement – first for governments and later as a consultant. I helped cities and organizations listen better, build trust, and create incredible places to live, work, and play. I loved this work and the hundreds of communities I got to work with throughout Georgia, the U.S., and eventually across the globe.
On the surface, my life was perfect. I was doing meaningful work. I had great relationships. I restored the historic home of my dreams. I curated a picture-perfect life on social media.
But behind the scenes, I was moving way too fast, saying yes to everything and everyone, and hiding a big secret in order to cope with stress. I was an alcoholic. Like so many addicts, the pandemic was my breaking point. Pandemic isolation turned a functioning addiction into something I could no longer survive. I spiraled and eventually hit my rock bottom.
Choosing sobriety became a turning point. It forced me to sit still, pay attention, and rebuild my relationship with myself – and in doing so, it clarified what actually mattered. Without the noise and numbing, I came back to creativity as a way to rediscover myself. I took some classes at local art centers during early sobriety as a creative and emotional outlet. On a whim, I tried a ceramics class nearly 15 years after I swore off clay.
I quickly fell in love with ceramics this time – working with clay gave me a tactile, grounding practice rooted in presence and patience. It taught me how to slow down, work through imperfection, and trust the process over control. What began as a personal creative outlet grew into a business: Cannonball Clay.
Today, I’m not trying to build a perfect life, a perfect brand, or a perfect social media account. Each day is about remaining rooted in what sobriety gave back to me: presence, time, and the self-worth to build a life I don’t need to escape from. I’m grateful to be living that life today.
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To see my work, check out Cannonball Clay at www.CannonballClay.com (free shipping on all website purchases!) or visit several retail locations throughout Metro Atlanta and North Georgia (view retail locations on the website!).
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest obstacle was myself. For a long time, I tied my worth to achievement and external validation. That led to burnout and eventually addiction. On the outside, things looked wildly successful, but internally I was unraveling. Getting sober meant facing uncomfortable truths, rebuilding myself, and learning how to sit with uncertainty instead of numbing it or outrunning it.
Starting a creative business in sobriety came with its own challenges. I had to learn how to slow down in a culture that rewards constant hustle. Financial instability, imposter syndrome, and the vulnerability of sharing deeply personal work were all very real parts of the process.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an artist and founder of Cannonball Clay, I create ceramic work that carries meaning, memory, and a strong sense of place – this means I make bowls, platters, clocks, and small sculptural works that are rooted in my lived experience with the world around me.
My childhood obsession with the book Swiss Family Robinson is evident in a functional collection using impressions of elephant ear leaves grown in my own backyard to form bowls, plates, platters, and clocks.
The ‘It Takes a Village’ set pieces are tiny houses and buildings that reflect my years spent in community development and celebrate collective community connection.
Even my pinch pots (which I call Bird Nest Bowls because of the natural shapes and textures) nod to humble beginnings – these pots are the most basic form of pottery that almost everyone made in elementary art classes and I’ve raised them up into a meaningful vessel for experimentation with texture and color.
I even make a series of ceramic clocks – why? Because my time as an active addict was up and I need a reminder of the moments I have left to love.
What I’m most proud of is building a life and body of work that are honest. Sobriety reshaped how I define success, and today my work reflects presence, intention, and care rather than speed or spectacle. What sets me apart is that I don’t separate the personal from the professional – my art, my voice, and my recovery are all part of the same story.
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To see my work, check out Cannonball Clay at www.CannonballClay.com (free shipping on all website purchases!) or visit several retail locations throughout Metro Atlanta and North Georgia (view retail locations on the website!).
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Every day is a new adventure in remaining grounded by staying sincere to myself and purpose. What matters most to me is living a life I don’t need to escape from ever again.
Pricing:
- ‘It Takes a Village’ Set Pieces are 3 for $20 at retail locations and online (free shipping!)
- Swiss Family Robinson Collection pieces (elephant ear impressed bowls, platters, and sculptures) range from $50 to $1,200
- Bird Nest Bowls (functional hand-built bowls) range from $25-$165
- Spoon Rests (Full size and coffee / tea spoon) range from $12-35
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.CannonballClay.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cannonballclay/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cannonballclay
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schriscannon/
Image Credits
All photos by the artist.
