Making pottery is my work but also an attitude to life. It is my way bringing beauty, joy and boldness into my own life and the lives around me. My business, RuukkuMaa, was founded in favorable circumstances: I returned with my family to live in the rural area where I spent my childhood. The countryside presents opportunities to make a living if you are hard-working and ready for something new.

Through VisitSavo, in the last couple of years we have developed cross-sector collaboration. The partners involved in product development are geographically close rural hotels, farms, food and recreation businesses and businesses and actors in the creative sector. I play a key role in the network: I act as a guide for customers and also engage in marketing and sales trips.

Entering international markets alone would be difficult, but together we create strong packages that combine local culture, local food and outdoor experiences. We take travellers with us to heat the sauna, to the farm to bake rye bred and to the forest to make sauna whisks. We have trust in each other, a good spirit and enjoyment in working together. Collaboration produces success for all partners. As our guests, tourists get to know us, Finnish entrepreneurs and local culture.

We in the creative sector have our feelers out for new things and perhaps for this reason a certain sensitivity is also present when we meet customers: when we bake rye bread with the customer, the moment, at its best, shapes us both. For me as a designer, everyday beauty is found in utensils and shapes - say, in traditional birch bark baskets and the sandwiches made from rye bread that are packed in them.