Ep. 26 - Alexa Adamson & Alyssa Ream - Alley Cat Ceramics & Groovy Greenhouse Studio
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Intro
I have not put this to writing yet, but in many cases, I think of this podcast as an extended research project. The goal is to understand the how of making community, not necessarily hyperfocusing on the who. What does it mean to create a third space, to build community, to put all of your effort into helping other people feel safe and seen?
If I were to write a paper, certainly a portion of it would be dedicated to the little art commune found on Michigan Street. A stained glass studio, an art gallery, and a ceramics studio all in a row; it sounds like the opening of a bad joke. But here is where the "place for queer feral weirdos” resides and thrives.
I personally am thankful that this little slice of Indy exists and am excited to see how it continues to evolve over my future tenure here. I hope you enjoy listening to Alexa and Alyssa share a piece of themselves.
Can be found here:
Links to listen
Links of references from the show
Production learnings
Story Time
Episode Summary
Episode Transcript
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Important links and mentions
Alley Cat Ceramics
Groovy Greenhouse Studio
Production learnings from the episode
I got a bit lazy with the audio in this episode. I gave myself and Alexa the two lav mics and left Alyssa out of the group. I was under the assumption that when speaking to me through Alexa, the microphone would pick Alyssa up more effectively, but I think her audio kind of gets kicked around in the echoey room. It may have been better in a more open or more contained environment with less echo.
Despite the echo, I’ve come to enjoy the authenticity of my sound in a variety of environments. I think that is also part of the outward appeal to others, but I receive very little feedback on the sound of the podcast, so it’s generally hard to tell.
Visually, this episode is quite pleasant. Shout out to Alexa and Alyssa for taking the time to think about the shot visually before I showed up. Unfortunately, very few people watch the YouTube video, but it’s always fun to learn a bit more about what makes a visually pleasing scene.
Art Places Make for the Best Third Spaces
I’ve talked about this before and will continue to do so for the rest of time, but if you are feeling lonely, looking for friends, or are just plain BORED, go pick an art class that sounds fun to you and take it, show up.
When I lived in Arkansas, nothing grounded me more than being forced to put my phone down and focus on molding clay into something resembling a cup, bowl, or plate. Beyond that, nothing gave me more life than seeing personal growth in that craft and doing it with the support and conversation of the other people around.
I do not have experience with many other art forms than ceramics, but by all accounts, the “being forced to focus and exist in space” part of this seems to be the consistent throughline. So I would love to will you into motion, even if you are just one person. Take a pottery class, learn how to cut stained glass, or take a form drawing class.
It’s not necessarily about just leaving your house, but showing up with intention, being present in a space, and doing it with other people who will save you. I promise it’s always worth it, even if you perceive the artistic output as middling or bad; that’s not the point. Your art is probably good anyway.
Thanks for reading and listening as always. See you in the next one.
Third Space Indy is supported by City Rising
Episode Summary
Creating Artistic Third Spaces in Indianapolis
In this episode of Third Space Indy, host Michael Zarick sits down with Alexa Adamson, owner of Alley Cat Ceramics and Patina Art Gallery, and Alyssa Ream, owner of Groovy Greenhouse Studio. They explore the concept of third spaces as welcoming havens for the creative and quirky souls of Indianapolis. The discussion covers the personal journeys of Alexa and Alyssa, their unique art businesses, and their mission to foster a supportive and inclusive art community. They highlight the significance of small business collaborations, the evolving art scene in Indianapolis, and the importance of maintaining spaces that feel like an extension of home. The episode wraps up with the upcoming Dime District Drive event, showcasing the vibrant small business community on 10th Street.
00:00 Introduction to Third Space Indy
00:58 Meet the Artistic Creators
02:30 Alexa's Journey with Ceramics
03:10 Alyssa's Stained Glass Story
04:23 The Community and Business Dynamics
06:15 The Importance of Shared Spaces
07:57 Challenges and Rewards of Running a Business
10:34 The Art Community in Indianapolis
22:20 Advocacy and Personal Beliefs in Business
28:01 Friendship and Support Systems
35:14 Adjusting Sleep Schedules
35:44 Small Business Saturday Plans
36:23 The Dime District Drive
38:38 Exciting Shuttle Rides
39:39 Community and Collaboration
41:43 Reflecting on Third Spaces
52:40 Favorite Asian Food in Indianapolis
55:46 Changes in Indianapolis Over 10 Years
59:45 Future Visions for Indianapolis
01:01:33 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts
Episode Transcript
Alexa and Alyssa
Alexa Adamson: [00:00:00] I've definitely said that the studio is just like for queer feral weirdos. So Is that what you mean?
Michael Zarick: Yeah. You're like, so like to fit in the theme of like,
Alexa Adamson: respectfully, I love you all so much
Michael Zarick: of like adopting what in a lot of ways like would not be. Super popular in that sort of way.
Alexa Adamson: \ Yeah, I mean, having an art space, I think that artists aren't like normies, you know, generally speaking.
Alyssa Ream: everyone at my studio too has anxiety and is socially awkward, and yeah, I feel like that's why we all get along so well
Alexa Adamson: and they're all just comfortable with each other because everybody's fighting the same battles and experiences and, yeah.
Michael Zarick: Hi, my name is [00:01:00] Michael Zarick and this is Third Space Indy in 1989. A man wrote a book and that man was named Ray Oldenberg. He wrote a book called The Great Good Place. In this book, he described three places. One is your home, two is your work, and the third place, anywhere you go outside of those other two places where you build community is the thing he described in the book.
And so I've made it my mission to talk to people who are creating third spaces of their own here in Indianapolis. And today I'm sitting with two, uh, very thoughtful artistic creators who are named, I have your names. I don't know why I felt the need to write. I know your names. Uh, Alexa Adamson, who's the owner of Alley Cat Ceramics and the building, we're sitting in Patina Art Gallery.
Alexa Adamson: Mm-hmm.
Michael Zarick: Is that what you'd call it?
Alexa Adamson: Patina Art Gallery? Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Dang. I'm good.
Alexa Adamson: Wow.
Michael Zarick: And Alyssa Ream, uh, the owner of Groovy Greenhouse. Do you studio, do you studio an important [00:02:00] name? Yeah. Important. Okay. I changed to that one time. I specifically did not write down the studio. 'cause I was like, I don't know if she actually refers to it as that, first of all, hello. How are you doing?
Alexa Adamson: Howdy. Great. Happy to be here in my space.
Michael Zarick: . So the first question I have, and you can both answer this, actually no, that's stupid. Tell, tell me about yourselves. Alexa, you go first.
Alexa Adamson: Okay. Um, like
Michael Zarick: whatever you want to say, whatever's on your mind or your heart, whatever you feel is appropriate to share at this moment.
Alexa Adamson: Uh, I'm Alexa. I'm an Aquarius. Mm. Uh, and yeah, I own Alley Cat Ceramics. Um, I've been doing ceramics for 12, 13 years. Graduated from Herron school of Art and design at IU Indy now. Um, and yeah, ceramics is my life. I don't really do much else besides that. So, [00:03:00]
Michael Zarick: listen, when I, I've told you this, when I text you in the middle of the day, you always immediately respond.
So I'm not sure if ceramics.
Alexa Adamson: That's right. I'm online.
Michael Zarick: Alyssa, gimme like a little rundown of who you are.
Alyssa Ream: Uh, so I own Groovy Greenhouse Studio. Um, I started doing Stained Glass about four, four and a half years ago.
Michael Zarick: It's only been four years.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah,
Michael Zarick: that's crazy.
Alyssa Ream: It feels like I've been doing it my entire life, but then also like three months at the same time, if that makes sense.
Michael Zarick: Was it a COVID project turned business?
Alyssa Ream: No, no, it was actually after COVID. Oh, yeah. Um, the apartment I lived in during COVID was way too small to take up anything like that. Um, I just played a lot of video games during COVID, nothing productive. Everyone's like, I started my business in COVID. That was not me.
I did it after COVID. Um, but yeah, like Alexa's stain glass is basically my entire life now. Mm-hmm. Running the business.
Michael Zarick: I think when you run a [00:04:00] business, it becomes your entire life. Yeah. Um, also if you're watching the video or if you're not. Go watch the video because behind us you could actually see the beautiful Patina Art Gallery sign that Alyssa made.
Um, there's photos of it all over the, I actually looked up your Indy Star article and it was very like, it was like in the middle of you making it. There were photo. Yeah. Um, so the first question I have for you both is because it took us like half an hour to get started recording this for multiple reasons, but primarily, as you warned me, there was a lot giggling.
What is it like to one, own your own business, but two own your own business next to somebody? I don't know if you consider each other best friends, but certainly within the realm, within the realm of best friends.
Alexa Adamson: Um,
Alyssa Ream: it's pretty awesome.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Uh, yeah. I guess I'll start by [00:05:00] answering like what it is to own a small business.
Um. I don't have to wake up until, until I want to. I usually wake up early. But like the restrictions and, uh, all of the normal things that come along with a nine to five are not there. Um, at the same time, being your own boss is terrifying. So you do have to have a lot of, um, discipline. Um, and that's something that I'm still learning very much so.
Um, and then, yeah, being next to one of my best friends is, uh, pretty cool because. Uh, lacking discipline. We can just go and have coffee whenever we want. We walk down to, we take
Alyssa Ream: a lot of breaks to get sweet treat.
Michael Zarick: How often does Alexa like come look through your little peep hole window On the
Alexa Adamson: once a day?
Once last night
Michael Zarick: she's like, are you in there?
Alyssa Ream: But she's so quiet when she knocks, so I normally don't hear her. And then I caught her on the camera. That's how [00:06:00] I found out. She was there last night.
Alexa Adamson: I was trying to tell her about a cat.
Michael Zarick: I feel like stain glasses like way louder than I think it is. 'cause you you've got like a saw and stuff.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah, the grinder. I was on the grinder when you stopped by last night. Got it. So I hear you. Yeah,
Grant: yeah.
Michael Zarick: Um, so I have, I don't wanna say a lot, but I have a good amount of experience with ceramics. It's, I've gone on record to say that my preferred third space is a ceramic studio and I don't have a lot of experience with stained glass.
So I'm interested, to hear both of your perspectives on, I guess what I'm gonna say next, which is. The reason I find ceramics so compelling is because from a community perspective and from a personal perspective, forcing yourself to, sit down, you can't touch your phone. 'cause your hands are all gross from clay, at least when you're throwing on the wheel, with other people.
Mm-hmm. Uh, especially in a class setting or like a learning [00:07:00] setting and having to focus so deeply on what you're doing when we have literal, like dopamine machines in our hand at all time. Uh, and like sitting there and having this collaborative, uh, process of continued failure when you're learning, uh, is so beautiful.
And also like a wonderful, like, communal effort. And also on the other hand, like through this idea of continued failure, like learning to just like let things go, um, while also like feeling. And feeling and seeing with your own eyes, like a continued improvement. That is why I think like ceramic studios are like beast.
Alyssa Ream: I agree with you. Just from like stepping foot over next door. I've only taken one class next door. Um, but that's more than Alexis taken at my studio, so just
Alexa Adamson: gonna get
Alyssa Ream: up. Um, but I feel like stained glass [00:08:00] is so different from ceramics in so many ways. Like, um, like you view ceramics has this, I don't know, you know, it's soft and you can mold it and glass is so rigid, but they're so similar in so many ways.
So, so many things that you mentioned are why I started the studio next door. Um, I feel like there's a huge cost barrier to entry with both like buying all the supplies and. You can't just put a kiln in. Um, a tiny, like a studio.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: Apartment. Um, and same thing with stained glass. You should not just be doing stained glass like in your dining room or like your bedroom.
You really should have a designated space for it. A lot of people don't have that. Um, when I started Stain Glass, we did have a spare bedroom. I worked out of there. It still wasn't ideal though, because I would find glass shards and my cats would distract me and at the end of the day I was sitting in a room by myself [00:09:00] eight hours a day, just like making stuff, you know, which was fine for a while.
Um, but then I found myself like craving community. So now we have the studio where people can just come in and use the space and, um, I feel like all of our members are friends now, which is cool 'cause like no one knew each other before they started coming to the studio. I don't have to work by myself all day and.
With only my cats to talk to. It's just so nice to have like someone there to bounce ideas off of. Same thing with like your hands being dirty and clay. You're normally, um, gloved up either on the grinder or soldering and you're working with chemicals. You cannot be on your phone. So yeah. It forces you to put your phone down for a while.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: I kind of just like ignore my phone when I'm working. Um, and people yeah, they think you disappeared. I'm not gonna respond. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: It's probably good though.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Well, um, from the idea of like what Alexa said about like having discipline in [00:10:00] regard to like running your business, it's probably good that you don't touch your phone in a lot of times,
Alyssa Ream: but then when I do touch my phone, it's like a one to two hour, like deep time and you have to like force yourself outta it.
Yeah. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: That makes sense. Any thoughts Alexa?
Alexa Adamson: No, I think she said it pretty well. Uh,
Michael Zarick: you gonna take another class?
Alexa Adamson: I know I'm in the hot seat. Uh, yeah. Should
Alyssa Ream: we tried glass yet?
Alexa Adamson: I haven't. No. I don't know why,
Alyssa Ream: we're both too busy is honestly. Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: But
Alyssa Ream: yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Um, so the idea of like shared space, Alexa, you're the owner of Patina, but I also think of Alyssa as like, at least in my head, like partially an owner in that you're, you're shaking your head,
Alexa Adamson: you're acting so much.
Michael Zarick: Definitely. But you're here
Alyssa Ream: partially an owner, but we do collaborate a lot.
Michael Zarick: But you're here emotionally and physically all the time as, as an investor.
Yeah. Um, so I don't think you should not discount that effort that you [00:11:00] give.
Alexa Adamson: I think
you're pretty emotionally invested in it.
Alyssa Ream: Oh, I definitely am, but not financially. Like, I mean, I, I'll donate money and buy stuff from our shows, but I'm not paying the rent on this space. So,
Michael Zarick: um, before we delve into that, Alexa, can you tell me.
About Patina. 'cause I said Patina a lot, but we don't, I've not actually said what it's,
Alexa Adamson: yeah. Um,
Michael Zarick: other than just an art gallery,
Alexa Adamson: I guess I did also forget to mention that. Um, yeah, so Patina is an art gallery, uh, that I started in April of this year. And, um, yeah, I, I love hosting, I love putting together events.
And when the space became available, it's like right next door to Ally Kat and I told my landlord like, I want this space and I want it to be a gallery. I don't want anybody else to move in next to me. Um, so yeah, it's just kind of become a community space, an art gallery. We do workshops. Um, [00:12:00] there are two studios in the back of the studio or of the gallery, one of them being mine.
Uh, and then, yeah, uh, it's just been a dream being able to have like whatever I want. Happen here. We've had like movie viewings out in the courtyard. Uh, we had a silly little Halloween party. Um, yeah, it's, it's just been a really fun little space to invite people to in a way that we can't, to Alley Cat, um, because that is full of dust and, uh, wheels and yeah, it's pretty crowd.
Michael Zarick: I've been there. I think of the, like, so to describe it physically for people who have not been here or are just listening, there is a, a ceramic studio with like wheels for throwing on the wheel, doing that like space to build. Then there's a, just a courtyard with a gate facing the road. Mm-hmm. Uh, and then just another large building, [00:13:00] large-ish building.
Um, and so it's sort of shaped like a "c" in a certain way or a u Yeah, depending on what direction you're facing. Um, and then there's a road that goes down towards the neighborhood and then there's, uh, Groovy Greenhouse Studio.
Alyssa Ream: Next door. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Um, so to me this like, it's sort of interesting that you not only have almost like this little art neighborhood to yourself, but at the same time it feels like an extension of your home because you have made this a space.
Not only because the people who come here are your friends, but you've sort of, you almost live here because you own it.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Both of you. And you're inviting people into your home. You say, Hey, I'd love to have you over. Let's do a dinner party. Let's do a movie night.
Alexa Adamson: That's so true.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. Um, and I think that is why I personally feel so drawn to this space.
'cause it, it feels like an, it's such an extension of you both. [00:14:00]
Alexa Adamson: Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. I I definitely do compare it to my house a lot because yeah. I've got a bunch of animals at my house. And we spend
Alyssa Ream: just as much time at our studios as we do at home. Mm-hmm. And my studio, I don't know about you. My studio is cleaner than my house.
Yeah. Because, yeah, I don't really have people over at my house anymore. Yeah. I meet everyone at the studio and if you want to see me, probably have to come to my studio to see me. I'm just always there.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Yeah. I think, uh, I eat most of my meals here. If I could have a bed here, I would. Um, but
Michael Zarick: you can,
Alexa Adamson: I can,
Alyssa Ream: I know.
I thought about that too. But then we're really,
Alexa Adamson: we have partners destroying the life
Alyssa Ream: salad. It's hardy bad. Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Yeah. Not to say that I haven't slept on that couch before, but
Michael Zarick: that is not a sleepable couch.
Alexa Adamson: No,
Michael Zarick: that is probably half my height. [00:15:00] In. In length.
Uh, Alyssa, actually both of you are kind of like this, but Alyssa specifically the past few weeks has become the cat queen.
Yeah. The, um, the stray cat queen, I suppose you're,
Alyssa Ream: we're a probably,
Michael Zarick: um,
Alyssa Ream: a lot of stray cats over here. It's been a problem probably for a while, but, you know, I take my silly little walks to go get coffee and treats and it seems like every time I'm finding a new cat. So, um, I'm not going out looking for the cats.
I wanna say that first and foremost, I have enough going on without the cats. I see a lot of stray cats that are community cats. I leave them be or say hello to them when I'm on my way. But I've been finding a lot of sick and pregnant and injured and old ones lately that
Alexa Adamson: shout out Mr. Business,
Alyssa Ream: Mr. Business, Mr.
85 years old. He was our studio cat, and then I took him home because I just feel like. He's too old to be at the [00:16:00] studio by himself.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: But he was a great studio cat.
Michael Zarick: And then Alexa, you also you've, you've said this in a, in a strange way, but the people who come to your, um, studio are also, um, othered in a lot of ways.
You know what I mean?
Alexa Adamson: um, I've definitely said that the studio is just like for queer feral weirdos. So Is that what you mean?
Michael Zarick: Yeah. You're like, so like to fit in the theme of like,
Alexa Adamson: respectfully, I love you all so much
Michael Zarick: of like adopting what in a lot of ways like would not be. Super popular in that sort of way.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah, yeah. Um, I mean, having an art space, I think that artists aren't like normies, you know, generally speaking. Um, yeah, I, I don't know. I, I feel like that we've,
Alyssa Ream: everyone, everyone at my studio too has anxiety and is socially awkward, and yeah, I feel like that's why we all get along so well
Alexa Adamson: and they're all [00:17:00] just comfortable with each other because everybody's fighting the same battles and experiences and, yeah.
It's not the answer you were looking for.
Michael Zarick: No, I just, I, I wonder if you feel like, do you think it's like, because you, they see a reflection of themselves in you, you both, or do you think that you give off a welcoming aura or like, what do you think draws people to you in that way?
Alexa Adamson: I was just talking with a couple members like half an hour ago about this, um, and that they were saying that usually customers are a reflection of yourself.
Uh, and I kind of disagreed and said that I feel like the network of people that I've surrounded myself with has started like in the same way a pyramid scheme does. Um,
Michael Zarick: without the money part.
Alexa Adamson: Yes. Yeah. Not the financially, but like in the personality department,
Michael Zarick: uhhuh,
Alexa Adamson: um, [00:18:00] I found six to 10 people that like initially wanted to be a part of Alley Cat, and then those six to 10 people started spreading, like, Hey, this place is cool.
And then it just kept branching out from there. And yeah, now we have like 50 members and um, obviously like birds of a feather flock together, so, yeah. Mm-hmm.
Michael Zarick: Similar feeling from you?
Alyssa Ream: Yes. I feel like I didn't have, I always had a feeling of like not fitting in literally until I started my business, which in turn introduced me to the art community.
Obviously I could have become, I could have become a part of the art community by like taking a class or something like that. I didn't though that, like, that wasn't how I entered the art community. It was through starting my business, um, and starting to sell markets. And through like in-person markets, that's where I started slowly, like meeting [00:19:00] people.
That's how I met Alexa. That's how I met a lot of my like best friends now. Um, and so, yeah, I don't know something about the art community here in Indy. I feel like I finally found my people. It's amazing to not feel like, oh, I don't have any friends who really get me or understand me. Like, I don't feel like that anymore.
Mm-hmm.
Michael Zarick: And do you feel like, uh, I don't know. I like talking. I talk to a lot of artists and they all have certain. They have varied emotions about Indianapolis as a city in regard to like the way the city itself supports artists. I don't think, do you have Oh,
Alyssa Ream: I don't think the city itself does. Yeah. A good enough job supporting artists, but I think the people in this city do a good job supporting artists.
Um, but I think you, you have to, you have to look for it. Um, whereas like other cities are just like known for it, I feel like Indy should be known for arts, but it isn't one of the first things you think of, especially from like an outside [00:20:00] perspective, people who don't live here. Um, 'cause I'm from Northern Indiana and I didn't come to Indy very often, but that was never talked about like the arts scene in Indianapolis.
And so until I became a part of it and started going to markets and becoming friends with people and the art community and then taking classes, like I didn't know that all of these great people even existed. You know, I didn't know that there were all these art studios and all these markets. And so, I mean, it's growing and I think it's becoming more well known, but, um, yeah, I wish the city would do a better job though.
More funding for sure.
Michael Zarick: Amen.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Alexa?
Alexa Adamson: Um, no, I
Michael Zarick: gotta rope you in.
Alexa Adamson: I know, I know. Uh, yeah, I, I'm trying not to just regurgitate what you said, but I think, I think our community, uh, does a great job of, um, supporting us, and that's all I need.
Alyssa Ream: I do think the community picks up [00:21:00] the, the slack.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: And, and even like with these cats that I keep adopting, like I am not funding all of that with my own money.
I don't make enough money to like take care of all these cats. All it takes is me posting on my story that I've taken cats and people are literally just like offering to, to donate money. So I think the, I, I love the Indianapolis community. Like I really, I really do. Um, I think before I started my business, I couldn't wait to leave and it was all like, I've gotta get out of this city.
There's nothing cool here. There's no place for me in this city. But that can be further from the truth.
Michael Zarick: I do wanna let you know, so I go to, I go to Thieves in Broad Ripple, semi regularly, uh, for coffee, not for alcohol. but, uh, Gabby, who's the barista there, she is an artist. And I asked her if, or she went to like a conference or something in Lexington and she was like, yeah, everyone in Lexington was like, oh my God, the Indianapolis art scene is so cool.
She said [00:22:00] that like people told, she said, I'm from Indianapolis, and they. Lit up about it.
Alyssa Ream: That's amazing.
Michael Zarick: I thought that was cool.
Alyssa Ream: I wonder if it's because it's one of the surrounding states. 'cause I feel like people from the west coast and the East Coast shit on Indy all the time. If they, I mean Indiana whole, but yeah, just the Midwest gets a bad rap.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah,
Alyssa Ream: for sure.
Michael Zarick: Definitely. Um, on the topic of the Midwest getting a bad rap, uh, you guys both, I'm really interested to talk to you about this. You guys are both like really outspoken about your personal beliefs and you take stances through your business on those personal beliefs. You don't make it, you make your beliefs known through your business's page as long as well as your own personal like pages.
Um, and in a lot of cases, the stances you take, I mean they're popular in my eyes in a lot of cases, but, um, for like the wider society [00:23:00] like. Look at you and go like, why are you being this way? Why are you being outspoken about certain topics? Why are you hosting a fuck ice cream, social, or, um, or like, pots for Palestine or posting about, um, just like certain groups around the city that aren't welcoming of you.
Talking about your beliefs. Um, what drives you to like be that way? I don't, I don't know what I mean by that question exactly,
Alyssa Ream: but way I have so many thoughts on that. Like, but for one, I feel like you're the same way. Um, so I don't, I don't have a personal account that I use, so my business page is like my personal account.
Same. It is not all gonna be stained glass. It's probably not enough stained glass to be honest. It's more cats. Just whatever I feel like putting on there. But I think that by [00:24:00] doing that, um, and just being outspoken from the start about my beliefs, I have attracted followers who have the same beliefs as I do.
So I don't notice like a drop off on followers or I don't get a lot of negative feedback in my inbox when I'm po when I'm being vocal about things like this. Now I have had like friends and family be like, well, aren't you worried about, you know, posting that and how it's gonna reflection on your business?
I don't think it has a negative impact at all. As long as you are being authentic on your page, you're gonna attract those kind of people, those kind of customers, followers, um, who have the same beliefs as you. And so they're gonna be happy when you're, you know, they're not gonna be like, I'm gonna follow you and not support you and not buy your stuff.
And if they do, that's fine too.
Alexa Adamson: Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Um, I think going back to, uh. The, the business is an extension of yourself. And when I, when you [00:25:00] we're trying to create this community, we want to make sure that our community knows that we're supporting them, , and yeah, that we have their backs and that they feel safe and secure being in the space that they're supporting.
So
Alyssa Ream: I think it's gotten so important for business owners to voice their opinions on things like whether you don't you believe this way or that way because, we've seen that power is in money and where you spend your money. And I don't want to spend my money with a business who supports really what I think are negative things in a attacks on human rights.
And so, , I appreciate when a small business is vocal about the fact that they believe in the things. Same things that I believe in. 'cause then I feel comfortable spending my money with them.
Alexa Adamson: Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: I agree. Yo, shout out to Lick, the ice cream [00:26:00] place.
Alyssa Ream: Mm-hmm.
Michael Zarick: They like have been doing like a lot of, that type of, uh, activism, whether it's like one of their employees did like two days of tips all went to like a donation of, it's amazing.
It was either Palestine or like food bank or something. Um,
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: And I like told somebody, I was like, I really respect what you're doing. And they're like, oh, that wasn't me, but I'll let them know. I was like, okay. Because I think that like, they, it's hard to know if you're doing the right thing unless someone tells you.
Mm-hmm. Or like, to know that you're being seen in that way. Um, so anyways, thank you for being the way you are, if that means anything.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah, it
Michael Zarick: does. Yeah. Oh, and just a, an aside, uh, when the.
Alyssa Ream: That was my leg.
Alexa Adamson: We got someone tooting over here
Michael Zarick: when the government, uh, when the government reopened, like they slipped in some new legislation about like [00:27:00] banning hemp products.
Alexa Adamson: Saw that. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: So there's a lot of, local businesses here, and I went to go talk to one I and Broad Ripple. It's called the Health Club or THC Ha Ha. Um, about like how they're feeling right now. And it's like, oh my, like of course they're gonna get vocal about this legislation. It's like they are being directly affected and they're good people and they're creating a community space and they fostered like this sort of, um, healthier mindset about cannabis products or hemp based products, that type of stuff.
Or even just like existing in space together. So it's important to like advocate for yourself in that way
Alexa Adamson: For sure.
Michael Zarick: Just like you said.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. I
Alyssa Ream: agree.
Michael Zarick: Check the time. Wow, we've been talking. Good job.
Alexa Adamson: We're doing it.
Michael Zarick: Um,
that's all the questions I had written down.
Alexa Adamson: Whoa.
Michael Zarick: Actually, I mean, I have more questions and you actually already answered one of the questions,
Alexa Adamson: we talked about friend dating.
Michael Zarick: Oh my God. Yes. Actually we didn't even write that down. Actually. I didn't write it down. Okay. I'm glad you brought it [00:28:00] up. Alexa. Like, two weeks ago I came over with tacos and Alexa goes, I like to date my friends. I was like, what are you talking about?
Alexa Adamson: Romance?
Michael Zarick: And then I, and then she explained it to me and it made more sense.
Uh. Immediately I think I kind of understood in a way, but having you say it made made it like very clear. But Alexa, will you please explain to me what it means when you say date? Your date, your friends?
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Um, I think that, uh, well now I'm trying to think of how to even explain it. Um, it's important to romance and like, treat your friends well because,
I can't even think of what I was gonna say.
Michael Zarick: um, what did
Alexa Adamson: I
Michael Zarick: say about it? Lemme help try to formulate. To me it's sort of like this idea that you all relationships are reciprocal.
Alexa Adamson: Thank you. And
Michael Zarick: if one person is not. Contributing mm-hmm. [00:29:00] In a way that makes the other person feel loved and accepted.
That is sort of a failure of the relationship as a whole. Um, and so this idea of date your friends that says, Hey, let's go get dinner, like somebody, or Hey, let's go to Patina and go see the art show. Or Hey, let's go take a class together at Groovy Greenhouse, someone is, there's an activation of the friendship, but when that's not being returned on the other side, then there's like, okay, a disconnect.
And that's where the failure to date happens.
Alexa Adamson: Thank
Michael Zarick: you. Is that all good?
Alexa Adamson: Yes.
Alyssa Ream: I gotcha.
I thought you meant more like, um, like trial runs for friendships, you know, like people you're all in, like on.
Michael Zarick: I think that is, I think that is kind of what she means, because
Alyssa Ream: you don't wanna get yourself into a deep friendship with someone.
Alexa Adamson: That's fair.
Alyssa Ream: I dunno, that's where I thought your,
Alexa Adamson: yeah. Uh, I drank a bunch of coffee before this and then as soon as [00:30:00] I have that answer, just empty brain space. Um, yeah, definitely just putting effort into friendships in a way that like, I mean, you think about like a relationship like romantically and that like, you want to not love bomb somebody or like impress them and then not do that in the future.
But like, it does, it takes that effort to romance and like, I don't know, just, uh, treat people in a way that, that you wanna be treated, you know, bring flowers to random things and just showing up for people. Um, yeah.
Alyssa Ream: Alexa and I often ask each other, do you want a sweet treat?
Alexa Adamson: Exactly.
Alyssa Ream: That's our way of showing each other, like, I was thinking about you.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Yeah. Just little love notes.
Michael Zarick: I have texted you twice to get food. Or no, we got breakfast once. Then we got breakfast
Alexa Adamson: once.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. And then I brought tacos. Yeah. And then you ate one taco And I ate like six.
Alyssa Ream: Oh my god. [00:31:00]
Alexa Adamson: I have a little bird's stomach,
Alyssa Ream: like a bird. I'm the opposite. So yeah, we don't normally eat our meals together because I just like house mine.
Michael Zarick: You should, you should do what I do and just ha invite Alexa to lunch. Have her pay for her own meal, but then eat hers.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah, there you go.
Alyssa Ream: No, she likes to take hers to go and eat it later. I just need to eat a meal before we go. And that's just like a little snack.
Michael Zarick: Uh, you both have partners,
Alexa Adamson: Uhhuh
Michael Zarick: of varying degrees. One of you as a boyfriend, one of you as a husband.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Husband.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. That sounds too formal.
Michael Zarick: I hate the word husband. I like the word wife. 'cause it's like, I like calling Anna wife a lot, but husband is like, oh, how terrible
Alexa Adamson: is this?
Just you trying to figure out how to bring Anna into the conversation again.
Alyssa Ream: Oh,
Michael Zarick: well that's
Alexa Adamson: podcast. That's,
Michael Zarick: um, no, I, okay. [00:32:00] Also, I, so I don't know if I should say this, but like, there's a slang term right now called like hus, but it means hos.
Alexa Adamson: Oh.
Michael Zarick: But I thought it was slang for husband. Husband, yeah. 'cause I'm an old man.
Alexa Adamson: Mm-hmm. Because
Michael Zarick: I was like, you should and should start calling me Hus. And I then I came to the realization that that's not what that was. so now I've been trying to figure out an alternative term to husband. 'cause it again, too formal, too long.
Alexa Adamson: Mm-hmm.
Michael Zarick: I just like
Alyssa Ream: partner
Alexa Adamson: hubby. Wanna be
Michael Zarick: dummy. Yuck.
Anna like to go? Anna likes to go. Jokingly. She'd be like my man. There sorry. That, back to the original point, but like, in what ways do, I mean, I know for both of you it's very similar because so much of your life is intertwined with your business, but like, how are your partners there for you at that, like when you need them?
Alexa Adamson: Grant just spent two days of driving back and forth to Bloomington for an art market with me. Um, he [00:33:00] sits at my booth with me and hangs out. Um, he helps build silly little structures whenever I need him.
Michael Zarick: Does he give snide remarks when people say things are too expensive?
Alexa Adamson: Oh yeah. Well, not snide remarks, but he, uh.
Uh, I think he's pretty good at responding to things in a way that's like, oh, you should, you should try and do ceramics sometime. Like, see how hard it is, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, yeah. Uh, whenever he invites his friends to things, he tries to upsell them and make them pay more than the actual price.
Alyssa Ream: He's really good at that.
Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Like on your stuff.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. He's like, oh, this bowl is 50 for you. It's 55.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. She did like a, uh, like a pay what you can. Mm-hmm. And his friends showed up and, and it was, he was definitely upset.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: That's funny. And then Alyssa, how is your husband? Like?
Alyssa Ream: his role in like my business has changed since the beginning. I would say. [00:34:00] He still does a lot of, like hands-on stuff. Like he goes to most of my markets with me. Um, helps me set up my booth. Helps me do heavy lifting at the studio. Yeah. Um, but I think like he, when I was working at my house, he would be there the night before a market, like helping me patina like the last few steps for stain glass, like the things that I would trust him to do, like polishing and honestly things that I don't wanna do.
Um, but now it's kind of changed a little bit since I'm at the studio. He still, like I said, helps me with my markets, but it's more like he picks up a lot of slack at home 'cause I don't have a lot of time to cook or clean. And so that's kind of his way of contributing now, which is really nice. Yeah. Like I come home and feeding
Michael Zarick: all the, feeding the six cats.
Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: I like hearing of the. Unpaid
Alexa Adamson: labor
Michael Zarick: of our partners. Yeah, I was gonna say the, the worship of men of their partners. Yeah. That's what they should do.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: True. Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: He definitely helps [00:35:00] ensure that I have a good, a better work life balance. If I wasn't with him, I would work even later.
I would probably have girl dinner every single night, like cheese and crackers and um, yeah. And never go to sleep at a good time. Like, I was the biggest night owl until I met him and he's the opposite. And so like, slowly over the years I've, like, I go to bed earlier and earlier and earlier, but that's a good thing.
Mm-hmm. So it's not good for anyone to be up till 3:00 AM.
Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: I've been gonna bed at like 10 30 'cause it gets dark so early now.
Alyssa Ream: Oh
Alexa Adamson: yeah. Oh
Michael Zarick: yeah. It hits,
Alexa Adamson: I think I've been going to bed at nine,
Michael Zarick: eight. Big suggestion. Um, grant is driving the bus.
Alexa Adamson: Grant is driving the bus
Michael Zarick: for small business Saturday.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Oh
Alyssa Ream: yeah.
Michael Zarick: Which is half the reason I think half the reason we waited so long to do this podcast. Um, can you tell me a [00:36:00] little bit about, what you are doing for Small Business Saturday? What it means to have like this small coalition of businesses on 10th Street and then you guys The detour. The Detour, uh, and just like we all, we gotta talk about the bus.
We'll throw that in the end.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. And there's another very fun vehicle. Um, yeah, so we're doing the Dime District Drive, which is a tongue twister if you don't say it fast. Um, the Dime District Drive and it is, uh, 16 small businesses along 10th Street and
Alyssa Ream: 16 like storefronts.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: And then like all of those storefronts for the most part have other small.
Mm-hmm.
Alexa Adamson: Businesses,
Alyssa Ream: businesses,
Michael Zarick: business
Alyssa Ream: popped up inside, so Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Um, but yeah,
Michael Zarick: so, oh, all on small business Saturday. Like they're, they already have businesses inside or they're
Alyssa Ream: [00:37:00] No, like I'll have glass artist popped up inside of my studio.
Michael Zarick: Oh,
Alyssa Ream: she'll be selling other, oh, that you talk about your studio. But,
Alexa Adamson: um, yeah, so Patina is going to be hosting an ornament show.
Uh, there are over 50 artists that will be displaying their work, and then Alley Cat will have a Mug Market, um, mainly with members, um, a couple invited artists as well. Um, and then in addition to all that, all of the other businesses will have things going on inside of them too. So not only their business, but like, um, I think Cat Head Press is hosting another artist, um, dummy, which is a clothing brand.
Um, guided anchor is doing a couple different things.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. So every business has some type of like special deal running or an activation or a popup or something fun and exciting going on. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And you, the idea is that you will shuttle from stop to stop. Um, [00:38:00] there's, like I said, there's 16 steps.
Um, but if you go to five of 'em, you get stamps. So just by like showing up to a small business, you're gonna get a stamp, and then there's an after party at Holy Ground. Mm-hmm. Um, with a DJ and dancing and drinks. And that's where you collect your prizes if you collect five stamps. Um, but I, so
Michael Zarick: its not like a ticket to get in.
It's like a, a bonus
Alyssa Ream: anyone can go. Yeah. But if you get your five stamp, you do have to show up to the after party to collect your bag. You can then just turn around and leave if you want. But I don't think you'll, when you show up and hear the music and. See everyone dancing.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: And so I'm gonna let Alexa talk about the shuttles though, 'cause we have exciting shuttles to take you from Stop to stop.
Alexa Adamson: Um, yeah. So the van that I have, uh, is a like passenger bus, um, grant will be driving it. And then we're also going to have the Chicken Limo, [00:39:00]
Alyssa Ream: which is exactly, you're not familiar with the Chicken Limo.
Michael Zarick: I'm not familiar with
Alyssa Ream: the exactly what you're picturing.
Michael Zarick: I've seen a picture of the Chicken Limo. I've never seen it in person
Alexa Adamson: is so limo with a giant chicken head.
Alyssa Ream: You, it, you can ride inside of it on Saturday
Alexa Adamson: for free,
Alyssa Ream: November 29th for free. What's
Michael Zarick: the name of the person who drives the chicken Remo.
Alexa Adamson: I could not tell you.
Michael Zarick: You, you just know that I should
Alexa Adamson: know that.
Alyssa Ream: But that is the same person who's dj, right?
Alexa Adamson: Yeah, he's a dj. Yeah. Yeah. I know
that
Michael Zarick: he's a.
Alexa Adamson: He's
Alyssa Ream: gonna be DJing.
Michael Zarick: That's a dope part. That's a dope like combo crossover. You like, I drive the chicken limo and I rave. Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Um, what does it mean to be able, uh, an extension of that question? Like what does it like to like, get together with other businesses in that way to like form this, formulate this, this.
Alexa Adamson: We're in cahoots.
Michael Zarick: Cahoots. Thank
Alexa Adamson: you. We're in cahoots. Uh, no, it's great. Um, [00:40:00] I feel like we all can just like, get together and, uh, be candid about like, the state of things and it's like a little club being a small business. Um, yeah, just being vulnerable with each other and celebrating your successes. And, um, the small businesses that I feel like we've aligned ourselves with have also just like.
They have such fun ideas too. Like the Chicken Limo was not our idea. Um, but the fact that other people are like, what if I, I I really appreciate
Alyssa Ream: what if the not for this that was SJ from Guide and Anchor who suggested
Michael Zarick: I've heard that the, I need to like meet them. 'cause I've heard that guide are just like,
Alexa Adamson: they know how to party.
Michael Zarick: They're crazy. In a good way. Yeah. They're
Alyssa Ream: so
Michael Zarick: fun. Their brains work in different ways than the rest of us.
Alyssa Ream: Absolutely. We've seen their space for a lot of cool things too. I think it started out as just a retail area that they didn't [00:41:00] have open super often. Um, uh, because I think with retail you're just relying on people kind, kind of stopping in, which doesn't happen a lot, I would say with a lot of businesses, um, on the New East Side.
But, um, yeah, so they started like throwing events. To get people in. And now they use it as like a space to have like little raves.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. So they have DJs and dance parties on the weekends. Mm-hmm. Which I think is so cool.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Mm-hmm. And they've probably designed a lot of, the third spaces that
Michael Zarick: mm-hmm.
I know they did Daisy Bar.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: And I know they did Kismetoc.
Alexa Adamson: Mm-hmm. Those
Michael Zarick: are the two I know off the top of my head.
Alexa Adamson: Natural State.
Michael Zarick: Okay.
Alexa Adamson: Um, yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of
Michael Zarick: cool
Alexa Adamson: stuff.
Alyssa Ream: They're really cool people.
Alexa Adamson: Mm-hmm.
Michael Zarick: Let's move on to the canned questions.
Alexa Adamson: Oh boy.
Alyssa Ream: What?
Michael Zarick: The canned questions, I call 'em canned question. This the questions I got'em the canned. They're locked and loaded. Wow.
the first question. Oh wait. I have a sponsor. Oh. Third Space Indy is sponsored by City Rising. [00:42:00] Um, Mark Latta has decided to sponsor the podcast.
Shout out to Mark lot of. City Rising is a social impact studio that leads and supports innovative, innovative projects that strengthen, celebrate and repair people and places. So if you're a people or you're a leader of an, uh, of an organization or you're just a person who's interested in improving their lived environment, their community, or the space that surrounds you, reach out to me or reach out to cityrising.org and learn more.
That's me. Yeah. Oh, but Mark sponsored a question, which
Alexa Adamson: is, oh boy.
Michael Zarick: What is a third space to you?
Alexa Adamson: Like a specific one that I go to.
Michael Zarick: I like to think of this question a little more ethereally, where it's like, what,
Alexa Adamson: like the definition,
Michael Zarick: what is a third space? What is it to me? It could also be a place, but,
Alexa Adamson: um. It is weird having a third space.
That's my business, but I, I feel like, uh, [00:43:00] it really is, um,
Alyssa Ream: as your third space.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Yeah. I have my studio, which I consider like my office, and then I can just like, walk down the street to the main studio and there are just all these people laughing and hanging out and not even really doing ceramics half the time.
Uh, common theme. But yeah, I would say I, I do consider my, my space as my third space. Um, yeah,
Alyssa Ream: that kind of, I feel like that ties into, we, in my former life when I went to college for something that I'm not using now, we learned a lot about the difference between leisure and work. 'cause I was, uh, I studied to be a recreational therapist, so we talked a lot about that.
And, um. My professor really drove from the point that your, your hobby is no longer [00:44:00] considered leisure if you monetize it because of your work. And I, I just have to disagree with that. Like, I have other hobbies that I like to do, but stained glasses is like my one true love. And in terms of my hobbies and I still enjoy it even though I make money off of it.
Mm-hmm. That's what I like to do for fun. I feel like you have projects that you work on that are like customs and for markets and then you have like silly little projects that you work on just for yourself too. So, um, I do think that your business can be a third space. Yeah. And that's how I'm backing it up.
Yeah.
Michael Zarick: I think you are. Alexa is fortunate. I don't know that you have the same fortune, which is that your workspace is in the back here, which is sort of removing you from your business in a way. Mm-hmm. So you can still sort of have that. This is my own sort of formula. Mm-hmm. I have crazy calculus in my head about this stuff.
Um, so like what you described of separating yourself from your [00:45:00] workspace and then walking over and seeing mm-hmm. The people you consider friends.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Um, I is a sort of third space mentality, whereas you don't have that separation. That's true. Um, I wonder if there's like something to that, but I it doesn't sound like it affects you in any type of way.
Alyssa Ream: No. I think it's different when I have, um, when I'm there by myself versus when I'm using the space of teacher class or other members are there. And that's not to say I'm not having fun. Yeah. But maybe when I'm there by myself, it's more of a third space to me. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: You're like more locked in when you're teaching a class you like.
Thank you for answering Next question. Very related. Uh, and I'd love to hear both of you answer this question. What is a third space or place that used to exist for you, but no longer does?
Alexa Adamson: I've been thinking about this one 'cause I listened to the podcast.
Michael Zarick: No, you did.
Alyssa Ream: I haven't been should
Alexa Adamson: listen.
Michael Zarick: There's lot. I'm gonna have like a series of cheaters actually who just all listen to the [00:46:00] podcast. Actually it's, it's actually becoming more of a problem with a paper.
Alexa Adamson: Gosh darn it. Um, okay, I'll go first and you can think.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Um, my first concept of a third space is called the Oil Wick and that was
Michael Zarick: oic
Alexa Adamson: the oil wick.
O-I-L-O-I-L-W-I-C-K. Um, it was my very first studio and it was when I was working, uh, another job. Um, and it's how I based a lot of, like how I do, like how I operate now. Um, but it was this beautiful. DIY art space and gallery. Um, and there were painters and illustrators and other ceramic artists, and it was in this rundown construction or con contract office.
Um, the owners didn't care what we did with the building. Uh, it was so beautiful and [00:47:00] we painted it chrome. It was a chrome painted building.
Michael Zarick: That's crazy.
Alexa Adamson: It was wild. Um, but yeah, The Oil Wick was, uh, my first love of finding community, like outside of school and work. And
Michael Zarick: Do you think you would have, uh, what you have now without that?
Alexa Adamson: No, I don't, I truly don't think I started going to, I rented studio space out of this studio while I was still in college because I was like, I cannot not do ceramics after I graduate. Like, that's not gonna be me. Um, so yeah, I, I truly think that everything has just built off of that. Hmm,
Alyssa Ream: Alyssa? Mm.
Alexa Adamson: You
Alyssa Ream: I, that was a beautiful answer.
Thank you. I feel like I don't have one in mind that is, was a third space before to me, but no longer exists. Um,
Michael Zarick: well, you could also think of it as like, not necessarily doesn't exist, but like, it's not a third space for you anymore. Like [00:48:00] maybe it as a coffee shop you used to go to, or maybe it's like if you were like a church kid or something.
I don't know.
Alyssa Ream: Does it have to be a place, I guess a third space is, does community have to be involved in for it to be a third space? I don't remember. Um,
Michael Zarick: do you want the definition?
Alyssa Ream: I, and I've heard you say the definition, but now I'm blanking on all of the parameters.
Michael Zarick: Don't, don't think of it too. Um, steeply or too, too strictly.
I, okay. But it's like home work, whatever, outside of those two places.
Alyssa Ream: Okay.
Michael Zarick: That you feel like you can exist. Now, I would argue that community is key to that. Yeah. But I think the way community manifests for different people is different.
Alyssa Ream: Okay. Um, I, the only one that comes to mind is not involve community, so I'm sorry, but, and it's also maybe breaking the rules because it was [00:49:00] technically home.
Um, but I grew up on like a huge farm Uhhuh, and so we had like a hundred acres and, um, you
Michael Zarick: grew up on the Hundred Acre Woods?
Alyssa Ream: Yeah, basically. So there wasn't a hundred acres of woods, but there were woods on the property and they were like, pretty far back from the house. And I would just go run, run the property and like just.
Play with my si.... I mean, I was with my siblings a lot of times. Sometimes I was by myself when I was like brooding, you know, emotional teenager. But that's where I would like, that's where I felt at peace, I guess like outside of my home and outside of school and was out on our property in the woods.
Michael Zarick: Are you familiar with, uh, the Keira Knightley Pride and Prejudice movie?
Alyssa Ream: Yes. I haven't seen it in a long time.
Michael Zarick: There's a scene at the very end where she thinks Mr. Darcy like hates her and she's like walking through like the mist or [00:50:00] something. My wife will know exactly what I'm talking about. 'cause it's, it's so funny. She's like walking through the mist and just like Mr.
Darcy walks out of like this early dewy morning with like his shirt unbuttoned. It's like
Alexa Adamson: steamy.
Michael Zarick: Yeah. I think the scene is hilarious. But you saying brooding made me think of like Keira Knightly just like walking alone in the, like the misty morning in the. In like a field?
Alyssa Ream: Yes. Well, you know, where you're like a teenager and everything is just like so dramatic and you're like, it's
Alexa Adamson: Like Twilight or something.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah, like a bad day at school. And so I'd go sit on this, this tree on a hill and I just, yeah. Like almost like I thought I was being filmed by something, but I was really just by myself.
Michael Zarick: Did you have like a rope swing? I remember like, or I just like pictured you on a rope swing. We
Alyssa Ream: did head,
Michael Zarick: your head is dangling.
Alyssa Ream: There was a creek, you know, they just stand and look longingly at.
Michael Zarick: That's so funny.
Alyssa Ream: One time we did get lost out in the [00:51:00] woods though. Um, and it was getting dark and my phone died. 'cause I was a teen teenager at that point. And, um, that was pretty scary.
Michael Zarick: Mm-hmm. A hundred acres greater
Alyssa Ream: than a thought.
Michael Zarick: Hundred acres.
Not a small amount. Um, I will say that is a perfect example of a third space. Okay. I don't, don't feel like you, I, I think.
I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this. I think sometimes we worry too much, and by we, I mean me worry too much about what, like how to, we put things in a box and we define things in such certain strict parameters and, and, and focus too heavily on like what things mean versus mm-hmm. Like what they mean to individuals.
Alyssa Ream: Mm-hmm. Sure.
Michael Zarick: Uh, and the way like important times in your past manifest in who you are now, I think often can guide what a, a third space like in essence is. [00:52:00] Is that, yes,
Alyssa Ream: thank you. My answer was not wrong.
Michael Zarick: Um, no wrong answers, just funny or good ones I dream of. Somebody telling me their third space is the chicken limo.
Alexa Adamson: Maybe it'll be small, smooth, small business Saturday.
Michael Zarick: Um, every previous guest asks a question of the next guest, My previous guest was my wife.
Alyssa Ream: Oh yeah.
Michael Zarick: shout out to Anna Darling.
Alexa Adamson: Shout out.
Michael Zarick: She had two questions. She seized her wifely powers and asked two questions.
Okay. Uh, the first question, what is your favorite Asian food in Indianapolis? Alexa?
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Mama's Korean barbecue. So good. It's on Pendleton Pike. Um, it's just like a big grill and they just bring you so many plates of uncooked meats and toppings and [00:53:00] kimchi.
Uh, and then you cook it and eat it and it's great.
Michael Zarick: I will be going.
Alyssa Ream: That
Alexa Adamson: sounds amazing. I
Michael Zarick: looked at photos. Uh, I'm locked in.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah, that's really,
Michael Zarick: do you have an answer?
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. I don't know if this is basic or not, but, um, not like the place is basic, but maybe this would be a lot of people's answer, but can't
Alexa Adamson: express
Alyssa Ream: No, not that basic Asian Snack in, in the Saraga on the northwest side of town.
Michael Zarick: Oh. I've only gone to SGO once.
Alyssa Ream: Okay.
Michael Zarick: And my mind melted. I was like, this place is sick.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. I feel like each, 'cause there's multiple Saraga and each one has like a different restaurant in it. So this one in particular has a place called Asian Snack and that is what I think is the best.
Michael Zarick: Which Saraga is that?
Alyssa Ream: It's like northwest of Indy.
Michael Zarick: What type of food do you get there?
Alyssa Ream: Um,
Michael Zarick: is it like street food?
Alyssa Ream: They have like a little bit of everything. Last time I went I got a soup though. That was really good. Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: Soup
Michael Zarick: easy. That's okay. I'll eat anything. Literally, I, no, [00:54:00] seriously. Have you ever eaten crickets?
Alyssa Ream: No. I was in Thailand and had the opportunity, but did that
Michael Zarick: mess with crickets?
I mess with uh,
Alexa Adamson: like you'd eat crickets regularly. You'd go out and buy crickets
Michael Zarick: to
Alexa Adamson: eat. Actually,
Michael Zarick: this is maybe my hottest take that I think people cannot get behind is that insects are an underutilized food source.
Alexa Adamson: I've heard that they're in a lot of things, but I don't think I wanna know it.
Michael Zarick: I think that, um, we have this abundant.
Source of food and our current food, food supply needs help so we can live. And I think that it's a cultural thing. Like if you, if people ate insects like regularly, it would just like seem normal. Oh yeah.
Alyssa Ream: Because they do in other cultures.
Michael Zarick: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Alexa Adamson: I, um, weirdly I don't like certain textures, so
Alyssa Ream: Yeah, I
Michael Zarick: don't
Alyssa Ream: think so.
Yeah. Yeah. I'm cool with duck, but I won't,
Alexa Adamson: I don't even like raw onion.
Michael Zarick: That's cool.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: I think that, I think raw onion is [00:55:00] like weird. Even though I would eat an onion like an apple.
Alexa Adamson: That's crazy.
Michael Zarick: Or I used to, I don't know if my stomach can handle it anymore.
Alexa Adamson: What kind of onion? I'm an
Michael Zarick: old man,
Alexa Adamson: yellow, red, white.
Any of them.
Michael Zarick: And at a time in my life I could have ripped any onion on the earth.
Alyssa Ream: The red ones gonna be super spicy, raw. So
Alexa Adamson: yeah.
Michael Zarick: Thank you for answering Asian snack. And what's it? Mama's?
Alexa Adamson: Mama's.
Michael Zarick: Just Mama's
and
Alexa Adamson: Mama's Korean barbecue, I think.
Michael Zarick: Okay.
Alexa Adamson: Pendleton Pike.
Michael Zarick: We'll be there.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: I'll probably invite you.
Alexa Adamson: That'd be great.
Michael Zarick: Uh, the next question is, this is a harder question. I think you spent time thinking about it.
Alexa Adamson: I did not actually.
Michael Zarick: Oh, okay.
Alexa Adamson: I forgot.
Alyssa Ream: Why did she get the podcast?
Alexa Adamson: Podcast?
Michael Zarick: Because she listened to the podcast.
Alyssa Ream: Oh, so you heard the question.
Alexa Adamson: Okay.
Alyssa Ream: Um, I just saw the clips.
Michael Zarick: How has Indianapolis changed or evolved over the past 10 years and then by extension, do you think it will change and evolve in the next 10 years?
Alexa Adamson: It's such an interesting question [00:56:00] because thinking about 10 years ago, I was graduating from college, so I feel like my perspective of Indianapolis has changed, um, as I've gotten older.
Yeah. From, from 20 to 30.
Michael Zarick: Did you, um.
Alexa Adamson: That's a
Michael Zarick: big like pay attention, like would you say like 10 years ago? You're 30 now, right? I'm 30. We're all 30.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: We're so old.
Alexa Adamson: She just turned 31. Shut the
Michael Zarick: You're allowed to curse. Dang. That was, that was a hard, that
Alyssa Ream: I'm happy to be in my thirties. I'm thriving.
Michael Zarick: It might be hard to answer because I feel like when I was 20, like I was not even paying attention to like what it, what it, what it means for a place to be. If that makes, like, right now I think a lot about Indianapolis as a whole because of the position I am, because I'm more interested in politics, because I am just, also [00:57:00] just like annoying and interested in, in everything that's going on.
Um, so it might be hard to answer, but maybe just for yourself, like how has it evolved for you then?
Alexa Adamson: I think when I, so I was 20, couldn't even drink yet. I was very much like opportunistic, I guess. Like I would throw myself in every single thing that I could just to like get my name out there. And in that process, I feel like I learned about so much of the art scene in that time.
Um, obviously like developers have come in and really changed a lot of, what Indianapolis looks like now. I think it used to be a lot like crunchier and like more DIY and it's had like, its little like rollercoaster ebbs and flows. But um, yeah, I, I think that it's [00:58:00] kind of gotten more technologically advanced and in some ways less colorful and other ways more colorful.
Fountain Square is totally different now. yeah.
Michael Zarick: Alyssa, do you have an answer?
Alyssa Ream: Um, yeah, so I, along the same lines, I feel like my perspective has changed of the city more than anything in the last 10 years.
And I mean, 10 years ago I wasn't in, even in Indianapolis yet, quite yet. I graduated from, uh, IU Bloomington. So I went from Northern Indiana to Bloomington, then moved to Indy.
Yeah. So, no, I feel like my perspective of the city has changed. So it's hard to know how much the city itself has changed in 10 years. But if I look at it more on like a small scale, um, like just talking about the near East side maybe, or even just this block, like the, what we're sitting in right now was abandoned.
Mm-hmm. My building was abandoned. Um, and they were for quite a while, I think decades. And [00:59:00] so, um, just in like the last. How many years ago did you open Alley Cat?
Alexa Adamson: Four,
Alyssa Ream: four years ago. Okay. So four. Within the last four years, Alexa opened Alley Cat and then, um, started expanding to this building. And then I feel like the main reason why I moved into that space is because Alexa was already here.
I don't know if I would've been brave enough to take the leap on this space if there wasn't someone else already over here. And now there's a coffee roaster. Indy Loves Coffee. Mm-hmm. In the back. So just like to see just how this little tiny slice of the city has evolved just in the last few years, I think is amazing.
Michael Zarick: Hmm. Let's go. Any ideas of, or visions of the future or dreams?
Alyssa Ream: Something with the women's prison has to happen. Oh yeah. Something cool.
Michael Zarick: They're on the list.
Alyssa Ream: Yes.
Michael Zarick: Of people
Alyssa Ream: to talk to. 'cause it's so close to us. Um, so I would love to see something cool go in there. I've heard ideas of like artists space and retail and restaurants and I [01:00:00] think that would be awesome.
Grocery
Alexa Adamson: store.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. Grocery store. Affordable housing. Anything is better than just a big abandoned building.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: Something across the lot would be nice. There used to be a gas station across the lot.
Michael Zarick: There's some nice empty space over there.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Can be used for a lot. They're putting in new power poles.
I noticed
Alexa Adamson: they had talks of doing like a shipping container beer garden, because it's really
Michael Zarick: hard to, that doesn't even sound that bad. No. Kind. Cool.
Alexa Adamson: Actually it sounds really cool, but now the, the lot is up for sale again. Um, I think some of the neighbors were not excited about it. So
Michael Zarick: get me in there.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Recording studio.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah. If you
Alyssa Ream: have an idea for it before it becomes, I mean, we could use parking over here.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah.
Alyssa Ream: But before it becomes a parking lot. If you wanna up,
Michael Zarick: everyone wants parking, but no one wants the parking lot. Yeah,
Alyssa Ream: exactly. Yeah.
Michael Zarick: Uh, that's all the questions I have.
Alyssa Ream: Amazing.
Michael Zarick: I think that's it.
Alyssa Ream: Minimal giggling.
Alexa Adamson: We did it.
Michael Zarick: There's always one last [01:01:00] question though. What question would you like to ask the next guest on Third Space Indy?
Alexa Adamson: What was the last activity that you tried and like put yourself out of your comfort zone? Hmm. Has that one been asked before?
Michael Zarick: Good question.
Alexa Adamson: Okay, cool.
Michael Zarick: It doesn't matter. Uh,
Alexa Adamson: all right. I
Alyssa Ream: feel like mine was the exact same.
Alexa Adamson: Wow.
Alyssa Ream: That's all I was thinking was like what? We
Michael Zarick: can ask one question. You can be of one mind.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.
Michael Zarick: You can say it together. No kidding. It can be for both of you. What
Alyssa Ream: we say it together, we're gonna see
Michael Zarick: on three.
Just kidding. Tell me, tell the people where they can find you and we'll wrap up the podcast.
Alexa Adamson: Uh, Alley Cat Ceramics on Instagram, Facebook, website. Don't email me.
Michael Zarick: That's true. do not email her. Don't email me. I tried. It didn't work. I had to walk up to her at, uh, Monument Circle to say hello to introduce myself.
Alexa Adamson: Yeah,
Michael Zarick: that's how we met. Where do we find you?
Alyssa Ream: Groovy Greenhouse Studio on Instagram and Facebook and [01:02:00] TikTok too, I think. Oh, I occasionally use TikTok. Um, or the best way to find me is at my studio at 2 1 3 1 East Michigan Street.
Michael Zarick: Just walk up to her back door.
Alyssa Ream: Please stick
Michael Zarick: your,
Alyssa Ream: please only come in during our open studio hours.
If you come in outside of that, I will probably
Alexa Adamson: hide in the back office.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah. Hide in the back. Pretend to not be home.
Michael Zarick: Thank you so much for listening or watching. To this episode of Third Space Indy, you can find me at Third Space Indy on Instagram, TikTok, or go to Third Space Indy. I have TikTok. I post one clip a week.
It's not that hard. . Go to thirdspaceindy.com where I write a blog that releases every Monday. You can gimme your email if you want, and I'll send it to you. Yay Third Space Indy Sponsored is by cityrising.org. Thank you Mark Latta and City Rising for giving me money. I appreciate it.
Alexa Adamson: Thank you, Mark.
Michael Zarick: Uh, and thank you as always to the local artist Jennasen, for [01:03:00] giving me your song to play as my intro music.
That song is named Scared Rabbit.. Anyways, thanks so much for watching. See you in the next one. Goodbye. Say bye, Grant.
Alyssa Ream: Uh,
Grant: you have the first, uh, Third Space Live studio audience.
Alyssa Ream: Yeah.