Mother Stories
At Home With Ceramicist & Mother Of Two Linda Hsiao
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Morgan Pansing
Aug 24, 2021
Los Angeles-based mother and ceramicist Linda Hsiao has had a lot of things brewing during the pandemic—she settled into a new home right when lockdown orders went into place, she handcrafted hundreds of beautiful pieces in her new studio, and she got ready to welcome a new baby into her family of three (which also includes big brother Saben, 2 1/2). Only a few short weeks before she gave birth to baby girl Wawona, we were able to catch up with the busy creative and talk motherhood, art, and her self-care habits during this trying time.
The Earth-loving mama also got to test drive some of Burt’s Bees most popular natural origin products for the whole family, including Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil, Baby Dusting Powder, Multipurpose Healing Ointment, and Burt’s Bee Baby Shampoo & Wash. Find out more about the plant-powered ingredients that fill these soothing products, while Linda gives us a virtual tour of her inspiring space.
This post is brought to you by Mother + Burt’s Bees.
Packaging may vary, as Burt’s Bees Baby & Mama products have a new look with the same nature-loving ingredients.
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- "We bought our first home a week before the first pandemic stay-at-home order and have been living here for the past year and a half. The move has been the best place to raise our family, right next to the mountains in Altadena with trails and streams so close by."
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- Peekaboo! Linda and her son Saben peek out the bedroom window, with a trio of Burt's Bees products nearby.
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- "It’s a simple ‘50s mid century house that felt like it could be our own choose-your-own-adventure, depending on what we put in it. As with each place we have lived, it’s filled with handmade things from friends or ourselves that we love."
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- "The plan is for her to be in a bedside co-sleeper my husband built for my first born. Once she’s old enough, I’d love for the two of them to share a room. I feel like the early bonding and them having each other is so important."
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A few things waiting for baby's arrival: a wooden toy and rattle hand-crafted by Linda, and Burt's Bees Baby Dusting Powder, a 100% natural origin powder that's free of talc, phthalates, parabens, petrolatum, and SLS.
The key ingredient in the Dusting Powder is cornstarch (Zea Mays), a skincare secret from the Plains that is a super absorbent natural substance derived from the corn plant. The cornstarch can act as a bulking agent or natural moisturize absorber.
"This is going to come in handy keeping my newborn’s baby butt nice and dry," says Linda.
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- A look at Saben's colorful, earthy room, filled with natural textures.
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- "How exhausted we might be the first few years and how my husband and I can keep up while also both keeping our businesses running smoothly. We both value our family time, but also love what we do for work professionally, so we will just be extra busy these next few years as we try to do it all!"
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"From a young age I had always dreamed about being a mother and a grandmother. Originally dreaming about being a young mother being able to have the energy to keep up with my kids, but career came first for me and finding the right person mattered too."
"I feel very lucky to have found the perfect partner for me to build a family with. And starting out on the later side—being 36 almost 37 by the time Saben was born—I wanted to make sure we had a sibling for him. So we were lucky enough to be able to get pregnant again with his little sister!"
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- A little something for mama, baby, and the whole family lines the shelves: Burt's Bee Baby Shampoo & Wash, Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil, Baby Dusting Powder, and Multipurpose Healing Ointment.
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- "Motherhood humbles you and makes you think about others more than yourself. It’s really upped my ability to multitask in ways I didn’t imagine. But also ask for help when I need it. I can only imagine with the addition of my second it’s going to take this all to the next level."
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- "Saben’s name comes from the same lineage as my husband’s name, Kagan. Both names come from sea chanty songs written and sung by Gordon Bok. Saben’s song is from 'Saben the Woodfitter.' It's a sweet song about a man who retires the wood from his beloved boat to build his house after she takes him home after a storm."
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- "He’s a classic toddler at 2 1/2 years old. He loves playing in the garden/dirt, splashing around in the stream near our home, bike rides with his dad, wooden trains, making tent tunnels and pillow forts, singing 'Wheels on the Bus' and his ABC’s. He’s just an all around happy little guy who’s a little sensitive whenever he gets a booboo."
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"My first pregnancy had its own set of difficulties, as it had started with a miscarriage but then very shortly after that loss I was lucky enough to become pregnant with Saben. Pregnancy itself was fairly easy until the end when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, making me change my diet and exercise 3 times a day to control my glucose levels."
"This second pregnancy while chasing a toddler has come with its own difficulties. Lots of hormone headaches and much fatigue and nausea during most of the pregnancy. Although the silver lining is that I had dedicated a lot of time to staying fit and healthy during this second pregnancy and I was able to beat gestational diabetes during the third trimester, which felt like a relief."
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- "Having one of each makes me feel like my family is complete and balanced. I’ve thought about gender quite a bit lately, as Saben has been mistaken for a girl for much of his life. I want to make sure to raise them both with an understanding and sensitivity that although they are born with a certain sex, they should be able to be happy with who they are regardless of which gender they may choose."
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- A look at Linda's garage-slash-ceramics studio.
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- "We felt like it was the right time for us to grow our family and the pandemic did not seem like it was going anywhere. If we waited until the pandemic was over, we may have missed our opportunity."
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Slathering on Burt's Bees Baby Multipurpose Healing Ointment to smooth little helping hands in the studio.
As its name suggests, the versatile Multipurpose Healing Ointment can be used during diaper changes to create a barrier against dryness and irritation...and for many other occassions!
The key ingredient in this 100% natural origin product is shea butter—a moisture-rich, oh-so-nourishing natural fat that comes from the fruit of the Karite tree.
"This is perfect for hard-working hands, elbows, and heels," says Linda.
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- "My son only recently started preschool. With the arrival of his little sister, we felt like it was necessary for both us and him to resume a routine. The majority of this past year meant my husband and I split childcare duties in order for both of us to work ½ time and be with Saben ½ time. There was some relief at times with a shared nanny and making a pod with friends who had another little one the same age as Saben, but it has been difficult for us as with many others."
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- "There’s a few moms I often reach out to for advice or thoughts on things. Since Covid started, we do not meet up quite often but it’s comforting to know they are just a text away."
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- Two of Linda's signature creations—Daruma Wishing Dolls and Lucky Baby Buddhas—waiting to be glazed and finished.
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- "My mother, mother-in-law, and other friends, and being able to text them questions at any time, night or day. In the early days of being a mom it was also great to have friends with newborns around the same age, as we would often text at all hours especially during those late night feedings. Going through the same thing at the same time was definitely a bonding experience."
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- A close-up of some of Linda's stunning work.
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- Avian-themed pitchers featuring Linda's impressive hand craftsmanship.
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- "Seeing Saben grow with his little sister and seeing that relationship develop. I hope they will always have each other to love and look after each other long after we are gone. I'm excited to see what type of people they will become and what they will do with their lives in the future."
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"I grew up in Orange County as the youngest of three with two older brothers. I spent lots of time at the beach and at my parents' farm. I had art lessons with my aunt who lived up the hill and lots of time free to explore in a large backyard."
Read more about Linda's 2nd generation Taiwanese American upbringing in this feature on 20 AAPI creatives.
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"I’d like to make sure to raise my kids with the balance of cultures that I feel like I was brought up in. Being raised by Taiwanese parents but growing up around American families, I saw a myriad of how families can be."
"I was raised with a strong work ethic, which I find very important to carry on. But I also loved being raised by my best friend's family, which had a very strong emotional bond and is something I work towards as well."
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"I studied Industrial Design in Brooklyn at Pratt Institute and loved production and the human scale of industrial designed products. What I did not realize when I got into the industry after graduation was the enormous waste that can come with this process. I wanted to be able to reach people through design and not create fast fashion and/or products that felt disposable and were mass produced in the hundreds of thousands. And after years of working on design at a computer I got the itch to work with my hands again, so I joined a ceramic studio in Brooklyn. A year after I moved back to California, I spent some time in a few different community college ceramic studios while still freelancing in eyewear or toy design during the day."
"It wasn’t until I met Kagan (now my husband) that I started formally selling my ceramic work. We had designed a handmade baby rattle that we felt we needed to share with the world and by that time I had already been practicing ceramics for over 5 years. It pivoted how I thought about my ceramic work with my design eye and I began to create collections and series one by one using different skills and techniques I had learned."
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"After a few years of creating Knotwork LA, the ceramics collection kept growing, but I was still juggling lots of computer work for income and I decided I needed to go full-time as a leap of faith to properly devote myself in seeing where this can go."
"This has been my full-time job since 2016 and it’s been the best career choice I’ve ever made. The ability to be able to create handmade products that reach people directly is something that gives me so much joy. From my hands and home to yours."
"Being a studio ceramic artist and running a business is not easy and still so much work, but it’s what I love. Working with my hands and being my own boss is something I hope to continue for many years to come."
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- "Handmade homewares influenced by nature with a bit of whimsy. Some of my work allows the material to feel almost organically painted on with the porcelain inlay series. Letting the different material colors and textures stand out next to each other much like sedimentary cliffs in my childhood beaches in Laguna. While another body of work is much more character-driven and I still hand sculpt each piece. Sculpted series includes pitchers in a variety of bird forms, male and female tiki mugs, imaginary creatures and daruma wishing dolls. All my work is a bit playful and always one of a kind."
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Another one of Linda's beautiful pitchers, alongside her Burt’s Bees favorites.
Which product will she reach for next?
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The Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil! This 100% natural origin oil is aimed at keeping skin supple and soft throughout pregnancy and beyond.
The key ingredient is sweet almond oil, cold-pressed from the dried kernels of the almond tree. The medium-weight oil is rich in oleic and linoleic acids, proteins, and Vitamin D, which conditions and nourishes skin without leaving a greasy residue.
"It's a great oil for after the shower," says Linda. "It smells amazing with the lemon oil and keeps you hydrated all day."
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- The most adorable helping hand.
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- "I love seeing Saben’s delight in looking at the different birds, imaginary creatures, and the little faces on the daruma wishing dolls. It’s exciting to see him excited and hope that my work brings smiles to even the tiniest of customers. Bringing smiles to kids and adults alike has always fueled me to create even more!"
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- "It’s made me realize I’m on the right path because I love what I do and that is exactly what I’d like to show as a role model to my children. In some ways, adjusting my work so I could be in a home studio long before having kids has always been in preparation for when I did have children I would be able to be close to them."
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- "Being flexible about what I can get done, constantly adjusting expectations, and just doing my best. Working with patient clients that understand life happens and handmade products take time. Making sure I have some help when I need and learning to ask for help when I need."
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- "It’s been hard getting as much as I would like done during this pandemic with my son at home so much. But lately, as I get ready to sell my work online only for the remainder of the year, it’s let me pivot my thinking of what I’d like to create directly for my customers. New things that I can get excited about and they can get excited about, so there are some new things in store and some one-of-a-kind colors in store, as well, coming this fall."
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- "Going for early morning runs on the trails, something I actually started doing when I found out I was pregnant this time. It’s helped me give myself a little quiet time and help me stay healthy this pregnancy. Before the pandemic, I had very little self-care."
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It's scrub-a-dub time with Burt's Bees Baby Shampoo & Wash.
The tear-free all-in-one cleanser features soothing botanical scents, including lavender and vanilla, which helps relax babies and kiddos before bedtime or whenever they get their bath in.
Soy proteins are utilized as natural moisturizers, enriched with Vitamin B and essential minerals, leaving skin silky, soft, and super smooth.
"This is very foamy and a great baby bath, wash, and shampoo in one!" says Linda.
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- "Remembering to take enough time to enjoy my little ones while they are still so little. I had tried to jump right back into work when Saben was about 5 months old and around his 1st birthday the pandemic hit and then he was home with us. I really do treasure this past year and half of being able to spend so much time with him and would love to balance out how to give my little girl some of that same precious time while keeping my studio up and running going forward."
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- "We’d love to have all our closest friends and family over to our new home, but with the pandemic and having a little one we have been very cautious and have had just a few over very seldomly. Only for the occasional celebration or a playdate with another family. Especially with the new little one coming, we will continue to be very cautious but will still dream about when we can all be together again."
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For more on Linda, her work, and her family (including her brand-new baby girl!), be sure to follow her @lindahsaio on Instagram and check out her site knotworkla.com.
To shop the Burt’s Bees products featured here—and many more!—head over to Target.com.
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