Isn't Formintera an Island...?
So when coming up with a name for this business, I wanted something that felt like a brand. Something that rolled off the tongue and sounded natural. I came up with Formintera by combining the two words "forming" and "terracotta." It wasn't until one of my first farmers' markets that a kind lady came up to me and asked, "Isn't Formintera an island off the coast of Spain?" I had no idea, so I looked it up! Formentera (spelled with an E) is the smallest and southernmost inhabited island of Spain's Balearic Islands.
My Story
Hello, you beautiful beast, my name is Carter DeGraffenried. I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. Seriously, what a wild place to grow up! I once got chased by a moose — if you're ever in that situation, weave around trees while sprinting at full speed. Moose have terrible coordination. I spent almost my whole childhood outdoors, playing and building random forts. One of my fondest memories was when my cousin and I wanted some extra cash, so we pitched up a little table on our street and held our very own little market — selling our paintings, drawings, and even some bracelets we'd made. One of my neighbors saw this, came over, and bought one of my paintings for 20 dollars! And to my 7-year-old self, that meant I could buy forty fifty-cent ice cream cones from McDonald's. I was rich!
Fast forward a couple of years to when I was a sophomore in high school, taking my very first pottery class. I instantly became obsessed with it. Coming in during lunch to get an extra 30 minutes of throwing time. Getting yelled at by my pottery teacher a few too many times for pulling my walls too thin. And then, taking 3 consecutive semesters of pottery — I was the first student to dedicate that many elective credits to it. I even sold my work on Facebook. So if you have a grandma up in Alaska who has handmade pottery, look for either a C or a smiley face on the bottom of her stuff. I'd love to re-acquire some of my earlier pieces.
Working with my hands has always been something I was drawn to — from pouring concrete slabs, framing homes, and roofing to the few summers I spent with my grandpa on his commercial fishing boat. I've always been a go-getter, and if I wanted something, I had to work for it. Which usually meant building and selling something, or providing a service that someone didn't know how to do, or didn't want to do themselves.
Eventually, I'd had enough of the bird-sized mosquitoes and bloodthirsty moose, so I joined the Air Force at the ripe age of 19. As an aeronautical electrician, I worked on the "bad-ass" A-10 Warthog for the first five years of my career — the first four at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona, and then here at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. That's where I got picked up for a special duty assignment called AFREP: the Air Force Repair Enhancement Program. It's a highly sought-after position where I get to fix random things — from fridges, computers, and aircraft components to medical equipment and rocket launcher test equipment.
Am I good at my job? Yes, I'm really freaking good at it.
Is it what I love to do? Well, Buba, you know a lot about me now. Take a look at my work and tell me what you think I'm passionate about :)
I'd like to open a coffee shop one day, and I'd share my vision with you about it, but my competitors can see this too. I can't just reveal my plans to the whole world! If you're interested in learning more, find me at farmers' markets here in Las Vegas.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.