I use functional forms to reflect culture during our moment of technological revolution and climate change. My urns serve as a lamentation for the human tendency to prioritize power, profit, and convenience over the well-being of the collective and the environment. I take inspiration from Art Nouveau artisans and their passionate and skillful compositions of natural elements in rebellion against the mechanization of human labor during the Industrial Revolution. I am using the urn form now to memorialize this slice of the Anthropocene era, the limitations of human organizations and the price of progress. I use the lantern form to generate hope by discussing individuals who have contributed to moments of consciousness raising. Meditating on the work of luminaries who have maintained hopeful views of humanity can help us find our way forward through the darkest of times. The role of craft and the human hand in my work demonstrate the value and potency of our hands and our capacity to choose the mark we make.