Looking back, after 5 years in business.

I can’t believe I’ve been selling pottery for 5 years. Most days, I still feel like a beginner. That’s not false humility; pottery takes more than a lifetime to master.

I’ve learned a lot of lessons the “hard way.” Some of that is completely necessary, there’s no way around it in business or in art. But I’ve been wanting to put some of my experience into words. Looking back, what would I tell myself at the start? 

For the brand new potter, for the self-made maker, and for myself as I reflect on just how far I’ve come:

1. You don’t need to have a plan.
   
   Everyone will ask you, and you’ll even ask yourself, “Do you want to do this professionally?” “Do you do this full-time?” “Is this just your hobby?” “So when are you going to give up your full-time job?”
   
   Be honest with yourself and answer to the extent you’d like, but you don’t owe anyone an explanation and you don’t need a plan. You’re allowed to say, “I don’t know.”
   
   You can make things with no intention of selling. You can sell as much or as little as you’d like. You can do that for a year or a month, and then change your mind. Please, allow yourself to just be where you are. Planning is important, and it’s second nature for me. But not everything has to have a charted lifespan or an income goal tied to it.
   

2. Take it slow.
   
   Once I realized I wanted to make this a business, I kept working exactly the same. For two years, I kept my full-time job while pursuing pottery whenever I could. I needed to get better, and I needed to learn about income opportunities so I could forecast accordingly. I kept my income the same, and not dependent on pottery, so that I could freely explore and learn through experience.
   
   Which vendor should I use for clay, glazes, packaging materials, business cards? Which markets are the best fit and most profitable? How is my work selling online? Which pieces sell better than others?
   
   Many lessons are learned through trial-and-error, and that takes time. I didn’t want to stress about income while learning how to succeed. It’s not glamorous to put in even more time, but if you can do it, this is absolutely the way I would recommend.
   

3. Think through your process and prepare before you start.
   
   Okay, this sounds antithetical to point #1, but I’m thinking very practically here - like, daily tasks. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve broken by not clearing a literal path from point A to point B.
   
   This is embarrassing, but true. Not too long ago, I lined up a dozen mugs on the floor right next to my wheel so I could easily sand the bottoms without getting up in between each piece. I stepped on and broke one of those mugs. I’ve broken the handle off of my maker’s stamp by simply knocking it off my table (it now lives in a small bowl to keep it from rolling). I’ve warped large bowls because I didn’t have a clean bat to help transfer before carrying it over. I’ve broken peep plugs on my kiln because my sweater got caught and pulled one out.
   
   If you’re about to do something, imagine yourself doing it. Do you have the tools necessary? Is your pathway clear? Is the destination for your pot clean and level? Is your hair already up? This sounds so insanely simple, but I’m clumsy and stubborn. Learn from my mistakes on this one. The more you do it, the less you’ll have to pre-meditate.
   

4. Make extras.
   
   Commissioned items, handles, glaze tests. Pottery is wonderfully and frustratingly unpredictable. Every step takes time and precision, so I try to set myself up for success here. Don’t like the way you attached that handle? Take it off, you have another one ready to go.
   
   These days, I typically make one extra of what I’m working on. In the early days, I’d make several. You know how often your projects work perfectly according to plan… so set yourself up for success and know that the extra effort and time is not a waste. In fact, most of my commissions are not too specific, so I can still sell extra pieces made in the process.
   

5. Clean your dang brushes.
   
   This applies to all tools - but I’ve been particularly neglectful to my brushes. If you keep your tools clean, they last longer, work effectively, and won’t break when you need them most. I have replaced an embarrassing number of wire tools over the years… I wish I had developed better “studio hygiene” early on, so bad habits weren’t so difficult to break now.
   
   If you’re planning to spend an hour in the studio, go ahead and pad that with about 15 minutes of cleaning time. You know how people say, “If you can’t tip, then you shouldn’t be eating out”? Well, if you don’t have time to clean, then you don’t have time to throw. That isn’t something I’ve always followed, but I really wish I had that discipline from the start. That brings me to my next point… wet cleaning.
   

6. Clean wet.
   
   Alright, confession time. When I started, I had never heard of silicosis. I wasn’t taught about it in school (I took one pottery class) or at the local studio. I had no clue. Before I spent a lot of time following other artists on social media, I had no exposure to education about wet cleaning or dust prevention at all.
   
   Silicosis is a lung disease that can develop after exposure to silica - extremely fine dust produced by dry materials like clay and glazes.
   
   This is why it’s absolutely necessary to clean regularly, and clean wet. Do not sweep dust in a pottery studio. Do not trim pottery dry. Do not sand pieces dry. You can not mix dry glazes without proper PPE and ventilation. You want to keep everything wet so it doesn’t have the chance to get airborne.
   
   Now, as someone who has health anxiety, let me tell you. I’ve scared myself silly about the mistakes I made early on, and the daily precautions I continue to take. Please, take it seriously. But from what I’ve read - if you take basic precautions, you are protecting yourself adequately. Just do the research, do the best you can, and try not to get carried away with some of the online fear mongering.
   

7. Diversify income, but… don’t stretch yourself too thin.
   
   Now this is a big one, and one I’m still learning. I’ll expand on this in the future, because I think it’s super helpful to learn how you can practically make money with art and build a sustainable business. But for now, I’ll list some of the ways I’ve made money from pottery over the years: wholesale, consignment, online sales, and markets.
   
   When I was getting started, I didn’t know which of these would work best for me, so I did them all. You know how that typically goes - I did a lot of things “okay” but none of them super well. And if I wasn’t committing to any of those, I didn’t really learn how effective they were for me.
   
   My Etsy shop was chronically depleted because I didn’t have time to make enough inventory. I frequently said “no” to market invitations because I didn’t have time to make enough inventory. I stocked with a couple of boutiques, but it wasn’t always the best fit and I couldn’t try as many different brands as I would have liked. Because, you guessed it, I didn’t have time to make enough inventory.
   
   What would I do differently? Instead of doing all four at once, I might try two different income sources for a year, just to see how it looks somewhat long-term. You can’t see trends after a month, and you definitely can’t see them if you don’t regularly maintain that part of your business.
   

8. Develop a community - you’ll need them.
   
   Be kind and open with others, and generally, they’ll do the same for you. When someone messages me asking about what glaze I used for something specific, I tend to share it with them. I don’t have to, but that’s what I’d want someone to do for me when I’m stuck and need advice. I’ve never been taken advantage of by another potter, but I’ve frequently gotten helpful information about markets, vendors, techniques, and business strategy.
   
   This isn’t exclusive to ceramic artists, but think about others selling to similar customers in similar ways. Encouragement and inclusion go a long way.
   
   I’m introverted, I know this can sound intimidating. Just, try this. If you’re at a market, introduce yourself to the people next to you. Look at their work, compliment them. Follow them on social media. That’s it, that’s a good start.
   
   Not at markets? Follow others online - aspirational, experienced potters. And potters who have similar experience to you. Engage with their posts. When you have a question or if you want to know something about their process, send them a DM. Worst case, they say no. Best case, you learn from them and develop a friendship with someone in your business.
   
   I’ve recently learned about pottery groups on Facebook… this took me way, way too long to find. I’ve joined many groups - Mayco, Amaco, and Ky Mudworks clay/glaze groups. Now my feed is filled with pottery, and specifically, potters willing to share their process and results. I’ve posted a few times with questions of my own, and it’s refreshing to receive honest answers from others who genuinely want to help.

I could honestly double or triple this list, but I’ll spare you. And my daughter’s nap time is almost over. I don’t know where I’m going with my business, but I’m learning every day about what I find most fulfilling, what fits within my lifestyle, and what works for me financially.

I do know this, more than ever: I love making things.

After five years, I’m feeling a lot of things. Sentimental, hopeful, and grateful rise to the top.

With love,
Rachel