3 steps to go from pottering to Potter:
Step 1: Make stuff from clay.
Step 2: Book a photo shoot.
Step 3: Order yourself some fancy business cards.
And then BOOM! MAGIC! You're a ceramic artist! Congrats on your new role!
It's that easy... well kind of.
Seven years ago, I took my first wheel throwing class and since then I've been dabbling in a mixture of hand-building and wheel throwing. I'm drawn to this medium because it's tactile and relaxing. When I'm on the wheel, it's a mesmerising process. It can be frustrating but each time I learn something I'm filled with satisfaction and joy.
In 2021, I started working at a local ceramic studio, Urth Clay, teaching wheel throwing and hand-building and this has been the best experience for my growth and skills. I love teaching others and seeing their faces light up when they finally centre a lump of clay or successfully move their first masterpiece onto a wooden bat.
Clay is therapeutic and I think that's why I'm so addicted to it. Desiring to handle it every day. However, going from making a few pieces as gifts for family and friends to taking the leap and saying “I'm a ceramicist” is a pretty bold and scary move.
One I was hesitant to make.
I'll never feel ready enough.
My work will never feel refined enough.
But I've come to the point where I'm proud of these pieces and I'm desperate to experiment more in the studio. To do that, it's time to start selling. I'm very grateful to Sunset Series for believing in me and being eager to stock my work, even before I had any samples to show!
When I booked a photo shoot with Kate from Urban Safari, I was a bit nervous. Unsure if I was giving Kate an impossible photography task. Within half an hour of the shoot, she had BLOWN MY MIND. She had set up the lighting, table, and background colour snapped the first shot, and showed me on the camera. HECK! Kate just made me a ceramic artist.
Right there.
That was the moment.
This was the first time I knew I was ready to show the world my creations. My confidence in my style, skill, and ability went from a 2 out of 10 (yeah, there's potential here for something good) to 10 out of 10! (Wowee, I made that?!)
Being sent the dropbox of images was like opening a Christmas present. I was seeing my pieces for the first time. They were professional and beyond what I could imagine! Kate asked for a brief, but I really couldn't describe what I wanted. She suggested a pop of colour and I bought some flowers with me for the shoot and she just knew exactly how to place them and how to pair the ceramics with background colours. I have total trust in her vision and could not be happier with the result.
She is an absolute LIGHT WIZARD!
Displaying my work in this way has given me the confidence to have business cards printed. (Another bold and scary step!)
Now I'm ready to start promoting my 3D work.
Ready to show you.
Ready to keep creating!
Have you been on a similar journey?
Are you about to take the artist leap?
I'd love to hear from you. xx