I Suck at Capitalism

 Hi everyone,

I wanted to take a minute to talk about Patreon and why it matters to me, in case you've been considering a paid subscription. The truth is, I suck at capitalism, and I’d do all this for free if I could. All the knowledge, the experimentation, even the pots themselves! Unfortunately, that’s not an option for me.

Running a pottery studio means a lot of costs that aren't always visible from the outside: clay, glaze materials, kiln firings (propane is my biggest cost!), tools that wear out, and just the time it takes to make each piece by hand. Patreon support directly helps cover those costs and gives me a little breathing room to be creative instead of always in production mode. And we all know how much I love to make stuff that won’t sell! Or at least is harder to sell; those wonky pieces that take over my brain sometimes for weeks at a time. Those inform my larger body of work. Without them, the rest would become staid & dull.

I try to make it worth your while. Depending on the tier, patrons get things like early access to pieces before they're publicly listed, process videos and photos, glaze recipes, and tips you can use in your own work. (Although I admit, when I discover a new technique, even a small tip, that works or is just super fun, I’m probably gonna share that to the free tier, too, because I love clay, I love clay people, and it brings me joy to help people on their clay journey.)

If you shop for handmade pottery, your subscription could pay for itself with discount codes alone! 

If you've enjoyed following along with what I make, even a dollar and a half a month – the lowest tier - genuinely makes a difference. Your support adds up, and lets me keep doing this. And if an upgrade isn't the right fit for you right now, that's totally okay too! Just having you here following along means a lot. Your time & attention has value, and I appreciate you spending it with me.

If you wish to subscribe, free or paid, you can do that at this link. 

Creativity, Serenity, and the Value of Repetition

 I often hear this from students or new potters: "Oh, I could never make the same thing over and over, how boring! Where is the creativity?" When I hear this, I think, well, you do you, but my friend, you are missing out.

Repetition, especially on the wheel, is not what it looks like. For me there are two modes: design, and production (a term I use loosely, because I am not really a production potter; they sometimes throw 500 mugs a day!) In my designing mode, to a casual observer, I might appear to be making the same thing over and over again, but I am making small changes each time: the shoulder on this one is a little higher, or the foot is a little wider, or there's an accent line at the neck, maybe the next one gets spiral throwing ridge. I am very mentally engaged, making dozens of small decisions about which version best approximates the one in my head. I do occasionally sketch forms, but I tend to do my sketching on the wheel. That's the creativity bit, and it's deeply satisfying.

The other mode, though: that is one of the true joys of pottery. I do return to the same forms often; so often that my hands can do it on their own, with little attention from my brain. Once I sit down, I let my hands do their thing and my mind can wander, or rest. It's work, in the sense of physical effort, to be sure, but like many other forms of physical effort - hiking, say, or yoga - it's mentally restorative. The serenity found there is the reward for the long months - years, if I'm honest - of frustration as you climb the long, steep learning curve of the potters wheel.

I was back at the wheel today, basking in the serenity.

 

It's been a while since I posted here! Sorry, and thanks for being here to read this one. I post more regularly at Patreon, where you can subscribe for free (or just pop in to read, without subscribing.) If you enjoy the posts & would like to see more, subscriptions start as low as $1.50 a month.