MudTalk Podcast - Pottery, Ceramics, Business

Brandon Schwartz
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  • VISUAL ARTS

The MudTalk Podcast shares thoughts from potters and ceramic artists about a new topic each episode. Topics include pottery, ceramics, art, creativity, running a business, and success.

  1. 03/31/2023

    029 – What do You Listen To While Making Pottery?

    Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10155204359568457 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeiBd3alUzx/ Resources Mentioned: Hoopla Librivox Libby Free trial of Audible Plus (Using this affiliate link will earn us a small amount of money at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting this site!) What do you listen to while you are working with clay? How does it affect your work? Transcript This is episode 29 of the Mudtalk Podcast and it is a fun one. The topic  is, “what do you listen to while you work with clay?”  There were so many responses that I won’t be able to read them all! But if you are in need of some new audio content there will be plenty of ideas in this episode. I thought this would be a great topic because I’m always looking for interesting things to listen to while my hands are busy with clay. Unfortunately it has taken me forever to get this episode recorded so most of the following responses were from a very long time ago. Thank you for listening to THIS podcast. I hope you are currently working with clay as you listen. A short disclaimer: I will include a few clips of some of the great suggestions. I don’t own the copyright to any of these works of audio but they are presented here for educational purposes only. Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, let’s hear what other potters and ceramic artists listen to as they work with clay. Silence A few people including Pubali909, and Ingridj1957,  enjoy the peace and quiet and listen to the sound of the process or complete silence. Audiobooks A few people including Nicolaashley1101, Moequintana1, Anna C-N all mentioned audiobooks. Rawstudios Audiobooks; the best combination ; the intense meditative effect from the throwing makes the books even more vivid . Dtaylorsatm Audible books, Perry Mason and Agatha Christie mysteries Angela M Audiobooks and pottery. Complete bliss I also enjoy audiobooks. You have probably heard of audible.com, Amazon’s audiobook site. You pay a monthly subscription fee and get to choose a certain number of audiobooks every month. There are also some other similar sites. But did you know there are resources out there that offer FREE audiobooks?  One great free resource I’ve found is called Hoopla. I get free access from my local library. I can can borrow digital items such as ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and music. I think they raised the number to 10 per month during the pandemic! The selection isn’t massive but there is enough to keep me listening. I have also started using an app called Libby which connects to the Indiana Digital Library. I get access through my local library. They have a much bigger selection but only have a limited number of each item so you may have to get on the waitlist for certain items, just like a physical library. One more free resource is Librivox. It offers free audio versions of public domain books. Lots of old classics available. If you are interested I’ll put a link to some of these audiobook resources in the show notes. Podcasts Podcasts seem to be a popular choice for a few reasons. Most of them are free. There is always new content. And now you can find a podcast about almost anything you can think of. Just think about the podcast you are listening to right now… One guy with a laptop and microphone reading his favorite replies to social media posts about pottery. What a time to be alive! Pen and ink pottery Podcasts!! #2dopequeens #codeswitch #sooomanywhiteguys #savagelove Canmore pottery Strictly podcasts. Is it a pottery podcast??!!! Scetinozkan Podcasts how stuff works and some Turkish podcasts about philosophy, [and] technology . Learning something helps the creative process for me. Dundeepottery Podcasts...CBC, Annemarie at The Current, Out in the Open with Piya Chattopadhyay, Planet Money, This American Life, Someone Knows Something, Serial, S-Town, trying Sawbones today... and of course Red Clay Rambler. So much to learn so little time!! Jeffszarzi Podcast: Meat Eater, 99% Invisible, Radio Lab, tales of RCR, Potterscast, trumpconlaw, freshair. Penni.q.pottery @casefilepodcast best ever👌🏼👌🏼 Paula C I’m a podcast listener. Tales of a Red Clay Rambler, Dan Carlin’s Hard Core History, Stuff to Blow Your Mind, etc. I enjoy listening to podcasts and audiobooks as well if I’m doing part of the process that doesn’t require a lot of thought. I love the idea of maximizing my use of time so if I can learn something AND make pots I feel super productive. So I’ve listened to quite a range of podcasts, including topics like being a better writer, selling things on Etsy, and building a brand. And of course some of the other pottery podcasts. One of the more “fun” podcasts that I listen to is called Nateland. It is comedian Nate Bargatze and a few of his comedian friends talking about random topics. It is good clean fun without getting into politics or any depressing issues that are common today. If you want something that isn’t too serious and will probably make you smile, maybe even laugh, I would recommend it. The really cool thing about podcasts is that just about anyone can create one. In fact, if you have an idea for a pottery related podcast, we could help you publish it on ExpertClay.com completely for free. Something to think about. Music Of course many responses mentioned music! And there was a really nice selection of styles and artists. Maddi.laine Pop and indie music 🎶 Crw_designs I have an ‘art’ playlist that has over 700 songs... everything from Led Zeppelin to Dispatch to Fleetwood Mac. I can’t work without music. I’ve never tried podcasts. Paolarb Washed out station on Pandora ... it’s a dream! 😍 Sar_in_dip_ity Songs that pull deep emotions from me. It helps me relax and put intention and creativity in to my work. It’s therapeutic Ole_ole_arts Always have Pandora on...can't be creative with peace and quiet. Most of the week it's CSN, Steely Dan, Beatles, Eagles, etc. But on Fridays have to mix it up with Earth, Wind & Fire💃 Wanderingforward Worship music or Celtic music. But mostly worship music these days - I have MUCH to praise Him for. ❤ Sarafreedom_ I love listening to metal and psych rock. Puts me into a focused meditation and makes me feel bad___! #blackcedarceramics Gomezceramica lately I've been obsessed w/ the Into The Wild soundtrack Landrum_pottery I find a classic rock and country playlist, and pop, sometimes EDM each song effects what I make it's a direct link to how I feel usually. I'm Working through spotify playlists. A friend of mine recently showed me 'Yellow' by Gourmet. It's a fun song @potterymakinginfo Carmenarrowood 60's oldies Theatre nerd 3 Fleetwood Mac. Because it’s fun. Annick_and her pottery Bee Gees because there is nothing sweeter than their music and their harmonies! The_signing_gimp Fall Out Boy's new album because it helps me wedge better...lol James clements1962 Steely Dan, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Widespread Panic, etc. Falcon fire ceramic studio I'm the first to admit my music tastes are strange, but most days I'm blaring German metal, the likes of Rammstein, Eisbrecher, Unheilig, BlutEngel, and a few others. Also love trancy stuff, like Amethystium. It helps that I make fantasy creatures and other handbuilt creations. My apologies for not knowing how to pronounce most of those names. Nicholson_terry 70’s and 80’s Music Pathwaypottery Pandora. Been listening to a lot of Needtobreathe lately! Desiredstatecraft Mainly jazzy hip hop or mellow stuff like Moonchild, Tom Misch 😊 Jeikobu_jeikobu Dub. because vibes. Prrpots I like to listen to music while working, but I hate headphones and work in a public studio space, so most of the time - nothing. When I do give up and put on the headphones it’s usually either folk music or electronica depending on my mood and what I’m working on. David van S Michael Hedges Jane L H Reggae Laurence P Peter Gabriel with a huge cup of tea ! Denise B-D 60s that I can sing to, lumineers led zepplin radio and many other random genres on spotify. But classical especially Chopin help my creativity the most. David S I have my thumbprint Pandora station dialed in to ottmar Liebert, Pink Floyd, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Beach Boys, the Beatles, Yanni, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young... it’s very eclectic but I love it... oh, and I stream NPR, especially love Terry Gross Karen S I have a bunch of my own made CD's with all kinds of music that I listen to. Lately it has been modern/contemporary country music. Darius Ruckus leading the way with Wagon Wheel song. As for me, I love to listen to music, especially when I’m doing something that I actually have to think about and can’t focus on dialogue. Measuring glaze ingredients. Answering emails. Listing pots. Or maybe I just need a little energy that music can bring. These are the times where I crank up the tunes. I’ll listen to just about anything… from Bob Dylan to NF. Chuck Berry to August Burns Red. With the streaming options available now we can listen to just about anything we want! Radio And even with all the other on demand options, it is good that some people still enjoy the good old radio. Paco L and Studio gallery pi said simply “Radio” Earthartam NPR Jackie C NPR. As I no longer watch the news or read the paper, for the sake of my sanity. So NPR is how I stay informed. Susan D W NPR - National Potters Radio. Jericho studio pottery Pretty much always BBC radio 4. Nothing beats it really. Sunshine_pottery CBC radio! I love listening to the different documentaries and the news from a Canadian perspective. Mix There are also quite a few people, like myself, that listen to a mix of things. Lahceramics Spotify playlist called Sunshine and Lollipops

    23 min

  2. 01/28/2023

    028 – Your Favorite Pot

    Links to Original Discussion What is your favorite pot? Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10155026095458457 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbbncu9DvYv/ If you had to pick just one pot that you love more than the rest... Why is it your favorite? What do you like about it? What does it look like? Feel like? Tell us all about it! Transcript This is episode 28 of the MudTalk Podcast. Thank you for tuning in. And a big thank you for subscribing so you know when a new episode drops. Especially because my posting schedule seems to be completely random. And the biggest thank you for sharing the podcast with anyone else who may be interested. If this is your first episode, or first episode in a while, the MudTalk Podcast is just a collection of thoughts about a certain topic. Designed to be short and sweet without a lot of fluff. Something to get you thinking or hear some new perspectives. This episode is all about your favorite pot. Why is it your favorite? What do you like about it? What does it look like? There weren’t a lot of responses to the original post which I thought was a little odd. I mean, most potters I know love to talk about pots. So I reposted more recently to get some new thoughts. And still didn’t get a LOT of discussion. But that’s okay. We will work with what we have. But if you would like to share something, feel free to reach out through email or social media. I intentionally left the question a little bit vague. Some people responded with their favorite pot that they have made. Some responded with a style of pot. Some shared one specific pot that they have purchased or use. All good options. I love that the concept of ‘a pot’ can bring up so many different things. We won’t talk about our favorite recreational or medicinal plant. But maybe this question didn’t have the same engagement because the algorithms got confused and thought the content was questionable. Anyway, let’s hear about some favorite pots! Sarahannebkr  Deep Bowls, with a rolled rim, and you can still see the last pull, with a ringed foot Trippelgrow  Agate ware coffee cup unglazed outside and opaque white inside. Fits my hands just so and I slowly awake studying the rings and curves Jenny2ren  A generous deep bowl, thinking of filling it with salad or mixing a cake in it! Jessica ewton ceramics  A shallow blue bowl with lots of cut outs. I spent a long time on it and it paid off!! You can see it on my page :) Havanow  As wide as it is tall. Like a Gywan 😍 Thepeddlerman  A tall, abnormally large mug in a glaze that wasn't exactly mixed entirely (my bad) but the color gradient, from a nice bright red, to a brown almost black is beautiful Marianwilliamspottery A huge bulbous thrown vessel with an added neck or throat and pulled handles- glazed in a beautiful runny (probably barium) blue on top and satin white on bottom- it’s big, showing makers hand marks in the handles and neck. Landrum_pottery  My fav I've made is a 10 lb. Infant piggy sculpture. I almost didn't keep it but after a year of it sitting on the greenware shelf I finally decided to try to fix the damaged ear... I layer glazed it also which turned out great. I feel like he's a high psychedelic pig. :) Betty J Brown clay, larger at the bottom than the top that has a narrow, tapering neck. No glaze. Just natural. James Shock The handle makes this teapot, and seemed to take longer to make! Mudslide glaze over dark brown clay. The lid knob is a miniature of the actual teapot. An afterthought, but worth the effort. Naomi Zacharias Unrau A B-mix thrown 1 pound bowl, rim cut, black slip carved, dots sliptrailed. A play-surprise. So those are the comments that were shared. But as I’m thinking about this, maybe there are a lot of people out there having the same problem that I have: it is hard to pick a favorite! If I HAD to pick one… okay I can’t. How about I give you three of my favorites? First off, I have to put something by Dick Lehman on my list. Local legend. National treasure. International traveler. Magazine covers. But most importantly, he makes some amazing pots. I have a small cup that I’ve mentioned on the podcast before back on Episode 6. It was part of my reward for helping him run his booth at the Michiana Pottery Tour one year. So the experience that goes with it plus the texture, and glaze surface and size all make this one of my favorites. Next, I’m going to go with a bowl by Andrew Linderman. It is in my heavy rotation and it makes me realize that I don’t have enough unique bowls by other artists. The glaze makes me think of a toasted marshmallow over a nice dark stoneware. The facets around the outside are clean and lead to a little bit of an undulating rim which adds to the uniqueness. The foot is narrow so it fits in one hand comfortably. Nice weight. At first I wondered if I would like the rough, slightly textured surface on the inside. I do take the process of eating very seriously. But no complaints about that. It cleans just about as easily as any of the smooth surface bowls I have in my cupboard. Finally, I’ll include my favorite pot to make. This is also a tough choice because I like to make a lot of them. I’ll go with my world map cups. When I say cup I’m talking about a drinking vessel without a handle. I love the simplicity of the form but the various details that can make each cup unique. I love the idea of having a continuous design around the exterior. No beginning or end. I like that a cup can be used for so many things. Alright, that’s probably enough of me blabbering about what I think. But I think it is important to talk about pots. I couldn’t explain exactly why so I did a quick Google search to see if anyone had a good answer. And Google pulls through again. I came across a blast from the past: legendary potter / philosopher / blogger Carter Gillies. I loved reading his blog for years. Unfortunately he passed away a few years back. In his post from 2012 titled “Talking about Pottery” he had this to say: And interestingly, without the words, sometimes we don’t really see things so well. Its as if we learn new things about the world in the company of language. Words tend to help us focus and differentiate. Words give us nuance and value. Its amazing what we can do in the absence of words. But its also amazing what we can do once we do have the words. Learning how to talk about things also teaches us how to look at them. Sometimes we discuss things to help bring clarity to our own thinking. The feedback of testing ideas against the world is simply how we grow. He goes on to talk about how as a beginner we don’t have the experience to talk about pots. Then later he says: Well, eventually I started taking classes that were academic, and I did find myself in positions where there were conversations about pots. How others talked about pots helped me see what I was looking at. Some of what got said was nonsense. Some of it was ill informed hogwash. But occasionally it helped to have an opinion from someone with greater experience or a contrasting viewpoint. You even get to see your own handiwork in a new light once you find the tools to discuss it. And so a light bulb suddenly went on. It turned out there were words that could help me talk about what I was doing. As Carter alludes to, there are some great benefits to thinking about and discussing what we do and why we do it. I hope this episode has given you some things to think about. If you need some more to think about, I’ll include a link to Carter’s blog which is filled with thought provoking topics. And remember, you are always welcome to drop a message to brandon @ expertclay .com or leave a comment on social media. Even though this is a shorter episode, I think that is a good place to stop. Thanks for listening and supporting the podcast. Our next episode will explore what potters listen to when making pots. So, until then, keep making, buying, and discussing your favorite pots, and stay muddy.

    17 min

  3. 01/07/2023

    027 – Sharing Pottery Information

    Links to Original Discussion Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10154977725348457 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BalgWSUjVrb/ Share your opinion on... sharing. What should be shared? How much should be shared? Who should it be shared with? Transcript Hello, and welcome back! We are dusting off this old podcast and tossing out a few new episodes for the new year. Thank you for downloading, listening, subscribing and especially sharing because that is what this episode is all about. More specifically, sharing pottery information. Be sure to listen to the end of this episode to hear why Expert Clay could be a great place for you to share some of your knowledge and experience. Also, a big thanks to… I think it was Jodie Rae of Mudslinging Pottery who showed up at my Michiana Pottery Tour stop and said “don’t you have a podcast? I really liked it.” This kind of interaction inspires me to keep going. So here is a new episode, #27. Let me start by saying that the pottery community is one of the most generous, kind, and caring communities in existence. At least from my somewhat limited experience. You can find examples all over the place of potters sharing their techniques, tips, time, advice, recipes, and just about anything else. I hope you have experienced some part of this as well. So as you may expect, most of the responses were in favor of sharing on some level. But is that it? Should we just automatically share everything we discover or create with everyone else… for free? Let’s hear from other potters and see how they feel about sharing. We’ll start with comments from potters that love to share. pollywog221 I really appreciate when experienced potters are willing to share their knowledge and wisdom. It enables me to become [a] better potter. And I think sharing would enhance the pottery community overall. I want to thank all the people that have helped me over the years @adjustsailsdirtworks. @kyleguymonpottery earthartam I use commercial glazes and clays, but I am always eager to share knowledge and techniques. Teaching others is where it's at, definitely. jclaypotterystudio It's all been done before ...what makes your work unique is YOU. I'm all in for sharing. I wonder sometimes when artists are secretive if they believe it's the only good idea they'll ever have. I think we also have a responsibility to take info shared and make it our own-so not to try to only copy but to breathe our own life into the glaze recipe, the form, the concept, etc...but also see great value in trying to copy at times so you can master and incorporate into your own work. sallyannesadler None of us would be here today without the hard work, experimentation and SHARING from those who came before us. Elizabeth esther401 I am a teacher and am used to sharing. If you share a recipe or technique, it is next to impossible to replicate it 100% since we all tend to put our own spin on things. sueramics_sunshinecoast Sharing is caring it helps to keep our beloved craft alive and thriving with like minded souls. droobs5707 Sharing your knowledge helps everyone. There is room enough for everyone to do whatever lights their fire. Even if you share everything you know the next potter will do something completely different. Pottery is love. Camilla connell info can be shared. But not the experience which has to be lived. angieizardceramics Taking information and applying it to your own work is a far cry from copying someone else. Sharing is part of how to grow and adapt as potters. Excellent topic. thattmum Share everything. Share always. Sharing is the only way to mak e the world a better place. Nothing that is beautiful is owned by any one person, Including glaze recipes dannymeisinger I share. So much of what we know comes from thousands of years of trial and much error. We stand on the shoulders of all potters who come before us. We are the shoulders of the future. shoshe58 There is very little in the world of art that hasn’t been shared through the generations. No matter how much one tries to duplicate someone else’s work, each of us have our own imprint making us all unique as is our work studio2ceramics Collaboration makes for great creativity! I am so thankful for all the potters before me who have been willing to problem solve and coach me. wordsthatilluminate I'm new at this and appreciate when people share and I often ask detailed questions. I've been collecting pics from many IG potters and doing my own primer and attempting to do things in the style of other artists to learn. Even if I had exact glaze recipes or perfected someone else's technique, I'm not interested in copying someone else's bread and butter bc I'm an artist and I'm still fleshing out my own pottery voice. I don't want to look like anyone else. But I absolutely love trying to throw, shape, trim, carve or glaze or underglaze like all of you! And I share your work with friends daily for inspiration and encouragement just to broaden our horizons on what's possible. sheric2015 I am a beginner to this and I have my own kiln that I inherited. I get most of my info from you tube videos. I appreciate any Sharing of knowledge. I agree that even if you learn a technique or glazing application it will always be different. soilandart Information/tips/advices from the experts here on Insta, youtube and other magazines have helped me a lot. I've ventured into ceramics in my midlife, with family and other responsibilities I'm unable to join a school/college to pursue BFA/MFA. So in my situation, any information shared by other experienced potters is very valuable. I learn by reading, practicing and experimenting based on those information. I'm grateful to all the potters who've been generous in sharing the process info/advice!! strauwald_ceramics The warmth and sharing spirit of the ceramics community are things that really drew me in, before I ever got my hands on clay. I stumbled upon YouTube videos of potters sharing their techniques and decided to take a class in college. I've been hooked ever since! carlin.mcrae Sharing is one of the best things about our community. I hate it that some of us feel threatened by sharing recipes and techniques - nothing is sacred except our love of the medium! a.f.pottery I used to be a pastry Chef so that was also a common question in the kitchen. Sharing recipes is up to you but I think everyone has their own personal twist on how they will use the end result. From my personal experience if you give 2 chefs the same recipe it will never come out exactly the same. carlymccannpottery Also reading these comments makes [me] love the ceramic community so much. Such a nice change from typical internet comments ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ glynnislessing I had a potter friend say to not share info was not "potterly". I agree. Teaching is very much part of who I am. matthew_fitzsimmons I’ll just say this...think about where you would be as a potter if no one had shared their knowledge with you. lindawitteart I have always shared what took me years to learn and perfect to others. This long before Internet. I recently decided to work with porcelain and a potter I met on IG has been so very helpful sharing her firing schedules and glaze recipes. I think it's the neighborly thing to do. Think of it as " paying it forward". 😊❤️❤️ ostergaardpottery I share freely. No one can truly copy me and pottery is not easy to make so why not! I recently asked a potter on IG what she was mixing into her clay because what I tried had not worked. She responded that she wanted to keep it her little secret. I assume she felt threatened which is just sad for her. I asked a different potter who posts a lot of similar work. He was very "potterly" and shared freely! artbygretamichelle It was "The kindness of strangers" that helped get me on my feet when I started working with clay. Kiln, wheel, first set of glaze ingredients and the first basic recipe when I decided I wanted to make a glaze. From there I was able to research, test and do. I will never forget the generosity and so I pay that forward to the next curious soul who might genuinely have an interest. Sharing is good. Spoon feeding is bad. Queerly clay I belong to a ceramic co op. I’ve learned a lot from other members. I’m also use to sharing whatever I can to help others in the co op. So, as far as I’m concerned sharing is great! Cathy H I was inspired by all the beautiful unique local pottery on a recent trip to Nova Scotia... I would love to try my hand at it and would welcome any advice and information. Steve H Share, but to those that take information, please do not attempt to copy work but rather reinterpret. Leah G Happy to share recipes, techniques, tools, ideas. I get as much and more than I give. Verna L Share away, no one else's interpretation will be exactly the same anyway Michelle C Just took a glaze testing workshop with John Britt. Share! No one will get the same results because of how the kiln fires, what kind of clay they’re using, the source of the elements being used. And he said he can lose 50% of a Firing when he knows what results he wants. Share away! Anita R I agree with sharing! There are an infinite number of variables including but not limited to type of clay used, how thick your work is, glaze application, availability of materials and their substitutes, differences in the brand of kilns and how worn their elements are, the pots and the glazes on the pots next to that piece with the borrowed recipe, and common human variations such as what you consider a cream consistency when you prepare the glaze. Like the glaze guru, John Britt said himself....so many variables.....have at it....good luck reproducing the same results! Besides even their shapes are

    21 min

  4. 11/17/2020

    026 – Your Market / Customers

    Who is your market and how did you find them? Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10154915774163457 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BZdZ4HIlnPy/ Transcript Welcome to episode 26 of the mudtalk podcast. In this episode we’re talking about your market, or, the people who buy your work. Who buys your pots? How did you find them? Why do they buy your pots? How do you find more of the people that will buy your pots? These are the questions that any potter should start asking when they get serious about selling their work. Thanks to @stonecropstudio for suggesting this question a very long time ago. This episode will be interesting because there were only a handful of responses. Literally 5 responses. Now it’s hard to judge what that means for certain. Maybe the social media algorithms didn’t put this question in front of very many people. Maybe a lot of us clay people have never thought specifically about our markets. Maybe we don’t know who our market or ideal customers are. Maybe, as Little Blackberry Creek Pots says later, we just want to create, instead of thinking about things like this. Maybe we can get by if we just put our work out there without precisely defining our market. I’ll be completely honest with you. I have no idea who my market is. I just put my pots on instagram and facebook, list some of them on Etsy, set up my booth at events (remember those?), and hope for the best. Okay, maybe I’m not quite that lost. I have some ideas. For example, the map mugs would probably be perfect for someone who likes to travel. Or who enjoys history or geography. But I know I could target certain people more specifically. So at  the end of the episode I’ll talk about a few ways that I may be able to find my market.. First, let’s hear what other potters have said about who is your market and how did you find them? Ibtispottery @potterymakinginfo Markets is where I sell my pottery and people who have seen me at markets would contact me to buy more. This is an interesting point from Ibtispottery. The word market has a few different meanings. Market could mean the group of people that are looking for products like you are making. Market can also be a physical location or event. Usually these markets are already set up for you. I’m thinking of a farmer’s market or art fair. But the question is, are these predefined markets actually YOUR market? Technically, these are the people in front of your pots but are they the people that will be most interested in and most likely to buy your pots? Probably not all of them. We will explore this idea later. Spectorstudiosporcelain A very smart friend told me that a market for your work is something you create. Working on that. This friend seems very wise. You could probably argue about the words “create” vs. “find” when talking about your market but I think the idea is the same. It takes work and usually some kind of plan to figure out who your market is. And speaking of creating and finding a market, it was interesting to be part of the Michiana Pottery Tour this year. The previous 8 years it was an in-person event in the region around the Michigan / Indiana border. It was a self directed tour with 6-8 stops where potters would open their studios and often invite other guest artists to display their work. This year, being the pandemic year, we offered all our work for sale online and promoted to a nationwide audience. We could change the idea of our market because we were shipping pots instead of expecting people to drive and see us in person. There was still a large concentration of website visitors that were from our region but we also had visitors from just about every state in the US. In fact, we had over 400 visitors from the combination of California and NY together. So we definitely expanded our market to a wider geographic audience. On the other hand, are there people that are willing to drive and see us but don’t like to buy things online? Under our current circumstances, these tradeoffs were acceptable. Littleblackberrycreekpots Everyone is a potential Little Blackberry Creek Pottery lover. I do 4-7 shows a year, two studio tours, and follow my business plan of 1/3 wholesale, 1/3 consign and 1/3 direct. When I see a dip in one area, that's where I target. At the end of every promotion day, I realize that I would have much rather have been creating This is an interesting strategy. I like the idea of having different markets because markets change and, as the saying goes, you may not  want to put all your eggs in one basket. And I agree, as I’m sure many of you do as well, we just want to make stuff, not promote and sell stuff. This response could be a whole new discussion but we will explore more at the end of this episode. L2fee7 I view everyone as having a potential interest in L2A pottery! I began w/ gifting to family, friends & co-workers. I now have two "home shows" each year & have had amazing sales as a result. I am in 4 retail locations; two outright purchase orders & two on consignment. I continue to be humbled by "strangers" having an interest in & purchasing my work. Hustle = Sales I love the last part: hustle = sales. That, for the most part, seems to be true. And I agree, it is still humbling sometimes to have other people love your work because of the work and not just because they have some other connection to you. It is interesting that LittleBlackBerryCreekPots and L2fee7 both consider everyone as potential customers. To some extent this is true. You never know for certain who will like and even buy your work. But a big step is finding people who are MORE LIKELY to like and purchase your work so you can minimize the time and money you spend marketing. More on this in a minute. Benjamin W I started really selling and going for it during grad school. Started with a really good weekly sat market locally. Helped to get my feet wet and figure things out. I developed a good customer base and 14 years later still attend when im not at an art fair. It's never an insane amount of sales but a steady amount i can count on. This is a good point from Benjamin. It is a good idea to find an outlet or build a following that will provide you some consistent sales that can be counted on. I think the most important part is just to get started. You will figure things out as you go. And then being consistent pays off. Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts. If you are going to be a full time creator or even have a serious side gig, it is important to think about your market. After researching branding over the past few months (check out episode 25 for more on that) I started to think a little bit about who my target customers are, or my market. Knowing your customers is part of building a brand, and really it’s probably part of finding as much success as possible for your business. But, you may think, I make my work for everyone! And I agree. Everyone should appreciate, buy, and use my pots! But guess what, there is actually a very small percentage of people that will even consider it. Just think about what my own work is not. I’ll even just focus on my mugs. I don’t make pink mugs or use rainbows and unicorns. There’s a chunk of the population that won’t be interested in my work just because they would only consider buying a brightly colored mug. I don’t make political pots. There goes what feels like 90% of the people on social media this year. I don’t make smooth white minimalist mugs. I don’t make sculptural work. I don’t put cartoon characters on my mugs… yet. My cheapest mug is around $25. My most expensive mug is around $50. Now, think about the millions of different people and what they are going to buy to drink their coffee or tea. Probably a large portion of the population will go down to walmart and buy a mug for $5 or less and would never think of buying a $30 mug. So the point is, anyone can buy or use my pots but not everyone is going to. So how do I find the people that will consider buying my work? Here are 6 ideas that can help you get started. 1. Match your work to the venue I think the easiest step is to consider the kind of work you make and what outlets align with it. For example, if you make big, valuable sculptures, a rural farmers market probably won’t have many people that will be looking for your kind of work. And if you make simple, single color mugs that you sell for $20, you may not have galleries or collectors looking for your work. Some potters even make different lines of work for different venues or audiences. 2. Ask around Do you know some other clay artists who seem to have a good idea of what they are doing? Maybe you could ask them what kind of shows are good for potters or what kind of people buy their work. Or maybe you know some other artists or craftspeople that use a different medium but have a style related to yours. Maybe they know a show or venue that would be a good fit for your work. 3. Consider your subject matter If someone is going to buy your work they will have some kind of connection with it. If you have specific subject matter that could be what draws certain people to your work. For example, when people buy my map mugs they often comment about how they like to travel. Whether it is through advertising on social media or the way I write my Etsy listings, I could really focus on the travel theme so people that enjoy traveling will find my work and connect to it. 4. Look for Patterns in sales As you sell your work, take note of any patterns you see. Do you have an uncommonly high number of grandma’s that like to bake purchasing your work? Maybe this could tell you something as long as you aren’t only selling your work at “Grandma’s Who Bake” conventions. Start to notice different demographics that seem interested in your work. 5. Crea

    20 min

  5. 09/19/2020

    025 – Business Tips and Advice

    Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BY5fkp1Fnjg/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10154884355993457/?type=3&theater Transcript Episode 25, business tips and advice. Hello all you fantastic listeners! It has been way too long. The MudTalk Podcast has gone on quite a hiatus here over the past few months. You would think with all the social distancing and quarentining I would just be cranking out the podcast episodes. But alas, I decided to focus completely on my top priority for the year, finish my pottery studio. I’ve also been spending time with my family so we can all stay sane. But now that the studio is taking shape I hope to spend a lot more time making pots and online content. In fact, the Michiana Pottery Tour will be online this year - that’s right, you can buy pots from all the amazing artists no matter where you live! - so I’ll be making pots for that and promoting it big time. The Tour is at the end of September so go to michianapotterytour.com to find out more. I’ve also become fascinated with the idea of branding which is perfect for this episode. I’ve been listening to and reading books, articles and even taking some courses. At the end of this episode I’ll share 5 things that could help a potter or ceramic artist improve their brand. And yes, if you are trying to sell your work, you should have a “brand” even if it is more of a personal brand instead of a big corporate brand. Thank you for taking the time to subscribe, download, and support this podcast. Today the topic is business tips and advice so let’s hear some business tips and advice from other potters. Littlecharliewheeler Knowing that everyone has different tastes, and that piece that disappointed you as it came out of the kiln, might be someone else's favourite. throwingmudetc@littlecharliewheeler that is so true! Usually the ones I don't like are the first to go. littlefernpottery@littlecharliewheeler I hated the cup to one of my matcha sets. HATED the glaze. 5hrs after I posted it, it was gone lol. You're so right. leagueindustriesgroupNetwork pipthepotterUse the shows to network. libbeckA lesson I learned: Don't accept custom orders. It's never satisfying to make something as directed by a customer. It will always feel better to make your own piece. And, it's hard to match their vision. 954lla@libbeck Thank you! I've been struggling w/ turning down "requests" but know I never enjoy the process as much as going w/ my own vision. earthartam@libbeck Disagree. The first custom order I got was a disaster, I agree, no satisfying that guy. But I'm glad I didn't give up on them. I like the challenge of meeting someone's vision. After that first one I've never had another person that didn't see what I do and trust me to get it done. It's not a huge part of my business, but I do enjoy it. Tip: get paid up front for truly unique work. claystationdhakaTreat your customer the way you would like to be treated as a customer! thattmumHave a 20 second instagram story-style video to show anyone your work/process and be able to explain why x ( for example a teapot , costs $100.00 in time and money to make sharfam61Have you sold online? How do you package pieces and avoid breakage and cost of shipping? @sharfam61 i wrap them with thick bubble wrap and then fill the box with packing peanuts making sure the piece can not move at all and there is enough space on the edges to account for squish. Never had a piece break in shipping! earthartamTreat it like a job, not a hobby. Show up everyday and put in your time. bspottery@sharfam61 I sell online retail and wholesale, customer pays for shipping, I get my supplies from Uline.... rdceramicsTalk to every customer that comes into your space at shows and stand up. Don't sit in the back & expect them to come to you Anotherseattleartist Don't give up and don't half (heart) anything you make. People can tell. ibtispotteryI agree with rdceramics, smile at ppl who come to your space encourage them to pic up ur pottery even when ur sure they won't buy, tell them how you make your pots , don't ever be pushy JoAnn S  (from facebook) Make what you love, because when you become successful at it, you will be making it....A LOT!!! My favorite thing to make was (is) mugs and now we make over 30,000 a year! And of those 7,000 go to one account. All hand thrown, and hand decorated. And be prepared to work half-days....12 hours is half a day! These last few responses fit well with what I’ve been reading about branding. dtaylorsatmEnjoy being different, it's what makes you stand out from the rest. mudbird_ceramicsMake what you love, don't try to be someone else. Your passion & creativity will come through in your designs, therefore attracting your customer to the story behind you as well. hillBippieClayCoCustomers are buying your story as much as they are buying your pots. I've found when I'm most true to myself and let people in on the reason why and how I make what I do, the connection is deeper. You'll lose money and you'll make money, don't lose site of why you started selling pots in the first place. Put your passion into you're work and be prepared to start over again and again ✨ Pirkitta P (from facebook) Have the courage to be different. ? Not that I have a business yet but that is my two cents to ya all. Yes! These four responses cover some of the most important parts of building a brand, which is a big part of marketing and running a business. You have to be your unique self so you can highlight what makes you stand out. There is a lot more to think about when you are building your brand but I’ve written down 5 things to get you started. The first thing to consider while branding yourself or your business is obvious. Choose to create a brand A brand is how other people think about you and your work. If you don’t really put some thought into building a positive brand, you may be unknowingly sending conflicting, confusing, or even negative messages to potential customers. It is a lot of work but if you commit to do it, it will surely pay off later. Know yourself and your work There are a lot of ways to say it, but you have to find out who you are. Not just what you do, but WHY you do it. What motivates you, what drives you, your purpose for living, or your purpose for making. Giving people the reason behind what you do gives people another thing to connect to. Know your customers After you have figured out who you are and why you create your work, begin finding customers that will connect with you and your work. There are different ways to do this. Not everyone is going to connect with you and your work. You have to find the people that will. Tell your story People connect with stories. Figure out which format, style and voice is most authentic for you and your work. Not just a words, tell your story through images, videos, and of course, clay! Engage your customers, maybe even make them part of the story. Be consistent The biggest reason to put some thought into your brand is to be consistent which will help build trust. If you are inconsistent potential customers will be confused and will be less likely to interact with you or buy from you. So, to review, 5 things that can help you get started as you build a brand for yourself or your business: choose to create a brand, know yourself and your work, know your customers, tell your story and be consistent. Hopefully that will help get some ideas turning but this is only the tip of the iceberg as they say. I’ll also be writing a few articles and maybe even create a crash course on expertclay.com in the next few months if that is something that people are interested in. But anyway, that’s about it for this episode. Thanks to everyone who shared their business tips and advice. Thanks for listening. The next episode will be about finding your market. Until then, keep selling pots, stay healthy, and stay muddy.

    17 min

  6. 03/20/2020

    024 – How Does Social Media Affect Your Work?

    Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BYVX1xXFdwn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10154849215758457/?type=3&theater Transcript Thank you for joining us here on the MudTalk podcast. This is episode number 24 and today we are talking about how sharing on social media affects your work. As always, we would love to hear what YOU are thinking. Go to https://expertclay.com/mtp/ to get in touch and share some of your own ideas. Also, this past Monday I posted a new MudTalk Monday question on the Expert Clay and Pottery Making Info social accounts. The question was “What clay related content, opportunities or ideas would you like to see more of online?” As you probably know, during the recording of this episode the world is a little uncertain right now. Many places are closing down and most of us have been encouraged to avoid crowds and stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Even NCECA was cancelled which was disappointing to a large number of people in the ceramics community even though it was the right thing to do. So what can we do to help each other, learn from each other, and grow our community when we can’t meet face to face? So there is something for you to think about. But let’s get back to our topic for today: how does sharing on social media impact your work? During our current time this may take on a new meaning. When we can’t go out it may be even more important to share with others online. Has your own view changed on this at all over the past few months? Are you doing anything different? Will you do anything different in the future? Let’s see some of the original answers to the question "How does posting on social media affect your work?" Sheric2015 I've learned so much from you tube videos. I love seeing other people's work in videos. Hollycoley Studio life can feel isolating. I think social media takes the edge off, encourages people supporting each other, and gets my work seen by hundreds of people. Celestial.surf.studio Social media is a wonderful tool in my opinion. It's helped me grow outside of reaching only friends and family. It's provided countless business opportunities, ideas, and provides feedback on how well a design is doing. I love uploading progress videos and photos to keep my audience engaged and interested in my work. It also helps the impact of shop updates, making them more exciting and easier to anticipate. I try to post at least once a day and keep something on "my story" but sometimes it's hard keeping up being a maker and normal human. Over all I feel like it's mostly positive. Swoshpots Positive - found teachers, friends, inspiration, knowledge. Negative - addiction of likes and followers, constantly checking, takes time from real life. Taniarustageceramics It makes me take more photos of the process and not just the end product. Casapangea it is incredibly helpful. and i can try so many techniques and get so much inspired by them. i love ❤️ Conniesceramic For me as a starter at the wheel it is very exciting watching the videos and of course I am also inspired of the other potters work, because in the beginning I thought it would be boring making only round things ?but now I know that sooo much is possible ?. I also like to show my work and I am pleased and makes me happy that my stuff [is] like[d] [by] people all over the world ? ❤️ Jnpottery I find inspiration and new techniques to try, to improve my throwing and glazing. Jodipottery_at_sandycreek My new mantra: "every minute down the rabbit hole of social media is time better spent creating in my own studio". I've had to impose strict time constraints for my online 'research' or I get sucked in every time! ? Lithopsstudio I feel that social media provides great exposure when used right but there are definitely it's down sides. It tends to cause unnecessary anxiety stemming the need for validation through likes and followers. Plus it can get very personal at times so take care my friends! Keeping a balance is key (-: Happy claying ?✨ Taz_london_clay Instagram is my learning tool, my contacts with other clay workers, my inspiration, my occasional weakness and most of all my "look what I did today at school mum", moment when on days being the only ceramists in what is predominantly a music studio can get a bit lonely and I need clay approval. Here are a few of my favorite responses: Wildfirepotterypenn For me, sharing a pic(s) on social media can bring joy or heartache. If something is shown and it gets alot of "likes" or comments it feels great and validates the creative ego. If it does not, for whatever reason, it brings up thoughts of what is wrong (Even Though it may not have anything to do with the work itself) My work is affected more by what I see from others. It takes away the 'creating in a vacuum' effect because I am exposed to so many other people's work. I think this is a great point from Wildfirepotterypenn. The creative ego can be a fragile thing. But sometimes all those likes and follows or lack thereof have less to do with the actual work and more with the eye catchiness of the image of the work, the engagement with your post and the “algorithm” in general. It is good to feel validated though and encouraging comments or likes can really help with that. Artbygretamichelle It's good in that your brand is seen. If it leads to sales, great! (So far I've had no sales from social media which cause more questions) If one is not careful it can also be a deterrent to creativity. I have found that limiting myself from certain sites is good. Too much stimulant causes me  [to] question whether the idea that I have is one inspired by my experience or whether I'm just pinching it from something I saw on Pinterest or Instagram. Also it's easy to get caught up in the ‘how many likes and why they like me syndrome. This is an interesting thought from Artbygretamichelle. All the social media can actually be a deterrent to creativity. With a constant stream of stimuli it may make you unsure of your own work. And I get it, you don’t want to copy someone else. You don’t want to make someone else’s work. But maybe it’s not such a bad thing according to the book Steal Like an Artist. Just make sure you steal your ideas in the correct way. Sometimes I find myself thinking, it’s all been done before after scrolling through social media. And that can be a little discouraging. But it is possible to put your own spin on things and combine things in new ways. I think the real problem is alluded to by the “how many likes and why they like (or don’t like) me” syndrome. It is really easy to get discouraged when you don’t think you’re not getting as much engagement as you think you should. Especially when you start looking at other accounts and see how many more likes and followers they have. Sometimes it’s even just a discrepancy of support between some of your own work. If a picture of one pot doesn’t get as many likes as another pot does that mean that the pot isn’t as good? Maybe? There may be some value in seeing which images are best received on social media. But there are a lot of other variables that can cause more or less engagement. So make pots that you like. Then find the right people that like them too. Robertdboyer Thanks for the shout out! I definitely find positive aspects of community and exposure on social media but often find that it muddies the waters for me in terms of creativity and motivation. I sometimes wonder whether the work is driven by the social media or vice versus and I feel more likely to NOT do something because of a post I see online than to be inspired toward a new idea I'm willing to act on. Overall I keep doing it so I must feel like it's a net positive but weighing the costs and become more mature in regards to my emotional connection to the metrics is proving to be important. Thanks RobertDBoyer for the idea for this MudTalk topic. It seems that a lot of people agree, social media can have a big impact on creativity and motivation. Hopefully more positive than negative. An interesting question for each potter and artist to examine for themselves: is the work driven by social media or is social media driven by the work? Is one better than the other? At one point I probably would have said that I hope to create my own unique work that I have come up with from real influences and inspiration. But some of my inspiration has always come from other ceramic work. And social media just gives us much more and easier access to other people’s work. And I do take note of how images of my work performs on social media. Over a large enough sample size it could give me some indication of what may sell well. So I would say for me, social media can drive my work in some way. But I’m also working on taking the qualities of my work and presenting them on social media in some kind of coherent manner. Kind of a personal brand or artistic style through the work and social media presentation and marketing and everything else. So what about you? How much are you influenced by social media? How does your unique work influence the way you post it on social media? Perhaps there is some correlation to where you are in your clay journey? If you are closer to a beginner, maybe your work will be influenced more by what you see on social media. If you have already established an artistic style in your work maybe you influence others or your work influences the way you post on social media. Interesting things to think about. Thanks for thinking about them with me. I hope you are doing well in these uncertain times. Keep a positive attitude. Stay safe. Keep making. We are in this together even though we aren’t physically together. If there is anything I can do, don’t hesitate to reach out. The next episode of the MudTalk Podcast will be about business tips and advice. I can’t wait to get into that one a

    16 min

  7. 03/06/2020

    023 – Tips to Set Up a Pottery Studio

    Resources Original Discussion on Instagram Article: Organizing a Pottery Studio Transcript Thanks for tuning in! This is episode 23 of the MudTalk Podcast and we’re talking about setting up your pottery studio or clay workspace. In this episode there are a lot of great tips for arranging the place where you work with clay. This episode comes at a perfect time for me because I’m putting the finishing touches on my new pottery studio at my home. I already have a plan for the basic layout. I needed to have that much before I had it built. But soon I’ll be moving all the equipment and tools and everything else in and setting up. So it was great to read through some of the comments and hear some of the tips. It also seems there were other people that really benefited from the discussion. Just listen to some of the first few answers to the question: How do you arrange your workspace? syrihee.ceramics I don't? Hahahaha Anisha maria crasto This is exactly what's on my mind. I am in the process of setting up a pottery studio and have been planning what goes where. Crawford paint and clay I'm also setting up and it's a bit tricky when the space is small. Ash glazed ceramics Hi there I am currently challenged by the same question, how do I get involved and learn? estrovan I'll be converting my single car garage into a studio at the end of the year - love these ideas :-) So it sounds like I’m not the only one that loved all the responses. Let’s hear the rest of the responses and see what we can learn about arranging a clay workspace. Spector studios porcelain In our studio my wife Sarah and I have finally learned to put everything on wheels. 5 Gal buckets of glaze fit quite nicely on heavy duty house plant caddys, our really big glaze batches go in garbage cans and you can buy heavy duty caster sets for those. Our pug mill is on a cart, all the ware racks are on wheels as well. Harbor freight sells pretty decent casters for building carts with? Kate bussey 3 We too have everything on casters. Makes for a bigger work space when needed. Also fold away tables to pop out when needed too. Cp carlson pottery Everything rolls, even my kilns are on casters. This allows me to push them close to the wall when I'm not firing. Extra pop up tables come in handy for glazing. I tried to get a good flow on my space create, clean, glaze fire but that doesn't work so well in my small space, so flexibility is key for me. Jeff szarzi Wheels and casters as well. Roll, roll, roll your studio. Jclay pottery studio Super fortunate that I moved from a 400sq ft to 1700 sq ft 2 yrs ago & it's Sooooo much easier BUT more room=more mess that gets left longer -HAD to always clean and organized in smaller space. Must haves: Tons of shelving : a glaze table(s) that fits all often used buckets -height so when glazing doesn't kill our back (IKEA Formica skinny table desk height is awesome). Bakers racks w/ covers on wheels : glaze cart(I have only one but great investment) : various heights work tables (mine are wooden horses for legs,thicker pine board on top-Masonite board or pressed board to top it-doesn't create dust-can be flipped & so cheap I can get a new one if needed (had for 2 yrs and still good shape) Problem: 8 huge trash cans of scraps-any recommended pug mills are welcome!!! Art by gretamichelle Shelving unit and storage boxes help. My wheels face toward the wall to allow for ease of getting up and my tools are at hand and stored in pouches that I made using a length of floor vinyl that I stapled to a board and then to the wall. Made by powley If your studio isn't cramped, then I suggest setting it up so it flows in a circle with the clay process. Starting with your throwing area with shelving, glazing area, kiln area. It is helpful to have shelves beside the kiln for pots ready for bisque and separate shelves for glazed pots. This saves lots of steps when gathering up pieces for firing. Last tip: don't put the kiln near the door... That is your escape route in case of fire. ? Hope that helps! applehead74 I just sort of created a circle. Clay storage, handbuild area, wheel area, drying space, kiln, glazing spot/packing, then display. Also I found that small indoor greenhouse (on Amazon $40) works great for small studio slow drying space Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and ideas. Even though there were less responses than some of the other episodes I feel like this one may be extra helpful to some of us. A while ago I wrote an article on experclay.com about organizing your workspace to improve efficiency. I’ll link to that in the show notes. https://expertclay.com/organization-pottery-studio/ The main idea of the article is to set up your studio to match your process so that the clay has to travel the shortest distance possible. For example, you don’t want to store your clay in one corner, wedge your clay in the opposite corner, and then have your wheel or work table in another corner. You would have to carry the clay around way too much. It would be much better to have your clay storage next to your wedging table which has your wheel or work surface next to that. With all of this in mind, I’ll soon be setting up my new pottery studio. In fact, I am recording this episode of the MudTalk Podcast from the new studio for the very first time. I am beyond blessed because I got to build this new studio from the ground up. I didn’t have to adapt my plan to a space that was already there the way I did when I set up my work space in my basement. For this new studio, I started with a rectangle building and walled off one end to create a kiln room / storage area / non clay work bench area. We put in some pocket doors so no space is required to swing the doors open or closed. We also created a corner office / utilities room / photo area. This separate room will be a clay free zone and a place that I can close off if needed when guests come for a visit. The big space in the middle will be for creating pots. Wheels, work tables, shelves, etc. I plan to have workbenches on wheels and folding tables so the space can adapt to what’s needed. Maybe I can even have movable counters and shelves. Then as I set up I can give each tool a specific spot that relates to my process. I’ll have to fill in those details once I get the big stuff in place. So as we close this episode, think about your own workspace. Could it be improved? Are you making the most of your space? Is your process as efficient as possible with the way it is set up? Thanks again to everyone who shared ideas about how to set up a pottery studio. In the next episode we will discuss how sharing on social media impacts our work. Until then, keep working efficiently in your space and stay muddy.

    11 min

  8. 01/02/2020

    022 – Your Must-Have Clay Tool

    Links and Resources Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BXNKfO3F7xz/ Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10154777128508457/?type=3&theater Most Recent MudTalk Monday Discussion Troy Bungart Pottery Tools Transcript Welcome back! This is *only* the 22nd episode of the MudTalk podcast. I say “only” because I had hoped to have a lot more episodes of this podcast finished during 2019. If you signed up for the free course Your Best Pottery Year at the beginning of the year, you would have heard that one of my goals for the year was 20 new episodes. But... that was one of my extra goals, it wasn’t exactly at the top of my list. So I won’t feel bad because I have already accomplished some of my primary goals. In fact, I think going through the Best Pottery Year course really helped me focus on what was important and plan for success throughout the year. So at the beginning of 2020 I’ll be offering something even better, the Clay Success Club. It will include the Best Pottery Year Course plus a bunch of other stuff. Check out expertclay.com if you may be interested in something like this. Anyway, in this episode we are talking about pottery tools. And what potter doesn’t like to talk about tools?! The question was, what is your must have pottery tool? There were some great answers and some that made me consider adding a few new tools to my toolbox. So let’s start with the most basic of all pottery tools, the hands. Hands bv_xi Hands tthomas_art @bv_xi I was going to say hands too! Lol littlefishceramics ? mum and dad gave them to me. Marc robert isaacs My hands soulfirejewelry My hands! Earthen bones My hands! One of them broke, and I was helpless! Don't take them for granted! Ribs bianca_colangelo Metal rib. Break ur nees Wooden rib. It cleans the wheel head, cleans up the edges of a pot thedoglovingartteacher Metal rib. I can score, cut, clean, shape… Yo panama Metal rib! It's an all purpose tool. I use it to shape, clean, trim can't work without it. glynnislessing Brass rib Leigh art tx Wooden and metal ribs l.y.s.t.o.n Metal rib by far olisny The "metal rib of death" as I heard someone call it. killionpottery Red rubber rib by mud tools. I use it for shaping & smoothing. Got it @ #brackersclay (Brackers Goodearth Clay) pinkmoonceramics Metal rib by far! It's so satisfying cleaning up a pot at the end with it cedarhillchick MUD tools ribs & finishing sponge. Nicola hart studios Rubber kidney, my fav ❤️ shedceramics Yep...a little red rubber kidney. I use that every day. nbypotter Mudtools Red rubber kidney Al G Custom made by me from Stainless steel Sponges artofawen Yellow and white mud tools sponges. siramikpottery My sponge! bateendje A sponge ☺️ Carving spectorstudiosporcelain Exacto knife for sure mallymoonhandmade I second the exacto knife! @spectorstudiosporcelain and sponges! Oh the many many sponges! ? maruollitasguevara Carving tools rdceramics A rubber chamois I got for free from @didemmert_pottery. It says wiziwigtools.com on it Trimming marianwilliamspottery My giffin grip! 2frogsstudio My Do-All Trim Tool by #mudtools. It really does all and saves me so much time not switching from trim tool to trim tool looking for the perfect angle. And it stays sharp for a long time! danaswheel One perfect, sharp, trimming tool...hands down? penncerameg Turning tools that I've made and a wooden rib made from a bamboo spoon swoshpots My trimming tools from @hsinchuenlin - they are priceless to me. And his YouTube videos. dmorris_138 Half moon trimmer karoartceramics Scalpel! Other mycelium_sophira Well , my kiln . I just need clay and kiln. dowidat.ceramics It's weird but a needle tool. Very useful in the building process cause I can cut straight lines, pierce clay for design and slip and score with it. corkelialee Needle tool ? itsart.bitch tooth pick! ryanreichceramics Wooden #2 pencil ✏️ artroxinabox My imagination stefanstattack My Shovel... second hands Multiple artbygretamichelle My mudtools- anyone a.newmanpottery All of them!! For me, each tool has a specific purpose and is just as important as the next. aliveguy_pottery Definitely my red Mud tools ribs and white sponge from Xiem tools for finishing my pots... Also love my new insert bat system from Versa bat.. Allows me to keep forms tight without damaging from direct hand wheel removal... goodpotceramics That's so hard to answer because I use some tools to throw, some to trim, some to finish/decorate... I could probably pick a favorite from each stage in the process ?‍♀️ zenamed needletool,sponge,my beloved sharp japanese knife and my teachers at youtube.I was at the kindergarten of pottery when my beloved teacher was diagnosed a breast cancer and had moved to a big city 600km away.and youtube came with extraordinary teachers from China to US,from UK to Japan... Favorites earthartam Years ago, in college, they were remodeling the studio and had pulled out the old sink. Under where it had stood, stuck in year's accumulation of dried out clay muck, I found a small copper rib. Perfectly shaped, I use it every day. I still have many tools from college days but this is my all-time favorite. I love this response because it has an interesting story AND it seems to be a unique tool. All the metal ribs I’ve seen have been stainless steel. Starting pottery Since I'm a beginner I am quite awkward with tools! I always find my fingers are better than the tool I try to use because my fingers feel the clay! But the toolI find handy is the round sponge! This is a good point from starting pottery. I really like to feel the clay when I’m working on the wheel. And I can get a pretty good curve now with just my fingertips. But ribs and other tools do have some advantages. Bc ocean mist All the textures I play with, bark, starfish (not real) and ones I create with polymer clay. I like this response because I love it when artists make their own tools. It can really give your work some unique properties if you are using a tool that no one else is using. This response also reminded me of the Indiana Clay Conference that I attended a little while ago. One of the presenters was Sarah Pike. She passed around a collection of bisque stamps that she had made herself and showed the marks that they made in the clay. Very inspiring. I’ll try to remember to add a photo in the show notes of this episode. I started making some of my own bisque stamps years ago but I feel like I could spend some more time making some really interesting stamps now. I’ve also made a number of other tools. From a simple sponge on a stick to custom logo stamps. I made myself a custom trimming shield to fit on my wheel so the trimmings don’t fly all over. I started to make some brushes after taking a workshop with Troy Bungart but never finished them. I make some little plastic ribs out of old credit cards that I use to round the edges of trays and I’m sure there are plenty of tools that I made but didn’t use much and now I’ve forgotten about them. But let me think about the tools I use all the time. Like some of the other responses, it is really hard to pick just one tool above all the rest. My hands are, of course, my primary tools. But if that doesn’t count and you don’t count the pottery wheel as a tool, it would come down to my wooden trim knife, my stampmaking kit, my hp laserprinter, or my cut off wire? What I call a trim knife is what I use to cut away extra clay at the bottom of a pot and create a little groove under the bottom so I can slide my cutoff wire underneath. The one I have is handmade by Troy Bungart. He makes all kinds of amazing pottery tools out of exotic woods. Check out his Etsy shop called Burlchaser by troybungartstudios.com. I suppose if I had to live without that tool I could do it. But I’m not sure if I could live without a cutoff wire. Yeah, kinda boring right? But that cutoff wire makes it so easy when I’m weighing clay and cutting pots off the wheel. There are two other tools that I use that are very specific to my work. The laserprinter is what I use to print my decals to make the world map mugs and cups. I also have a stampmaking kit that I can print my own rubberstamps which I use for logos and textures. I suppose I could order decals and stamps from somewhere else but I like to be involved with those parts of the process. So it’s hard to pick just one tool that I can’t live without. But the good thing about being a potter is that there are always more tools! As I was thinking about my own tools and tools other people mentioned it made me think about how much of an effect tools have on our work. Think about your favorite tool. How would your work change if you didn’t have that tool anymore? What if you changed the tool in some way? Are most of your tools used for efficiency or do you have certain tools that give you a certain effect that can’t be achieved any other way? Interesting questions to think about… And on that note, let’s wrap up this episode of the MudTalk Podcast. Remember, if you have any thoughts you would like to share, I would love to hear them. You can email me at brandon@expertclay.com or leave a comment on the show notes. Just go to expertclay.com and click on podcast. And while you’re there, take a look at the 2020 Clay Success Club. I hope to keep the number of accepted members low for this year but I think it will be an awesome opportunity for some of you. Also, check the show notes for links to some of the tools that were mentioned here on the podcast. I also put up a new MudTalk Monday question recently about growing the clay community so if you have some good ideas, we would love to hear them. In the next episode of the podcast, we’ll talk about arranging your potter

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The MudTalk Podcast shares thoughts from potters and ceramic artists about a new topic each episode. Topics include pottery, ceramics, art, creativity, running a business, and success.

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