MudTalk Podcast - Pottery, Ceramics, Business

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, Se

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 wh

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 c

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 f

We’re back! After a long break, we have a new episode of the MudTalk podcast! Thanks for listening. Links and Resources Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BWpLXYtFaZG/ Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10154734498508457/?type=3&theater Transcript This is episode 21. Thank you so much for listening. In this episode, we are going to talk about what you can teach to someone else. This was actually a really interesting topic because there were a lot of different responses. There were so many that I didn’t even include them all. It was really interesting to me to see what people are confident enough to teach someone else. This is especially interesting to me as I set up expertclay.com which will allow other people to teach or share their knowledge. For example, I put together an online course about setting and achieving goals as a potter. I hope to find others who want to share what they know, whether it’s a simple tip for working with clay or a detailed course exploring a topic on a deeper level. At the end of this episode I’ll talk more about how you can make that happen if you are interested. But first, let’s get to the responses. I separated the responses into two categories. There were plenty of people who could teach others how to have a proper mindset. We’ll hear those at the end. But we’ll start with the people that could teach techniques for working with clay. Clay Techniques mappotter Lids kathrynburnsclay How to recycle clay. sandyvanderwyk Find your tool. pinkmoonceramics Underglaze painting and sgraffito tips ? terraforms Pinching textures. fancyfrogpottery To centre clay on the wheel.? butalaclay Base wall thickness for great foot rings carolyn_sawyer Always valve grind lids…glazed or unglazed. chuck_dm3 Go into how to find textures and tools (sticks/rocks/bark/leaves/etc) cabreraceramics Make their own glazes clay_with_mi Pulling walls artbygretamichelle Finish is everything. It makes the pot. dowidat.ceramics Carving technique I love making clay look like something else suzie.hawkes How to slipcast wildfirepotterypenn How to fire obvara raku ? pathwaypottery Mugs laurieandwilliam Pulling handles. and hillbippieclayco Attaching handles ? The rest of the comments were less about techniques and skills for working with clay and more about how to have a proper attitude or mindset to work with clay. Mindset vivita5 Love every pot you make txochi7 I’m a complete newbie, so could only impart enthusiasm ??? claybylaura Embrace the failures, learn and move on! ryanpaulder Breath dtaylorsatm Don’t get in a hurry. artroxinabox Love what you are doing & do it with your heart not only your hands ? sandywithaq If you don’t like something out of the kiln, give it a couple days. If you still don’t like it, it doesn’t mean nobody else will. wisp.ceramics Don’t get frustrated, it’s just dirt. leslie_mbizz Don’t try to work if you’re tired forgottenfern If you don’t love it smoosh it- it’s the only way you will grow. bettys_pots Make something creative with every scrap of clay. Don’t make extra work for yourself by putting little bits in the reclaim bin. earthartam The joys of handbuilding shesonthepath Study wabi sabi pamelabarclaysatx Make multiples. Each one you make will be just a little bit better than the last. kleesestamps Put your personality into your pots – make what you like and they will come. bentwingley Make 500 more and you’ll be in good shape nichibeipotters Everything matters. From wedging till it comes out of the kiln. Never settle, always strive to get better. Susie Lawrence M indfulness with clay, connecting with your soul through clay play creating connection with Mother Earth. Lib

Resources MudTalk Instagram link Mudtalk Facebook link T-shirt Giveaway! Free Course: Make 2019 Your Best Pottery Year Transcript This is episode 19! Since it’s the last episode of 2018, it’s kind of an important episode. First of all, this is your last reminder to win a pottery shirt! Listen for more details at the end of the episode. It’s also important because it’s a small milestone. I can look back and see that I put together 19 episodes in 2018. That doesn’t seem like much over the course of an entire year, but considering I didn’t even know how to make a podcast until February, I’d say that we have done okay. Thanks again for listening. I definitely wouldn’t be motivated to keep going if all of you weren’t showing support. You may not find the topic of this episode as helpful or informative as some other episodes. I really enjoyed reading all the responses though because I feel like I got to know the community a lot better. It was really interesting to see what other skills and passions you have. And sometimes it’s fun to imagine how things could be different. There were a lot more comments than some other MudTalk Mondays. Perhaps because it was an easier question to answer? There were a lot of similar answers so I tried to group some of them together. So let’s hear some of these responses to: What would you be doing if clay did not exist? Painting Dtaylorsatm Painting Shari.sutherland.art Still painting…. just wouldn’t be as exciting. Stonecropstudio More painting, for my soul! And maybe woodcuts for a tactile fix? ArtbyGretaMichelle Painting in oils. Caseydepasquale Making paintings that are thick and juicy and full of #texture! Metal / Jewelry Mudbird_ceramics Making jewellery/silversmithing or painting:) PathwayPottery Metal sculpture Conor.jensen Keep doing metal sculpture probably DoubleMusePottery I’d be making jewelry and glass etching. So many things to create. Pitchpinepottery Still making! I’ve always wanted to try metal smithing and make jewelry. Food Poteria_oficina_ceramica I would be making food! Bdeterling @ioceramicarustica I agree! Specifically baking since it’s similar to making clay and firing kilns ? Connie J Cakes probably Wood Reidthepotter Woodworking KathrynBurnsClay Turning wood on the lathe. Ebboren Carving wood, which would probably include some trips to the ER!? LittleCharlieWheeler Leather or wood. Have to be tactile. Measa C S carve wood :D Textiles Marisol_blamey quizás bordaría alfombras! pero…. no es lo mismo! (Maybe I would embroider rugs! but it’s not the same) Debra_lee2 Quilting! Sandywithaq Back to the knitting needles! GardenGateDesign Hooking more rugs now I split my time between the two and making beeswax candles . . . Monstriss Knitting Dawn I Crotchet Marg F textiles Glass Maxschreifels Blow glass like a man lol Jean_faith_vanderheyden Soap stone carving and or stain glass making. Anni_s_t Blowing glass.. Madeleinevinkceramics Definitly glass blowing! Photography Yopanama I would be doing photography Mike W Photography. Clay_lady I’d have more time to practice piano and work on photography. Other Desoet_ceramics Nice question ? anyway i would be sculpting. Doesn’t matter from what material ☺ Syrihee.ceramics Architecture probably :/ and painting Bluee_pottery Rock climbing Sudima Drawing Olisny Printmaking! I had a fund saving up for an etching press I instead used to buy my kiln and wheel. ? Nancybloklandpottery The garden would be the next best thing Jojo.hare I’d still be making candles ? KaraMorrisPottery Writing books ? Suits._p architecture AmyThomasCeramics Midwifery ? KaroArtCeramics I’d be an illustrator, that’s my plan for when my body fails me Susan H D Mosaics Another_day_wiser I was a music performance major in college until I switched to ceramics, so probably that ? Multiple Things Paulinepotspottery Still creating – maybe get back into macrame or painting or baking – just need to

Resources Link to instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BUHDrs4FOPu/?taken-by=potterymakinginfo Link to FB: https://www.facebook.com/potterymakinginfo/photos/a.10151503193013457/10154547366953457/?type=3&theater PotteryShirts.com Hack the Entrepreneur Podcast https://hacktheentrepreneur.com/podcasts/ “You have to be chasing something.” http://www.stearthpottery.com/discursive-loop/archives/678 Giveaway! More info and links: https://expertclay.com/giveaway/ Entry 1: Survey Entry 2: Leave a Comment or Message Transcript Welcome to episode 17! I have probably never met you before, but I’m glad you are listening. Thanks for your support. As a thank you to all of you who are downloading, listening and sharing I’m going to offer a small giveaway for the holiday season / end of 2018. I’ll share the details about that at the end of the episode so make sure you listen to the whole thing. In this episode we’re going to see some of the top reasons for success. The question was “What one thing that you do has been the biggest contributor to your success?” I love this question because it really gives us some insight into what is working for somebody. I also like the phrasing because it is asking for something that you make a conscious decision about, not just something good that has happened to you or something someone else has done for you. I’ve grouped related responses together to find some common ideas or themes. The first few responses are all related because they are about the way you work. So here are some things that you do that really contribute to your success. The Way You Work Jeffszarzi Incorporate my drawings on my pottery. Piperpottery Finding my style Ebboren Keep my hands on the wheel when I start centering! I think using a certain technique can really affect your work. Especially if you master it or combine certain techniques into your own style. Sometimes just remembering how you find success on a small level, such as centering, can set you up for larger successes. The next group of responses were about Work Ethic / Dedication Angelagrahampottery Repetition and sticking with my gut, if I think it will work, it might not at first. But stick with it! Pritpalbharaj Practice. Mcginnispottery Practice Ladytokioblue A LOT OF PRACTICE!! and more patience ? Damarisoakleypottery Practice, practice, practice:) Dallas_wooten_ceramics Just keep working! Earthartam Because I love what I do doesn’t mean it’s a hobby. It’s a full time job with regular hours. Be dedicated to it! Drurygirl5 Being selfish with my time -(trying to remember that I can say ‘no’) Benjamin W Dedication These kind of responses seemed to be the most popular. And for good reason. Most people that find success have to work at it. Working hard can help you overcome other faults or setbacks. Confidence / Belief Sweetpixels_thesudsypotter Accepting that I’m not perfect and learning not to compare my work to others in a negative light. I make art and art is subjective someone somewhere is going to love what I create. 954lla Believing in my design! #L2Apottery Maridmartini Being more confident Claybylaura relax and listen to/trust my own (creative) inner voice. It seems like a lot of us don’t have enough confidence in ourselves at times. I know I’ve struggled with fear of failure or rejection before. I just have to remind myself that if I don’t take chances, sure, I won’t fail, but I also don’t give myself a chance to succeed. Even if I take a chance 100 times and fail 99, that 1 time I succeed is still more success than I would have had without taking a chance at all. Mindset / Taking Care of Yourself Jerichostudiopottery Afternoon catnap. gonemoondancing Pray I put these two responses together because you need to take care of yourself. You are going to be more successful when you feel good and have the right mindset. Getting enough rest is important, whether it’s getting enough sleep at night or rec

Resources Great info: 13 Things to Consider While Pricing Your Pots Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BTQ-5Malakj/?taken-by=potterymakinginfo YouTube video: https://youtu.be/Uu_qFDanGPY Potters network discussions about pricing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/219780908063139/search/?query=pricing Pottery shirts(!): https://potteryshirts.com Transcript And we’re back! After a break that was much too long you are now listening to episode 15 of the MudTalk Podcast. And boy, let me tell you, this is quite an episode! In my opinion it has been packed with some of the most helpful thoughts I have read yet. But that may be because pricing my work is something that I’m still trying to figure out. So get excited if you are in the same boat. But first, a couple news items. I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who has listened and shared or done anything to support the MudTalk Podcast in any way. Just before recording this episode, I took a quick look at the stats. In July there were over 1800 downloads and then in august we had over 2500 downloads. We’re at over 8000 total downloads since episode 1 was published in February. That blows me away. Thank you so much just for giving this thing a chance and especially to all of you who have shared your thoughts. I know the last few episodes have had some long breaks in between. But I hope to get back into a more regular schedule. I’ve had some big things going on this summer. One upcoming event I’ll be participating in is the Michiana Pottery Tour on September 29th and 30th, 2018. If you are located in or near southern Michigan or Northern Indiana, it is a great event full of talented potters and ceramic artists. Get a map and find out more at michianapotterytour.com. I’m itching to get into the responses so I’ll save the next announcement for the end of the episode. Stay tuned for that. So, pricing our work… The elephant in the pottery studio so to speak. It can be a little uncomfortable, maybe even stressful. There are so many variables and everyone has a unique situation so there doesn’t seem to be a one formula fits all solution. Hopefully some of these comments will give you some ideas to make pricing your work a little easier. Instead of sorting the responses like I usually do, I’m just going to read them in approximate order of when they were made. But at the end I’ll share a list of 11 things that you can consider as you price your work. So let’s get to some of the responses to the question: How do you price your work? Billy H Number (of) hours plus material and add a little extra because its handcrafted Kate P There was a very good thread on Potters Network recently about pricing which would be worth looking up. Lots of sensible formulas and ideas. I’ll put a link in the show notes to the Potters Network group on Facebook and some of the pricing discussions. Kimberly W I’d love to hear everyones formulas on how to price their items. I love making pottery so much I have trouble putting a price on it. Plus I look at other peoples sites and sometimes have to take a second look (be)cause the pricing isn’t anything like mine. When i started selling my stuff, The advice I got was: Charge enough first off so your not always changing your prices and make sure to charge enough because its a competitive field and we need the pricing scale to stay constant. Its a place to start, but a clearer formula would be nice. _avonlea__ The going market price (for example a lot of mugs go for $30-$40) along with personal thoughts about the piece, time, and material. Then add 10%-20% that way if it shows in a gallery setting it’s the same price as outside the gallery. Clients then know that’s the price regardless of gallery Dallasbradbury shared a youtube video from Make Something. In the video you are encouraged to come up with a day rate, at minimum $500 per day. Then figure out your prices based on your day rate plus cost of materials. There will be a link to the vi

Resources Clay companies mentioned: Standard Ceramic Laguna Clay Sheffield Pottery New Mexico Clay Amaco Aardvark Clay Highwater Clays Valentine Clays Plainsman Clays Continental Clay Keane Ceramics Potclays Transcript Welcome to episode 13. Now we are getting down to the nuts and bolts. Or should I say the alumina and silica? Because this episode is all about clay. What clay do you use and why do you use it? There was a lot of discussion on this topic which is unsurprising. If you have a bunch of people that are passionate about clay, one of the best topics to talk about is probably clay! Hopefully this episode will give you some things to think about if you want to try a new clay or just need a change. And remember, if there is something you want to remember or explore, you can find the show notes for this episode, and every episode, at expertclay.com. Just click on “podcast” in the menu and find the right episode. One cool thing about the show notes is that all the names are actually links to the social media account of the person that left the comment so you can get in touch with somebody if you have questions or want to start a secret bmix fanclub or something. So let’s get to the discussion. Most of the comments are grouped by the manufacturer of the clays mentioned. I saved a few of my favorite responses for the end. I’ll also share 5 things to consider when choosing a clay. Standard Ceramics EricaBodinePottery Standard Ceramics 112 Speckled Brown. I love how I can push this clay body to limits other clays won’t tolerate. Need a piece finished in a short time? This clay will make you happy. I love the results the manganese gives. I had someone ask me once if I put glitter in my clay. ?✨? Elanpottery Standard 182 I love the white canvas it provides while still being sturdy for functional ware and easy to throw with. Rdceramics Standard 182 no grog. It’s very nice to throw with, good for carving and is a great canvas for my glaze selection Whimandvigor Love Standard’s 153. It’s an absolute workhorse: works for throwing and handbuilding, fires beautifully, reclaims well. Stiff.clay.studio I flip flop between Standard 181 and Loafers Glory. Both take glaze like a dream and are delightful to throw with. I’ve even accidentally mixed them together in a slop bucket and the reclaim was fabulous too! SharonMerchantivy My favorite is Standard 378 because of the richness the color and the speckles add to my glazes after firing. Unfortunately, I don’t have a local supplier now that I’ve moved to MS and am about to start the search for a different clay. Laguna Mudandyarn I’m a HUGE fan of Laguna Clay’s speckled stoneware! I just love letting a good chunk of the natural clay show on pots so you can feel the texture and see the beauty of it! HomemadeTastesBetterOnHandmade Was using primarily Laguna BMix/Wood, but since our studio has become a Laguna Clay distributor, it’s been hard to resist trying other clays. Currently using Laguna/Miller 850 in production, and testing out darker clays, too. Also trying BMix/grog for some wood ash firings. Claybylaura I use a low fire white Laguna Clay right now. I like playing with Amaco underglaze and Glaze combinations on the textured surface of my pieces with a ‘bright’ color palette. These all seem to play nice together. ( I switched from a different low fire clay about a year ago when I started having problems with glaze popping off a finished piece — even long after flring). Cedarhillchick Cone 10 B-Mix. It is good for hand building, looks great fired in a gas kiln or wood fired kiln. Also like Ann’s wood & soda clay from NM Clay. Laurieandwilliam ^6 B mix, red clay, Speckled Buff. All laguna, beautiful throwing properties. Those 3 cover pretty much any mood I’m in! Gnome_island_studios My all time favorite sculpture clay was Coconut Crackle from #leslieceramics but they discontinued it. Sad. So n

Resources bclayjamaica.wordpress.com Online Groups of Potters and Ceramic Artists Pottery Making Info’s extensive list Facebook: pottery heads, Ceramics Worldwide, Potters Network, Clay buddies, Clay Prints (There are many more groups on Facebook which can be found using the search box.) Ceramic Arts Daily/Network Message Board Transcript Welcome. After a small delay, we are back with episode 11. It’s about meeting other potters. Thanks for giving us a listen. Pottery can be an isolated activity. But I’ve found it’s a lot more fun with friends! Being around other potters can also spark new ideas, challenge you, and just give you someone that you can talk to. This particular MudTalk Monday discussion didn’t produce as many comments so it may be a little shorter. I’m also not going to sort the comments into categories like other episodes. At the end I will share my favorite responses and a few ideas to help you meet other potters and ceramic artists for those of you that want to meet more members of the awesome clay community. Let’s get started. Rootandrocks I am focused in ceramics in a school that supports me but does not have a ceramics department. Whenever I meet another ceramicist it is exciting to find out about their inspirations, techniques. I love to compare notes and generally geek out about clay. The few people that work in clay at my school band together to share our love for it. Flowerpottery I find the ceramics community in general to be so generous with information and technique. It’s rare that you meet someone who is not willing to share info. Far too many generous people to name. It’s one of the things that makes our community so great. Bluelotuspottery I have not met many in person but I have meet many many online. clay buddies has been a godsend to me. And I look forward to meeting some of them in person in the future. I am also getting to know many on instagram. Flowergurl4eva I met Hollis Engley, and Mitch Lyons. Both were encouraging, and not afraid to share. Hollis invited my hubby and I into his studio, and showed us part of his creative process. Mitch said come up and visit sometime. They were both genuine. Cal_pot I got drunk with Wayne Higby #goals Honnoria At the airport in Las Vegas I thought I saw Brian Hopkins and asked if it was him. We had a very nice conversation. When we arrived in Buffalo he helped me with my VERY LARGE box. 50# of stuff in that box. It was great having a friendly helpful face there in the middle of the night. Judy F All the clay artists I have met enjoy exchanging techniques and glazing info. We love to pick each other’s brains and solve problems. Marsmelk Our Baltimore Clayworks teacher Sam Wallace took six of his long-term students on a visit to his native Jamaica in 2015. Visited potters Isaiah The Flower Pot Man and David Pinto. Great trip! More here: bclayjamaica.wordpress.com Ideas to meet other potters We’re going to do something a little different here at the end. I’ll share some of my favorite responses AS the ideas to meet other potters. Piperpottery Instagram and #etsymudteam– I realize these are in-person meetings, but I don’t have a huge local pottery community so the virtual communities I’m a part of have really helped me out in terms of slogging thru the less inspiring times in life. The contacts I’ve made on Instagram are also helping me grow as a potter. Idea 1: Meet Potters and Ceramic Artists Online This is probably the easiest thing to do. Technology can bring us together like never before. You can often find groups of potters on many social media platforms. You can also find potters through hashtags or looking at who other potters are following. I’ll share some links in the show notes if you want to find potters online. Milagrosrviale Once I went as tourist to Jerusalem, and I visited a potter there, he worked with Terra sigillata. I wanted to know everything and he shared all his techni

What is your favorite part about making pottery? Throwing or building? Carving? Glazing? Firing? With so many different ways to make pots there were some great responses and insights into what part other potters like best and why they like it. Resources Pottery Shirts! (scroll down to see the new design) Photos from the 2017 Notre Dame Wood Firing Transcript Here we are, episode 9! In this episode we are going to hear about your favorite part of the pottery making process. Working with clay, especially making functional pots, requires certain steps. But I bet if you really looked at the details, every potter has their own unique way of doing things and it was interesting to hear why people liked a certain part of the process. To start with we’ll hear from potters that couldn’t pick just one part of the process. Next, we’ll hear why a majority of people like the throwing or forming part of the process. Then we’ll hear about trimming, carving, glazing and decorating. At the end we’ll hear about opening the kiln and a few very specific or different parts of the process. Everything Let’s start with the people that love everything about making pottery. Lucia_c It’s all so beautiful the shaping the trimming the glazing.. each part is magic ✨✨✨ Chcceramics I love making.. but I always feel as though my favorite part changes with my mood. Learning and teaching are pretty steadfast though…. Pitchpinepottery Throwing, watching the clay change color as it dries, trimming, carving, opening the kiln to a glaze firing. The entire process holds promise, mystery and magic! Karen Sullivan can’t pick just one favorite part of the process. Each part of the process is my favorite. But my least favorite is wedging! Jamie Schuler The entire process, because nothing is more satisfying than to start from scratch and end up with something that has been created by both earth and being at the same time. Throwing or Forming Melissayungbluth Building. The very first part of the process. I zen out the best at that stage. ☺️ Dowidat.ceramics Creating at the wheel that first process of getting the creative juices going!! It’s a zen moment for (me) to be in my head. Mrs.mabry1130 My favorite part of the process is definitely shaping the clay after it’s got its height because you get to play with it a little. If you don’t like it, you can change it. And the meaning behind it goes far beyond just shaping it. Carolclarkson Throwing!! I love the moist clay on my fingertips taking on a new shape ..amazing . Kim_keylan Throwing, it’s my little zen meditation. Me, clay, wheel and nothing. 2frogsstudio After I have centered and opened and bring it to a cylinder, the possibilities open to me to shape it is the magical moment. It’s also the hardest part too. It’s up to me to bring out the beautiful form or to destroy it to nothingness. But the cylinder and its infinite possibilities… Anotherseattleartist Throwing for sure. Followed closely by opening a glaze or luster kiln ? Muddyduckpottery I love throwing. But I can’t repeat too many forms at a time, or I get bored Gingerbarrheafey Throwing a ball of clay into a shape and then trimming the pot. Period. Dislike glazing tremendously. Mhewryk32 Throwing! Love the feel of it and all the techniques behind it. Love how much faster you can accomplish certain forms compared to how long it would take to hand build the same form. omelettrees.studio At least for the half of us, the throwing is the favourite part of the process. Cleaning up the vessel with the metal kidney right at the end to form a clean shape is completed with a fair amount of satisfaction, so much so the only real trimming needed after that is simply to turn out a foot at the bottom. Here’s one made earlier today, just about to be cut and lifted from the wheel. (embed:) Pathwaypottery The creating! Martha H Working in porcelain which is so finicky you must work fast concept in mind &#823

Being a potter or ceramic artist is not easy. But everyone is different and has their own issues and struggles. Listen to this episode (or read below) to see if there are other people that are struggling with the same things that you are. Resources The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) (affiliate link) How to make the most of your time in the studio (Article and Free Download) Transcript First off, I wanted to say thank you very much for listening. I really do appreciate it. Especially if you’ve listened to previous episodes and have come back for more. If this is your first time listening, welcome! Just before I started recording this episode I checked the podcast stats and it said that there have been over 1000 downloads! That is amazing to me. That isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things but I feel like I’ve barely figured out what I’m doing. So thank you for your support. This is episode 7. The question for this episode was: What is the hardest thing about being a potter or ceramic artist? This is a fascinating topic and I can’t wait for you to hear some of these great responses. There were so many comments that I couldn’t include them all! Maybe because everybody struggles with something? Or maybe it’s because it’s such a personal topic and that there are no “wrong” answers? I guess everyone feels like they can relate. Whatever it is, thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on Instagram and Facebook. The show notes for this episode and all other episodes can be found at expertclay.com. It’s free to sign up for the email list to find help with something you are struggling with or help other people with something they are struggling with. At the end of the episode you’ll hear how to get a free download with 5 ideas that I have used to make the most of my time in the studio, which has been one of my biggest struggles. As I was reading through these comments I sorted them into categories to make processing them a little easier. First we’ll talk about struggles with the process, then time and balance, then running a business and then the physicality of working with clay. We’ll also hear some other miscellaneous struggles and I’ll share some of my favorite responses. At the end I’ll share 10 things that I keep in mind when I struggle with something. So let’s get to the responses. Process Making pots is pretty complicated and there is a lot to learn. Some potters struggle with part of the process. Many people, including Zeevar, FrancoiseAndre, ClayWishSweden, Potterinhawaii, Sometimes_sam_sometimes_paige, Jack.degnan, and Amadia14 all mentioned glazing in one way or another. Zeevar I think doing the glaze is hard! Am i right? Francoiseandre @zeevar yes ! Glazing is also for me the hardest thing… Claywishsweden Glazing!!! Potterinhawaii Getting the glaze right your piece can be beautiful but if you mess up the glaze it turns out like (beep)? Sometimes_sam_sometimes_paige Hoping the glaze compliments the form Jack.degnan Not getting enough layers of glaze on my pieces ? Amadia14 I struggle with glaze consistency! Donrankpottery I have a continuing dislike for pulling handles on mugs! Baxenburg Kilns!! And transporting fragile things that haven’t been fired yet because you’ve cleverly decided to make something at home without thinking about how you’re going to get it to the studio in one piece… ! Etgesq shrinkage in the kiln Time / Balance Time management was a popular response. It seems like a lot of potters are part time potters and work a “regular” job to produce a steady income. I bet if we had a survey, most potters don’t make 100% of their income just from selling pots. And with the lengthy process that clay requires, it’s going to be tough to keep everything balanced. Time to Make Wildfirepotterypenn I have a full time job outside the studio. Because of this, the hardest thing for me is finding the amount of time I feel is adequ

What inspires YOUR work? Resources Contribute to the show here. Artists Mentioned: Justin Rothshank, Dick Lehman, Mark Goertzen, Troy Bungart, Todd Pletcher, Rebecca Graves, Jennifer Beachy, Eric Strader, Fred Driver, Zach Tate. Transcript: Thanks for listening! This is episode 5 where we will be talking about inspiration. What inspires YOUR work? Obviously, you can draw inspiration from many different kinds of things. And again, this prompt can be interpreted in different ways. What inspires the objects you make or what inspires you to get started working or what inspires your processes, or whatever else. When I was reading through the comments for this MudTalk Monday, I noticed some patterns and tried to group some of the comments together. So we’ll look at comments about nature or surroundings, other artists or people, the process, and then everything else. I’ll also share my favorite responses at the end and ramble a little bit about what inspires my work. Let’s get to it. Nature / Surroundings First, let’s hear from potters that are inspired by nature or their environment. Dani_firlefanz____ Nature ?????????????⭐️ Adamina Walk in the forest ? Kilnjoy The natural rhythms of our planet in relation to the sun and moon, stark contrasts between light and shadow, and the patterns found in nature, particularly flora. Pathwaypottery Scripture, nature, music. Teerraku Everything in the processes of the earth Cosmic_sophira I found my inspiration in sacred ceremonies of different native american tribes,in fire,water,in crystal,in PLANTS ♡ Sandyvanderwyk Walking around, noticing things. Other Artists/People There were also some great comments about inspiration from other people. Ratbagstudios The past, family heritage & other female art makers. Djhmfa Humanity inspires my work – – we all need a sense of community! Nancyeoakley1969 nature, my heritae, traditions, family Honnoria Of late, in our community studio, we are feeding off each other. I can see where one person is taking a small bit of what another is doing. We are making it our own, but it is coming from another. I can’t wait to see how we build it all into something great. The Process There were a few comments mostly about the process. Jerichostudiopottery My hands when the clay is turning between them on the wheel. Studio2ceramics Usually our ideas come about while walking our dogs together. We chat about the process and voila- an idea arises. Other / All Now let’s hear some of the comments that didn’t fit into the previous categories. Shawna.n.m.barnes My time in the Army, love of animals, and creating work that promotes discussion. My latest series is art that educates in a fun and engaging way. Stonecropstudio Folk art…it’s good natured look at life, even in the face of struggle. Its humour, playfulness, and humanity. Also the lovely white surface of a clay pot begging for a paintbrush!! Cocaineblows The inexplicable urge to create something new to give to the world. My preoccupation with changing matter is what draws me to pottery in particular ?☕ Mountainpathpottery The textures in life natural and manmade. Playing with the balance between form, colour and texture, an intuitive process that inspires me. Gingerlytwisted Bugs, creatures, old machinery, paint layers, textures, looking closely at things.. other artists , listening to what others see in my work I love the feedback that makes me see what I hadn’t Dmpottery Nature, historical objects and patterns, playing with form, the process itself Mepifano The engaging power of the possibilities in creating with clay… To be the link between my conception and your perception. The connection with the earth and through my hands with the world… Favorites These last few responses were my favorite. Gravesco Inspiration usually comes to me from a sense of conversation. The kind of comfortable conversation between friends where you’re curled up on the sofa with your feet under a blanket t