![]() Long before the recent oil and gas boom, they attracted customers from the three million annual travelers flowing along Interstate 94 by using billboards to draw people to their pottery like a magnet. Tama Smith and her husband, Jerry, built a successful pottery jewel in the small town of Beach, North Dakota. Last summer, I drove to Prairie Fire Pottery to collect more first-hand knowledge from a thriving business, while working as a production pottery thrower. ![]() It's an amazing feeling to safely receive money online and ship boxes of pottery nationally, as well as to Thailand, Germany, and a full pallet to Saudi Arabia. I don't have an inspiring quote to share, but I have begun to reap the rewards of emulating her online business model, which focuses heavily on a fully hosted online store and writing for national publications. While Gustin looks thrilled at seeing his sculptural vessels in a museum, our conversation revealed that most cash flow came from his tile business.Īlso at this year's NCECA, I met potter Ayumi Horie, regarded by fellow potters as a social media queen and arguably the most successful online pottery seller in our field. I shot a photo of Gustin proudly standing next to three of his large vessels in the Milwaukee Art Museum during an exhibition coincidentally titled "Flow." I believe there is power in getting information verbally – directly from someone – intangible power that can't be translated through media. I’ve found that if you have cash flow, you can do anything.” Chris Gustin gave me this advice during the 2014 NCECA conference in Milwaukee. And I still do work on the tile side of the business too. “I love my gallery work – and it still sells, but ceramic tiles really pay the bills. This blog post gives clues to how I sold more than $100,000 in pottery over the past four years and offers insights into other successful potteries. How can potters overcome the burdens of money and spend more time making pottery? As a small business owner, I can only offer advice about selling pots. To support our art, potters do things like sell pots, teach classes, write grants, and get jobs. The problem with making new pottery is that it usually requires spending money. We find places for finished pots to live and make piles of broken shards. ![]() ![]() We invest massive effort into learning proper techniques and finding good clays, glazes, and kilns. Not because you want to become rich or famous but because you will be unhappy if you can’t do it.” ~ Warren MacKenzie, in The Studio Potter, 1990Įvery potter I've ever met has had a burning desire to make new pots. “The challenge is to do the thing you have to do because you’re in love with it and can’t do anything else. American Craft Council American Craft Council Main navigation ![]()
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