Tag: #supportsmallbusiness

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More Than Taking A Pottery Class

Wanted to address this subject of the popularity of Ceramic classes which seems to have had a burst of popularity and return to making things with your hands, As an instructor of a wheel throwing class I see a great amount of people that take the classes to learn and improve their skill set, others that use it more of a social outlet and way to learn something new and then there is a small group of individuals that want to use it as a source of income, a side hustle, this is dedicated to you…….

From the outside looking in it may seem easy to some that living off what you create in the studio “seems” easy enough but the life of a Maker/Potter isn’t as easy as some might think.

Yes everyone can sign up for a class, learn to hand build or wheel throw. and learn how to glaze or learn couple of decorative techniques and then BOOM! You think you are a potter?

I come across this quite frequently in my line of work as in instructor, and the illusion is sometime quite amusing.

Skill set is one thing, but the making of a style or esthetic takes years of trials and error, to learn primarily what you like, make products that follow that style, promote products through venues, popups or thru galleries to get your name out there are all elements of setting up a way to create a side-hustle that you actually can make some income. I have done this for years and believe me. Online shops are full of good intentions, but in reality are full of mediocre products that mostly look the same with no character that sets them aside from the rest……

Where do you see your artistic creativity going? Who do you want to compete with? Which venues are you going to choose to promote your creativity? These are some of the important questions you have to ponder before you set out to sell your work online or in person thru popups or galleries.

Not a criticism per se, but too many times I see this happen to some people I teach that the craftsmanship and technique of wheel throwing is only an element of the whole process to have work that respects your design esthetic that followers want to acquire…. Think about this as the road to this is always different for each creative maker.

Am leaving it here for you all to think about it, where do you find yourself in road from creativity to commerce? Let me know

Peace out until next time.

thehornypotter

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Markets&Pop Ups: A few Things to Consider

picture for online store

It has been a while since the last entry and I am sorry for the absence from blogging, but Focus was on other work on my plate. I have been concentrating on making stock for upcoming Holiday season and a focus on more affordable work for my followers, while keeping the work and quality consistent. Prices of goods, shipping and other supplies keep rising and it is time that we all access the possibilities as a recession looms.

Smaller or simplified work so that it is within reach of a budget conscious clientele, while keeping the craftsmanship high and keeping return customers coming back. I have shifted a bit of my own production in different directions to test the reaction of clients and new customers, As a multi-disciplined maker,I have the ability to work in different mediums, tho primarily ceramics, I am branching out to sell my aesthetic of things that “I would want to buy”. Empathy helps when planning a strategy for the consumers.

During the Holiday season, focus is on gift buying for others, and we as Makers should not forget about this. Gift giving , when money is tight is a sign that with few exceptions, the amount of money spent for gifts will be less than normal. I am trying to provide thrifty alternatives that follows my aesthetic, and keeping an eye on what I will charge for the final products.

You can always make higher priced work to display with the more affordable products, I think that it is aways a good idea to show your clients the possibilities of your creativity and range, so that you do not put yourself into a box or corner, but show different price points of your own work. So people can get an idea for the future.

When showing work at Art Fairs, Pop-Ups and other venues… Remember, display your best work, possibly in different price points, keep it clean and simple and have stock to replace items, and most importantly, do not OVERstock your display with “TOO MUCH” work, this can confuse the consumer as to what to buy. Price all pieces individually with tags or good signage, and let the prospective client browse without trying to hard sell your work. Have business cards available with online shop info……. People need time to reflect sometimes, especially when money is tight, Give them the space to observe and ask questions, be helpful and professional about explaining the techniques used for the works on display. …

I receive many commissions from the shows that I have done in the past so your signage, contact info is also a priority….. Remember to Sell Your Aesthetic and NOT Your Soul. People buy from makers because of your style of making things, do not forget this and underprice your creative work in order to sell. We need to be paid for our artistic strife to make handmade goods, It is a choice when you sell “Handmade”

All for now, Peace OUT

thehornypotter

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Niche Market or Safe Art?

I am always surprised by the reactions to some of the my work when meeting new people in my studio , or more recently at a collective show at the last Ceramic clay conference in Cincinnati just recently, It was interesting to observe a wide range of visitors , many art student, convention organizers, and most importantly other artists and VIP collectors.

Part of doing a collective show, is that sometimes due to budget, participants are asked to man part of the exhibition, to help out and also gives one the opportunity to talk about their work and of others in the collective, It was very interesting to see how my work was perceived by this wide range of viewers and ceramic enthusiasts. This lead me to the follow thoughts: Is it better to dedicate work to a niche market or other more conservative venues to market your work?

This is a personal choice, of course, this also depends on the type of work that you are doing, the network (social media, brick& mortar galleries, or other art groups and associations…But as I continue as a mid-career artist that specializes in erotica, I am getting the feeling that”for myself’‘, the niche market is the route that I am choosing versus other more mundane or “safe” art venues.

What is the objective of Niche markets? As the diversity issue is becoming a political platform on different topics from sexuality, gun reform, Abortion and many others, focusing on smaller groups to market your work. One, depending on the quality of the work and Two, how it is put out into the market(online shop,social media, street fairs, gallery shows) and how to reach those niche customers and enthusiasts. These all come with costs to invest and there is no guarantees that you will profit from some of these endeavors.

The best advice to those that want to attract a niche audience are quite simple:

-search out products similar to the ones you want to propose online

-see how they are sold and through what platforms

-where they are showcased ( galleries, pop-ups, street fairs, online)

With this kind of basic information of competition, all available by searching the web, this will give you the idea of what is on the current market, sometimes with price points and shipping, and location.

Please remember, Do NOT approach venues that already have similar products, no one needs copies or versions of work made by different artisans. These structures do a lot of work in selecting artist to represent, they see the best and also mediocre. So keep this in mind.

Gathering the information is important so that you do not go about this without some indication of the competition. Know your market of consumers and HOW to get your work out to this market. For everyone, it will be a different experience. Let me know what works for you….

Think about it, until next time…..peace out, thehornypotter

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Product Variations for the Holiday Season

As Summer is drawing to a close, and most of us are thinking about preparation for the Holiday seasons, Many of you creatives have to keep in mind that updating your work for the Holidays is important to show growth in new directions, and to test out new lines of work to see the new possibilities of financial gain in new directions of work.

I have often seen when returning to holiday shows of friends and researching new venues, that some creatives always have the same objects for sale as they did in previous seasons.Same merch, with maybe a slight variation in color but same old same old product with nothing new on the horizon. In order to increase sales and grow your audience of new admirers of your work, you need to give a bit of new product variation to your setup whether online or at a Holiday show….This is vitally important to give yourself the opportunity to have new work for existing clients and to test out the waters on newer lines of work, see the public’s reaction in order to draw some conclusions to your artistic strife after the holidays are over, and for future shows.

Begin with what has been financially successful in the past and modify existing size or format, offering high quality reproduction alternatives for gifting during the holidays and try out some new directions to test out your current audience of admirers. Diversify price points with newer work, and allow yourself a bit of room to decide the what should be the right prices for newer work and older work that has remained in your inventory.

Too many artists produce one size, one style, one or two color variations of past work and never think about WHY the do not sell as much as before, Think about different categories of art consumers, how to attract younger patrons that are on a budget while providing newer work in format and style to returning patrons. After the Labor Day holidays, many are starting to shop and you need to know that your social media entries need to be up to date so that your audiences can plan to see what you are working on, and pre-purchase work that is still a #WIP(work-in progress). The Online reality will hit many of you as the holidays near, that is now part of the game. Without an online presence, it will be difficult to reach a vaster audience.

Plan and choose wisely, provide several price points for your admirers and also allow yourself room to”Grow” artistically and also to grow a bigger audience to your creative endeavors…..

All for now, thehornypotter

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Artist Calls, Commissions and Online Presence

Sorry that I have been too busy to Blog, as my mind has been concentrated on re-stocking my studio displays, commissions and Artists Calls as of late which has taken up the majority of my time.

Trying to settle back into the routine of blogging more on a regular basis, but with the holidays fast approaching I doubt that I will be able to keep up with the pace of producing and blogging to keep you all informed about the daily life of this potter/illustrator.

The most up to date of what I am producing in the studio is on my social media where I have been keep with regular frequency. This online world has put yet another layer to artisans and creators as the online presence NOW is part of the game to keep galleries, patrons and clients in the loop as to what the things that you might be working on.

Realize that story behind the creations made by your hands, are equally important as the finished product. I have many new clients coming into my studio, as the restrictions on Covid have decreased and are willing to come pick up a piece to see what the actual finished products look like, check the quality of the craftsmanship, and most importantly, drop a bit of cash to add to there collections.

I try to encourage all creatives, that the online presence is the first step to get a reaction from clients or galleries and there doesn’t always have to be a clear thought or path, You should feel free to try out new things, and gather information and reactions from the online community as it might be a newer direction for a portion of your work. Be open to criticism and sometimes ask the public what they think of your newest creation…. It is a good determining factor for keeping your work fresh and might be lucrative in the process…

As I have said before, you do not have to be a tech wizard with social media, there are many tutorials out there to help you with your online presence, so use them. especially if you do not have a brick and mortar place, this is vitally important, even as a side hustle..

Keep at it and follow people online that inspire you and observe how they do their social media and thought processes online. You never know who will be looking at your work….

Until next time, peace out

thehornypotter

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Call for Entries and The Digital Divide

I thought That I would write to you all about something that has been currently occupying my time as of late, Calls for Entries and other submissions to Regional and National competitions where there is the opportunities to see where we all are in the life of Creative Souls and what the reactions is to the our work that we put out for artist calls for entry.

Not just in you neighborhood or local places but reaching out , to new venues that are done through the calls for submission of work, based on a specialized theme and the possibilities of getting into a group or solo shows that is not on your home turf…

As many galleries and creative venues are beginning to open and the hope that a return of a “New Normal” ,the various Art Spaces are having events to attract back the crowd that disappeared during the Covid Lockdowndue to restrictions. During that time, under the COVID lockdown, I focused my thoughts and energy more to the online reality and promised myself to apply to at least 3 calls during the year, regardless whether I get accepted or not.

It is really important that we all discipline ourselves to put our work out there and see how we measure up to the rest of the art communities. Depending on your medium, there are a lot of sites out there that are dedicated to the open calls, the fees, the image formats and how things need to be named and size restriction. and shipping back and forth, commissions taken by the organizations and the list goes on and on…..

We as Creatives need to grow a thick skin and put ourselves out there with the best. Painters, Fiber Artist or Potter/Illustrator like myself. The challenge of wading into” the unknown” is frightening and exciting at the same time. For those of you that are not exactly tech savvy, this is the opportunity to better your skills to the practical sides of the creative process, and Learn to do it better than before. Take pictures , re-size images, pay the fees and read the fine print is actually an important part of the Creative process. I especially am speaking to the generation of mid-life artists that are not so tech oriented. For them and all of you I want to say that with the advancement in technology and the internet. THIS is now part of the game. Everything is done online and we all need to get accustomed to it as it will not go away. We need to change with the times and adapt and learn the new ways that Calls for Submissions are done now and not 20 years ago.

Knowing that many of the older artists and some newbies too, do not know what to do….I will give you an example .Case in point, working in front of the public, I encounter many “wannabe artists” that want to show me their work on their phones, sometimes it can be actually decent, but most times it is mediocre…. Not to be mean, but this represents a lot of wannabe artists that are in mid-life, and have no idea how these things are done in regards to getting their work out there, where to take classes, the venues etc…. This happens to me quite frequently and am amazed that some people regardless of age , have seemed to miss the boat about the internet, social media and how things are done in the real world, especially during COVID and the lockdowns The virtual reality became very important to us as it was our escape from isolation….. Still I see many that have missed the boat…. As an artist we all need to be informed and it is ALL out there at the reach of you smartphone.

Where are you in this moment?

How many artists calls have you done during the COVID lockdown?

How many virtual shows or gallery submissions have you done that are OUT of State and not local?

Do you have someone help you to do the technical things associated with an artist calls for submission?

Do you fear of being rejected from these calls, because you feel others are better, so you continue to do the same things you know and do only this every year?Or some other excuse?

TOUGH questions, I know but this is what is called “growing” and “growing a thick skin” which we all need to do when, we put ourselves out there. Never easy, always difficult and time to stop making excuses and get on board. Many of my fellow artists are great people, but they only want to do the things they know…The reality is that if you do not put yourself out there, you will never know of all the possibilities of new venues tops your work, or grow a bigger audience that is attracted to your work, followers and perspective clients…

Do yourself a favor, look in the mirror and be honest with yourself and see where you fall in the TOUGH questions above, and do something about it. My blogging is not here to nag you, but INSPIRE you about all the possibilities out there….

Until next time, peace out….

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Social Conscience While Returning to the Studio

Been a bit since my last entry and as we are cautious getting back to work, I have spent many sleepless nights thinking and about what it means to getting back to work. Things will not be like they were before.I work in a studio that is open to the public where visitors can wander in and out of our studios as we work on our artisan crafts ,and even though we are ALL starting to go back to our workplaces,many of the other artists raise concerns about safety and measures to protect those of us, working with the Public.

There are many sectors that I am observing as the reopening go through the various phases, mask protection,hand sanitizers and deep cleaning of areas in and around our structure, but Alarmingly I still observe too many people on the streets without masks,even children that seem oblivious to the health concerns that effect all of us and it causes me to pause about opening up my studio to the general public.

I look for feedback from other artists that may, to some degree be in the same/similar situations.I know all to well that we all have taken a serious bit to our financial situations but also fear, like many the right balance between financial security and health risks while dealing with the public. Please give me your opinions on how you are starting up your businesses and what the precautions you are taking. In some way or another whether going back to the office, restaurants even drinks with friends are all now subject to new ways of getting together while remaining safe. Your opinions on this subject and I will be open to input or advice in how to structure the re-opening to my workspace as we weave in and out of the various Phases…Guys ,The “new normal” of doing things.

What will be the precautions are we going to take when our studios open up to the public, for our protection and the protection of those visitors and arts supporters. How do we implement these personal protection techniques to our business and studios?  A lot of questions to think about and ponder as the various Phases of re-opening  during this Pandemic.