One Precious Life....
Six months ago I gave up my stable, established career in marketing and visual merchandising to become a potter...
'You're crazy!' 'In a recession?' 'You'll be poor!' 'What if you want to buy a house, have kids or go on holiday?...'
These are all the things I expected people to say. The script that was going around in my own head. Written by the culture surrounding me which associates being an artist with struggle. However, I drastically underestimated my parents, husband, friends, colleagues. No one around me said these things, although they might have thought them they didn’t say them. The reason, I think, is because they could see how unhappy I was in the corporate environment.
'Good for you' 'Amazing!' 'Go for it' 'We'll support you all the way' were just some of the supportive things the people around me said.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed aspects of my job; I liked travelling, I loved my colleagues, I enjoyed climbing the ladder and you cant beat a monthly pay check, pension contributions and health care - but it wasn't enough. I yearned to be creative. With every inch of my soul I wanted to make things. Not powerpoint presentations or spreadsheets (although I still have to sometimes!) I wanted to make tangible things that you can touch, feel, keep, give or be given, and even treasure. Even though I believe you make your own fate I still maintain there were big fat 'signs' and many forks in a long road which lead me to this decision to become a full time potter. Many, many budgeting spreadsheets were created to check and double check we could afford our mortgage but most of all long chats with my husband, friends and parents were had which convinced me this might just be doable.
Six months on I have learned a lot, an awful lot! I knew it wasn't going to be easy and it hasn't been. I have spent more money than I have earned, mostly on setting up my business; this website, materials, failed kiln batches, dodgy glazes...etc, etc... I have drank a lot of coffee, procrastinated more than I can bear to think about and I miss the camaraderie of an office environment but I am loving every second. Would I make the same decision again? In a heartbeat.
A wise potter (cant remember who) once said - when asked - how long does it take you to make a pot?- '15 minutes and 30 years' I have been potting as a hobby for 10 years on and off so I am still 20 years off that. There are 1000's of detailed aspects to pottery, of which I am hoping to master just some- and I know it's going to take a lot of failed firings, smashed pots and ruined glazes but I have my whole career ahead of me which I am enormously excited about.
Your next teapot...
This blog is going to diarise my pottery exploits, wherever they take me. I am going to be as honest as I can be and hope that it might entertain you whilst you're waiting for a bus and you might even think about buying your next teapot from me. I also hope that it might help others who feel unsatisfied with their current situation and give them another little sign that whatever 'it' is, it is possible.
I'd like to thank all of my friends, family and my darling, *patient* husband Tom for their unwavering support.
I dedicate this blog to my dear friend Alex McClean. His life was far too short. He inspired me to 'just bloody do it'.
If you enjoy my blog, found it helpful or inspiring - you’re going to really love My Pottery Club
My Pottery Club is a place where I share even more insights into my pottery world - monthly real time video pottery tutorials, lessons and learnings from my 15 Years of potting, PLUS limited edition work and seconds sales. I’d love to see you there!
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