Without intending to, it’s been 3 months or so since writing a diary entry. I got a bit side tracked by various things. A lot has happened since then. Very quickly there has been a trip back to Ireland, launching my online shop, selling at September’s Salisbury Arts Scene market, taking part in MADE Maker’s Online and launching my bottles and soap dishes that I kept going on about (they are very nice if I do say so myself and are available to buy from my shop); and started back at work at the Arts Centre. There’s been quite a lot of home-grown bean and tomato eating too.
Currently I’m trying to get my head around the less glamorous but very important side of being a potter: the business side. My time these days is spent researching things like marketing and promotion online; how to improve my website’s SEOs so google can find it easier. Part of this is also figuring out the answers to the bigger questions: where do I want to go and how will I get there? What do I really want to make? It’s very easy to get distracted. Some of these things are quick to figure out, others will be things are a bit harder to answer.
With Christmas coming soon (It’s already in Salisbury!), I’ve been thinking of seasonal items to make, more tea light holders; pots that I’d really like to make like cake stands and how to bring my new pattern into an everyday range of work. Some of these have already happened and some will have to wait a little while. I spent Friday in the pottery, my first day throwing in what feels like ages. I sat at the kick wheel and threw a batch of tea light holders, with the fire on behind me keeping me warm. I love throwing on the kick wheel. I’m not completely sure why. Maybe it’s the sound it makes as I kick into motion or the fact that I’m more involved in the process; maybe it’s that is really comfortable to sit at especially with a fire behind me. Anyway my tea light holders are now drying out on the shelf after I decorated them this morning. They will then be bisque fired to 1000°C, glazed in transparent or celadon glaze and fired to 1280°C.
With fairs and markets going online as the real life shows are being cancelled. MADE Brighton has been cancelled. I was looking forward to it; the atmosphere, the lights, the colour and creativity of the other makers. However I will be taking part in December’s MADE Makers Online to make up for it. It’s really important to adapt to what’s going on and lots of fair organisers are doing an amazing job at this. Your support as customers is more important than ever. You are part of what keeps us making.