The Clumsy Potter

12/06/2021

I’m returning to the Parklife/Littlefield Holiday Market on Sunday, December 12! Come say hello—my table will be at .

10/25/2021

Let's talk about 💵 for a minute. I'm raising my prices with my next shop update in a few weeks.

My new prices will reflect the skills I've developed over the last five years and offset more of the time and money I put into creating my work.

Here's some data on my costs:

💰 Money 💰
• Firing fees - I pay my studio a per-cubic-inch firing fee for each piece. On average, each piece costs $10 just to put in the kiln.
• Membership fees - I pay a $225/month to access my community studio.
• These days, I average just about 10 new pieces a month. (My guesstimate without looking back on data.)
• If you do the math, both points add up to $32.50 average material costs per piece.

⏱ Time & labor ⏱
* Hands-on per-piece - On average, I probably spend two-three hours with each piece if you count throwing, trimming, underglazing, and glazing. I haven't timed myself, so this is an estimate. This is only the hands-on work -- it also takes time for pieces to dry, etc.
• Website maintenance - I spend time taking product photos and listing pieces on my website.

I'm not a business or finance person. But it's safe to say that even by increasing my prices a bit, I'm still not close to breaking even. And I'm okay with that! Pottery is my hobby and labor of love first and foremost. But it's time for me to show the value and earn the return of my time, skills, and investment by increasing my prices by just a little.

These prices aren't competitive. I know not everyone is going to shell out, like, $70+ for a planter or vase when Target and West Elm sell beautiful ceramics at more affordable price points because they're mass-produced. It's also so hard for me to compare my work against thousands of other potters also trying to figure out their pricing. It's all over the map.

Art should be accessible to everyone, so I'll aim to make a variety of sizes to vary price points. I'll always have a handful of discounted second chance pieces (work with small mistakes). Thank you for understanding and for continuing to support my work!

08/25/2021

I’m reopening my online shop in early September, and these pre-hiatus pots will be available to snag! 🪴Not included: the ivy or its (gasp!) store-bought planter, both recent finds from my company’s internal Craigslist-ish Slack channel.

05/02/2021

It’s official: I’m taking a two or three-month break from pottery starting June 1. My online shop will likely go on vacation mode for a while. I have a lot going on this summer, and going to the studio has felt like a chore for the last month or so. Creative burnout is real. I love making pottery more than I love doing almost anything else. I just need a little time away from it to recharge, spend more time outside, and focus on a period of personal change. I want the feeling of missing it to pull me back in. Staying away from the studio for too long turns me into a real garbage human, so I’m keeping a close eye on that and will return earlier if it gets too bad. In the meantime, my studio time in May will be limited and spent wrapping up a few projects. Stay tuned to my Instagram stories for updates.

03/20/2021

Moving sale through May 1! I’m moving this spring for the first time in eight years, and I don’t want to schlep my pottery with me! Everything in my shop is 35% off, no code required. Orders $50+ ship free. Discounts apply at checkout. 📦

01/12/2021

Just when I declared my work doesn’t have a uniform look, I found a pattern I love to make! Each piece takes me a long time to paint because I apply several layers of underglaze to each blob. It’s a forced way for me to slow down and use my studio time more intentionally. Here’s a family portrait. Listing these in my shop in the next few days. Subscribe to my email list to be the first to know! Website link in my profile, of course.

01/09/2021

My soul is full of rage right now. Yours too? Here are some cheerful objects to look at for a second.

12/16/2020

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table at / this weekend. While I create ceramics for my enjoyment and...sanity, nothing is more validating than seeing people interact with and take interest in my work. The event was lots of fun and made all of the prep work worth it! ❤️

12/08/2020

I’m thrilled to announce I’m heading back to Holiday Market for the third year in a row this Sunday! This is my only market booth this year, and I’m so grateful it’s still happening. Stop by and grab some holiday gifts. Masks are required (of course), and I’ll have hand sanitizer at my table. 25% of sales go to social justice orgs in NYC.

11/21/2020

It’s a rare store-wide sale for Thanksgiving Week. Add a gift message at checkout, or buy something for yourself! 🌿 I’m adding a few new pieces tomorrow evening, so stay tuned for those!

03/01/2020

The Clumsy Potter is turning two! Visit theclumsypotter.com for 20% off your order all month long, no code required.

12/17/2019

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