I recently read Life in the Studio by Frances Palmer, an artist with more than 30 years of experience working with ceramics. Her emphasis is on functional art (think mugs, vases, plates) and is sold on her website, France Palmer Pottery.
The book has a beautiful Martha Stewart vibe with lots of full-page photos of colorful flower arrangements and artfully arranged plates of food. (The author's Instagram account gives you a good idea of the level and type of photography to expect.) The book does include gardening tips and recipes, but the part that really resonated with me were her thoughts about running a creative business.
Some of the business topics she touches on include deadlines, working with children at home, packaging and shipping, and taking photographs of your work. While our businesses are very different, it surprised me how often I found myself nodding and thinking, Yes, that's it exactly!
Here are two quotes that resonated with me:
- "The minute I experience stress or confusion, the clay senses it. The
walls of the pot will come up unevenly, or the ball of clay might
even swerve off the wheel."
I don't work with clay, but this is almost exactly my experience with hand stamping on metal. I must be extremely focused in order to get the letters evenly spaced and in the right order. I can't listen to podcasts or music while I do it. Even random, seemingly innocuous thoughts that pop into my own head ("What should I make for lunch today?") can cause my hammer to swing sideways instead of down and create a gash in the metal instead of a well-defined letter. I've had to institute a rule for myself that if I mess up the same item twice, then I put away my tools and try again another time. I try to plan my stamping sessions at certain times like mid-morning or after lunch when I feel most alert and focused. - "It can take my clients a while to move with me into new glazes. I was
hand-painting my pieces with flowers and fruit when I began my
business; when I started emphasizing the white clay and forms without
my drawings, everyone balked."
When I first opened my Etsy shop in 2010, I sold embossed cards. I made thousands of them, feeding folded paper and matching envelopes one piece at a time into my embossing machine. (I made one very popular birthday card design more than 2,000 times.) I still occasionally hear from customers upset that I no longer sell them, but I knew that it was time for me to move on. Transitions in art forms or themes can be tough, but necessary to keep your creative spirit alive. (It helps that there are many other folks on Etsy selling very similar cards. I always recommend people check those out if they like that style.)
Life in the Studio was an intriguing mix of memoir and how-to instructions with a gorgeous coffee table vibe. It's not like other books I've read, which felt very fitting for a book by an artist. It does include a fair amount of technical detail such as specific notes about glazes and firing processes, but don't let that deter you if you don't work with clay yourself. If you're an aspiring or practicing gardener or foodie, or simply a creative soul, you might also enjoy this book.