Conversation with a Potter

by Carolyn Edlund

A fun and wide-ranging conversation shares thoughts on how artists can carve out a business model that works. Enjoy!



Potters Cast host Paul Blais contacted me recently for an interview to talk about how ceramic artists can understand their market, create work that sells, get traction and make a living. The principles we talked about in our conversation hold true for all mediums, though – and pretty much for all entrepreneurs.

Our conversation took me back to my roots, back to the days when I owned and ran a production ceramic studio. In preparation for the podcast, he asked if I could send him photos of myself in the studio. Although I wasn’t throwing pots in production (and sold my potter’s wheel in the early days to pursue handbuilding) I still had one old black and white photo that brought back memories.

Circa 1979, this very posed photo made me laugh.

Plaid flannel shirt? Check.

Bib overalls? Check.

Brent “Model B” wheel? Check.

At the time, I could imagine nothing better than mud spattered all over me after a busy day in the studio, and simply enjoying the abundance of creative freedom that represented. It was bliss.

Today my focus is on the business of art, and working with artists to become successful entrepreneurs, and so the topics in this podcast ran mostly along those lines. I invite you to listen to our conversation on The Potter’s Cast embedded below:

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