[Clayart] selling yourself as artist

Tue Oct 29 17:37:38 UTC 2024

Being a potter is very hard work. Artists tend to not be hard workers, and also to suffer from ego-ability conflicts that can cause some very weird behaviors.

It's hard but honest work, unlike advertising. Advertising gave us waves of lung cancer deaths, massive diabetes, high divorce rates (perfect vs. spouse images), and so much more, some too difficult for polite conversations. I'm not an advertiser; I'm a potter. I also am a businessman, and I have to understand that my access to my market is life and death, and if I can't find/understand/engage my market, I cease to be a potter. Seriously, this stuff will pile up around your house till you are forced to quit making. I have to promote myself or I don't get to do this for a living.

Very few people can do this. I'm good at what I do. How do I know? this week, I made thirty cu. Ft. of pottery, and after this weekend, I will own very little of it, and in a month, probably none. I'm not the best, and I don't aspire to be the best, but I've been a sole source of income potter (not a teacher, a potter) for over 20 years.

Very few can do this. I think, mainly, this is because pottery when practiced as a profession, isn't a skill; it is a synthesis of many skills, and many of those skills aren't related to each other in a curricular sense. For instance, I weld and do electrical, plumbing, and structural work, but I have experience in lab work, physics, chemistry, etc, and worse, I'm by nature a philosopher. On top of that, I was blessed to be born with a few talents that really help, like an innate ability to see form and surface in my mind, as models of future products (hugely important), and not as fantasies of effect(the crowd goes wild, he stole the show, the detractors were shamed, etc). I use all of these and struggle for lack of skills I don't possess.

If you want honesty, what I've seen is a few talented people, and lots of dreamers awaiting their final fatal lesson in "what it takes." I've seen business people who are potters, and potters who are business people, the latter producing much better pottery of course, the former producing business survivability. I think the worst part of this is seeing those who take advantage of the dreamers who either aren't ambitious enough to put in the actual work, or lack talent, but so desire to be artists that they are willing to believe anything, and do things they ought not, in order to have a shot at being whom they dream themselves as being.

When I was a kid I played foosball. For a couple of years, I was the 9th-ranked semi-pro in the country, and have a world title to my name. The only reason I got to do that was because there was a hoard of youths who were never going to advance beyond paying the cash entry that was my winnings. That's just how it is. Even in my 20s, I thought this was one of the worst parts of being human, but I took that money.

I guess all I have to actually say is to be kind to others. Most aren't going to do this for a living, but just like customers, they are necessary to the trade for the trade to be a trade/craft/profession. Be kind in your honesty. I've seen a woman during an interview sweating so profusely that it was dripping, no, it was cascading off of her face, she was so nervous and so wanted to be a potter, and it broke my heart to tell her no. I've seen a woman drop a board of pottery during training, and collapse in tears. Be kind to these people. Yes, you can tell them that their lack of the ability to quickly perceive and produce form has doomed them to other work, but be kind. The person you are talking to is barreling headfirst into heartbreak; be gentle with them and encourage them as much as your own sense of honesty will allow.

Joel.
________________________________
From: Clayart <clayart-bounces at lists.clayartforum.com> on behalf of mel jacobson via Clayart <clayart at lists.clayartforum.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2024 10:08 AM
To: clayart at lists.clayartforum.com <clayart at lists.clayartforum.com>
Cc: mel jacobson <melpots at mail.com>
Subject: [Clayart] selling yourself as artist

I doubt that any of you out there in clayland have an advertising agency pimping your work. You are on your own. That is why I always encourage fine potters to talk about their work, engage others in converstaions about hand made work. It has nothing to do with ego or bragging. You pass on your opinions and information about your work. No fear of criticism.

It is foolish to hide under the bush as they say. And when conversing with other potters and artists you have to pass on your opinions and theories.

As an experienced and well trained potter at age 90 I have the right to speak my peace.  I know what I am talking about through years of experience and training. I have been through the grinder many times.  When talking with Robin Hopper years back he would tell me what he was doing, what research he was into, and I would tell him my tale in return. No ego.  Just passing information. Some people thought he was “harsh”.  Sorry, it is called honesty.

When people ask me my opinion of their work I say..”do you want the truth and my knowledge or do you want me to make you feel good?” Some time the truth is hard to handle.  It is the only way I know how to teach. “BE HONEST.”
MEL

www.melpots.com<http://www.melpots.com>

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