How to start a path toward making pottery a career? Beállítások

[beneathftr]

Hi... so I’m a 25 year old who has been slowly been struggling towards a college degree. Overall I’ve done poorly, largely due to struggles with depression(which I’m now receiving treatment for) but also due to lack passion/drive for what I’ve been studying.

However I think I’ve found something I am passionate about: pottery/wheel ceramics.

I’ve been taking weekly pottery classes at a local art center and it’s all I can think about. I spend all of my spare time reading and watching videos about ceramics. I’m also a lover of quality teas, particularly those from China and Taiwan, so my focus has been on creating Chinese/Taiwanese-inspired teawares. While I’ve been learning fairly quickly, I certainly understand that I have a lot to learn.

While I’m not fully ready to commit yet, I’ve become more and more entranced with the idea of becoming a professional potter. I understand that it will take a lot of work and is generally not the most lucrative profession, but I think I’d be fine with living a simple life if I can have a career that I’m passionate about.

My question is how best to start the path towards making a career out of pottery. Should I take ceramics classes at my local college? (Their only offering are ceramics I and II classes). Should I try to find an apprenticeship? About 45 minutes away there is a clay center that I’ve been to that rents studio space, should I ask around there?

TLDR: I’m a young amateur ceramicist considering trying to make it into a career. Theoretically, how should I go about that?

[fillerjupiter]

If you explore the business part of the site, you will see frequent discussion among people beginning to launch ceramics careers and those who have had successful careers for decades.

I suggest you do some searching there right away, as well as in the Studio section!

To help you get started searching, shawnhar has been at this only about four months. yappystudent has done pottery for several years but is only starting a career at it recently. Look at their threads.

Mark C, on the other hand has been doing this 40 plus years and Marcia Selsor maybe 50 years. Min, GEP, Pres, and Callie have all been professionals for many years and give lots of guidance on the forum that you will have at your finger tips as soon as you start searching.

I noticed you referred to the appeal of a "simple life. " I don't know whether having your own business necessarily is the simplest life. I don't know that needing to market and sell your wares alongside everyone else who is trying to do the same is necessarily simple for everyone. It fits some people's personalities well and some poorly.

Good luck to you.