Four Years of Pottery Blog!
How it All Began
It's a bit of an anniversary for me... It's been 4 years since I first started writing PotteryBlog.com. It all started about 4 and a half years ago at NCECA – Indianapolis. I had attended a number of panel discussions and lectures given by writers, editors and publishers of both books and magazines. I found myself inspired by the words I had heard throughout the week and the conversations had, but I wasn't quite sure where to go with it. I knew that I wanted to write, but the time lines for traditional media didn't appeal to me. Magazine articles usually took about a year to be published, and books could be 3-5 years. I wanted to go in the direction of something less formal and with more immediate feedback, for now.
On the trip home from Indianapolis, a conversation started with my friend Brian Boyer (programmer, writer and potter). He really felt that a blog was the direction to go in with my post-conference energy. Ian and I had many conversations at home and he had been urging me to start a blog throughout the previous year. My hesitation was that I didn't know any other potter that was writing a blog about clay. A huge part of blogging was the connections with other bloggers writing in the same field. Blog writers are great blog readers, and when you begin to link to each other, your audience can grow exponentially. But after the conference, and my conversation with Brian, I realized that it was what I was going to do. And so I went home, registered the domain name: PotteryBlog.com, and soon I began to write. I had no idea where it was going to lead me, but I knew it was were I wanted to be at that moment.
A Slow Start
When I started this blog, I had to do a lot of educating. The question that I got from most of the clay folks that I talked to about my writing endeavors was “What's a blog. I guess it's a question that I still get, but in the beginning it was the question that I got from everyone that I talked to about it. I continued to write for the next 2 years. Not on a super regular basis, but regular enough. A couple of years into it, I had that nagging feeling that maybe no one was reading my blog. A large part of writing a blog is personal, so theoretically, I would continue to write with or without readers. But when you send your words and images out there, you do hope that someone is reading them.
Why do I Blog?
The other top question that I get on a regular basis is: why? Why do I spend my time and energy into writing this blog. Why do I "give away information for free" (their words, not mine)? The answer is pretty simple: information is free. I would love to give away pots, but it's not the most sustainable business model. Ian (my significant other of 12+ years) is an open source programmer. He's rubbed off on me over the years. The idea with open source is that the programming code and/or the process of writing it are open for others to see and use and that by making it public, the larger community will benefit from the sharing of information and collaboration. With programming, you can easily do this regardless of geography. With clay, it's not so obvious on how to do it, but I think blogging is has been a good way to do “open source ceramics . If I give you a pot, now you have a pot and I don't have that pot. But if I give you an idea then we both get to keep it.
The open sharing of ideas might be the overarching reason on why I write, but I've discovered many more benefits to blogging. I have found that writing has greatly impacted my work. The conversations I have with myself about my own work have grown and evolved, affecting the aesthetic decisions I make daily about my pots. As a visual artist I'm used to falling back on the thought that my work will speak for itself. I hope it does, up to a point, but there is something to be said for backing it up with words. And obviously not everything I write is that profound (like instructions on covering your remote with plastic). But when I have to be more serious and thoughtful about my words, like when writing an artist statement, it comes easier than it ever has before. The habit of writing makes writing easier.
Getting Re-energized
Two years after I began this blog, I once again found myself at NCECA (Louisville) and throughout the week had some amazing conversations with people that "knew me" from my blog. I suddenly realized that my blog posts were not just disappearing out there, but they were being received on the other end by ceramic artists that not only knew what a blog was, but were excited to be reading one that focused on clay! Once I had the knowledge that people were out there across both the US, but also around the world were reading, I was energize and completely dove into the blog.
When I got home I started writing more regularly. I also started to pay attention to the statistics on who was reading my blog. And I set up an email list so readers could automatically get an email with each post. Knowing people were out there on the other end really pushed me.
Some Nice Side Effects
I've had a website of my work, in one form or another for the past 9+ years. I used to be conflicted about having pots online. They are 3-dimensional and tactile; things that don't usually go so well with the internet. I think that a blog helps add other dimensions to the piece. You can show the pieces in progress. Talk about the process of making. Show the pieces in use. Talk about inspirations and frustrations in making. Some of the blanks begin to fill in and the connection between maker, pot and user has grown stronger. Stronger than I ever could have imagined way back when I began my first adventures online.
There have been some great and unexpected side effects of writing my blog. It turns out that it is the best kind of publicity: it's publicity as a side effect. I get to put my efforts into what I want to do: write, teach, share my work, and connect with others. And it just so happens that it's publicity. I've been lucky that I've been asked to be in a number of invitational shows where the curators, jurors and gallery managers have found my work and gotten to know it through this blog.
It's also allowed me to keep up with regular customers. They can check in and see what I've been up to easily. The email list, RSS feed and blog reader instructions have been really important. I wrote a while back about the concept of 1000 True Fans. I'm far from it, but my blog helps me on my path.
The Ceramic Blogging Revolution
Ever since my return from NCECA in Louisville 2 years ago, something really exciting is happening! The number of clay focused blogs has grown exponentially and an incredible international community of clay bloggers has developed. It's a community that I feel very lucky to be a part of, to have these relationships with my readers and other pottery bloggers. I'm learning a lot, both technically and personally.
What's Next
I have at least 6 other posts in progress, and another dozen ideas in my head, but if you ever have any suggestions, I'm glad to hear them and respond to them. I find that the more I write, the more I want to write (like this past week).
I will continue to have tutorials, studio updates and show announcements. But I'm also expecting the unexpected, just like when I began. You never know where life (or a blog) is going to take you.
Thank you for reading my blog. Please share your thoughts about pottery blogging with me and the other readers in the comments, it's an important part of the process for me. It would be quite a different experience entirely for me if I wrote without comments. The posts would become static. This post doesn't end with this sentence, it ends with the last comment at the bottom of this page.
It's a bit of an anniversary for me... It's been 4 years since I first started writing PotteryBlog.com. It all started about 4 and a half years ago at NCECA – Indianapolis. I had attended a number of panel discussions and lectures given by writers, editors and publishers of both books and magazines. I found myself inspired by the words I had heard throughout the week and the conversations had, but I wasn't quite sure where to go with it. I knew that I wanted to write, but the time lines for traditional media didn't appeal to me. Magazine articles usually took about a year to be published, and books could be 3-5 years. I wanted to go in the direction of something less formal and with more immediate feedback, for now.On the trip home from Indianapolis, a conversation started with my friend Brian Boyer (programmer, writer and potter). He really felt that a blog was the direction to go in with my post-conference energy. Ian and I had many conversations at home and he had been urging me to start a blog throughout the previous year. My hesitation was that I didn't know any other potter that was writing a blog about clay. A huge part of blogging was the connections with other bloggers writing in the same field. Blog writers are great blog readers, and when you begin to link to each other, your audience can grow exponentially. But after the conference, and my conversation with Brian, I realized that it was what I was going to do. And so I went home, registered the domain name: PotteryBlog.com, and soon I began to write. I had no idea where it was going to lead me, but I knew it was were I wanted to be at that moment.
A Slow StartWhen I started this blog, I had to do a lot of educating. The question that I got from most of the clay folks that I talked to about my writing endeavors was “What's a blog. I guess it's a question that I still get, but in the beginning it was the question that I got from everyone that I talked to about it. I continued to write for the next 2 years. Not on a super regular basis, but regular enough. A couple of years into it, I had that nagging feeling that maybe no one was reading my blog. A large part of writing a blog is personal, so theoretically, I would continue to write with or without readers. But when you send your words and images out there, you do hope that someone is reading them.
Why do I Blog?The other top question that I get on a regular basis is: why? Why do I spend my time and energy into writing this blog. Why do I "give away information for free" (their words, not mine)? The answer is pretty simple: information is free. I would love to give away pots, but it's not the most sustainable business model. Ian (my significant other of 12+ years) is an open source programmer. He's rubbed off on me over the years. The idea with open source is that the programming code and/or the process of writing it are open for others to see and use and that by making it public, the larger community will benefit from the sharing of information and collaboration. With programming, you can easily do this regardless of geography. With clay, it's not so obvious on how to do it, but I think blogging is has been a good way to do “open source ceramics . If I give you a pot, now you have a pot and I don't have that pot. But if I give you an idea then we both get to keep it.
The open sharing of ideas might be the overarching reason on why I write, but I've discovered many more benefits to blogging. I have found that writing has greatly impacted my work. The conversations I have with myself about my own work have grown and evolved, affecting the aesthetic decisions I make daily about my pots. As a visual artist I'm used to falling back on the thought that my work will speak for itself. I hope it does, up to a point, but there is something to be said for backing it up with words. And obviously not everything I write is that profound (like instructions on covering your remote with plastic). But when I have to be more serious and thoughtful about my words, like when writing an artist statement, it comes easier than it ever has before. The habit of writing makes writing easier.
Getting Re-energizedTwo years after I began this blog, I once again found myself at NCECA (Louisville) and throughout the week had some amazing conversations with people that "knew me" from my blog. I suddenly realized that my blog posts were not just disappearing out there, but they were being received on the other end by ceramic artists that not only knew what a blog was, but were excited to be reading one that focused on clay! Once I had the knowledge that people were out there across both the US, but also around the world were reading, I was energize and completely dove into the blog.
When I got home I started writing more regularly. I also started to pay attention to the statistics on who was reading my blog. And I set up an email list so readers could automatically get an email with each post. Knowing people were out there on the other end really pushed me.
Some Nice Side EffectsI've had a website of my work, in one form or another for the past 9+ years. I used to be conflicted about having pots online. They are 3-dimensional and tactile; things that don't usually go so well with the internet. I think that a blog helps add other dimensions to the piece. You can show the pieces in progress. Talk about the process of making. Show the pieces in use. Talk about inspirations and frustrations in making. Some of the blanks begin to fill in and the connection between maker, pot and user has grown stronger. Stronger than I ever could have imagined way back when I began my first adventures online.
There have been some great and unexpected side effects of writing my blog. It turns out that it is the best kind of publicity: it's publicity as a side effect. I get to put my efforts into what I want to do: write, teach, share my work, and connect with others. And it just so happens that it's publicity. I've been lucky that I've been asked to be in a number of invitational shows where the curators, jurors and gallery managers have found my work and gotten to know it through this blog.
It's also allowed me to keep up with regular customers. They can check in and see what I've been up to easily. The email list, RSS feed and blog reader instructions have been really important. I wrote a while back about the concept of 1000 True Fans. I'm far from it, but my blog helps me on my path.
The Ceramic Blogging RevolutionEver since my return from NCECA in Louisville 2 years ago, something really exciting is happening! The number of clay focused blogs has grown exponentially and an incredible international community of clay bloggers has developed. It's a community that I feel very lucky to be a part of, to have these relationships with my readers and other pottery bloggers. I'm learning a lot, both technically and personally.
What's NextI have at least 6 other posts in progress, and another dozen ideas in my head, but if you ever have any suggestions, I'm glad to hear them and respond to them. I find that the more I write, the more I want to write (like this past week).
I will continue to have tutorials, studio updates and show announcements. But I'm also expecting the unexpected, just like when I began. You never know where life (or a blog) is going to take you.
Thank you for reading my blog. Please share your thoughts about pottery blogging with me and the other readers in the comments, it's an important part of the process for me. It would be quite a different experience entirely for me if I wrote without comments. The posts would become static. This post doesn't end with this sentence, it ends with the last comment at the bottom of this page.
