6 months on….

It’s coming up to my 6 months anniversary of quitting paid employment and moving into full time self employment and full time pottery.

I thought I’d take this opportunity to reflect on how things have gone in that time.

What’s been great has been having the freedom and time to make! I went from making in batches of 10 due to time restrictions to now making in batches of 30 or 40. This has made things more efficient for me.

I can take on bigger orders, participate in more markets and concentrate on promoting the items on this website without feeling overwhelmed.

I am in a great flow with regards to making and for the first time I feel like I’m ahead in terms of stock availability.

I am now able to dedicate an entire morning to business related tasks such as finance and marketing activities. Before any admin I had to do took place late in the evening on the sofa with an episode of something on in the background (trying to trick my brain into thinking I was relaxing!)

One big takeaway is that, even doing this full time does not allow you to do all of the things you think you are going to be able to do (it’s taken me 6 months to start this blog for heaven’s sake!)

My teaching schedule has expanded and now I teach through Mud Ireland and Belfast Ceramics Studio as well as through Antrim and Newtownabbey Council where I offer pottery classes just outside Belfast.

The flip side? Most days I work on my own in my quiet studio with no chat, conversation or company. I find myself more excited than ever to see my kids after school finishes and I want all their news desperately!

I miss my old colleagues who were a great bunch to be around. Thankfully they’re ok with me hanging on socially and we’re still very much in touch.

It’s also lovely to have found other local potters and makers to meet up with and natter all things pottery and making. I never take for granted being connected to people who are kind and supportive and knowledgeable.

Another less than desirable aspect is that my salary can vary month to month. Gone is the predictable, steady monthly bank account boost that I used to receive from my employer. Sure, there are the tremendous sales months when you feel flush and validated but those seem to fade into the background when sales take a dip. It’s weird how connected sales figures and my confidence have become!

One final thought - teaching has not become tiring in fact I am loving it more than ever and it makes me happy that now I’m all in on the pottery, I can take on more teaching. Pottery classes get me out of my own studio and meeting some of the most wonderful people! The satisfaction that comes from watching people completely submerge themselves in throwing is immense! Teaching is also obviously a wonderful safety net in terms of income during those quieter months.

All in all these last 6 month have been incredible, everything feels steadier and, even though I still feel the urge to pinch myself, when somebody asks me what I do I can confidently say ‘I’m a potter’ without the lengthy explanations of ‘oh it’s kind of a hobby and I’m trying to make a go if it’ or ‘I’m a potter and a part time charity worker’. That has been a long time coming!