Mud Mum goes business

Working with clay makes me feel good. It gives me great satisfaction to make something beautiful from a formless and sticky heap of clay. What a sense of joy when you have created something beautiful at the end of the project!

My creative juices seem to be endless. I can make one piece after another. After filling my house with my creations, (because when you can make things yourself, what’s the use of using anonymous industrially made ceramics, right?) what is the following step?

When your cupboards are full and also your mum’s and your mother-in-law’s houses are completely invaded with handmade ceramic creations, as well as your work space, your storage space and your garage (if you have one), you might start thinking how to get your work out there in the world.

In the meantime friends and family may have commissioned some pieces, because they like your work or they want to support you on your creative journey. If you are lucky, they might have even paid you for those pieces!

When this is the case, the question then comes quite naturally to me: what if I could start a business selling my ceramics? What if I could make a living from my passion? Other potters do, why shouldn’t I be able to set up a business selling pottery?

From the outside it seems that other potters roll effortless into such a business endeavour. Maybe some are lucky, but I am convinced that any attempt in setting up a viable business requires tons of work in one way or another. Some potters might work in a freezing shed for years before making sales, others go through a fully fetched business course or degree before starting their activity.

One thing is certain: like Rome wasn’t built in one day, creating a business is not done easily: it requires courage, blood, sweat and tears. And maybe… a plan.

I always feel much more comfortable if I have a plan. I like to consider my possibilities, lining them out in a visual manner, look at my options, different scenarios and set myself some goals.

So I took bits and pieces of advise and suggestions from other people, but most importantly in the end I succeeded in putting together my business plan: YAY! More than a fixed plan, it is a dynamic roadmap and the launch of this website is an important milestone in this plan.

So on this day where my website finally goes live, I grant myself a moment for a happy dance to celebrate this milestone and look with satisfaction to my efforts so far. Whenever we reach a milestone, we can allow ourselves some time for an encouraging tap on our shoulder: we should, to gather our energy for the next steps… a moment of self appreciation should be part of the plan too!

(note to self: get the happy dance/celebration in the plan/roadmap!)

What did you think about this blog? Did you like it or do you see opportunities for improvement? I am just starting, so I still have tons to learn, so feedback is appreciated 🙂

Please let me know! Apr 15, 2021