Empowering Creatives
A platform to learn, create, teach, share and grow as potters, creatives, and business owners.
We are looking for authentic content from real people. Not just recycled pottery tips from marketers. We are not business people trying to make money from a community. We are real potters, ceramic artists, and creatives sharing what the techniques and processes that we have made our own and used them to find success. We aim to empower teachers and students by meeting their unique needs.
Background
I have always been interested in creating things and helping people.
This led me to choose art education as my undergrad degree. During college I got my first opportunity to throw pottery on the wheel and I was hooked. Now, pottery is my main focus but I am also intrigued by design, websites, learning, and photography. Expert clay is a chance to combine many things that I enjoy while feeding my desire to create and help others.
While working as a potter, writer, teacher, and creative I have established certain beliefs that have influenced the creation of Expert Clay.
Core Beliefs
5 principles that have guided the creation of this site.
🎨Everyone Can Be Creative
There are many ways to be creative. Some people are known for their creativity but other people are creative in less obvious ways. We are all creative on some level.
👩🏫Everyone Is an Expert at Something
Even if you aren’t a master potter yet you still have skills and knowledge that other people don’t. In their eyes you are an expert. Your skills may not even be related to clay but could still be a great benefit to potters and ceramic artists.
🌱Everyone Can Improve and Grow
Just as everyone is an expert at something, everyone has to start at the beginning. The first time you pick up a chunk of clay you aren’t going to create a masterpiece. But you will improve your skills with more experience and knowledge. Clay is such an intriguing medium because there is always something new to learn.
🛠Everyone Benefits When We All Work Together
A rising tide lifts all boats. As the people in a community grow as individuals, the community becomes stronger which helps individuals continue to grow. An expert in one area can help many people in that area. But that expert may have no experience with a different topic and will learn a lot from someone else.
🧬Everyone is Different
Each person has their own unique skills, backgrounds, and preferences. Expert Clay offers the flexibility to meet many different kinds of needs. Teachers can present information the way they want. Learners can choose specifically what they want to learn and who they want to learn from. You don’t have to pay a subscription and hope that the content will be useful to you.
Common Problems
When working as a potter, just like many creative fields, there are some obstacles to overcome. Some of these problems become more clear for potters that also want to help other individuals and grow the ceramics community while making awesome pots.
❌Creators Need to Create
As potters and ceramic artists, we want to dedicate as much time and effort to clay as possible. We don’t always have the time or desire to master things like creating digital content or running a business.
❌Connecting Teachers and Students
Many people love to share their knowledge and are excellent teachers. But it is often hard to find the people that want to learn from you. Students want to learn from great teachers and quality content. But they don’t want to spend hours sifting through marketing content to find the best resources.
❌Earning Income
It is hard enough to make a living as a potter. Many potters have other jobs or teach classes or workshops to supplement their income. This is fine but the time spent teaching or working is time that isn’t spent making pots.
Solutions
Expert Clay can help solve the problems above. It can provide a platform for experts and teachers to share their knowledge. Courses, digital files, videos, and articles can be created, shared and even sold to help connect teachers and learners. These resources can be delivered automatically so more time can be devoted to creating pots but still earning some financial support.
Empower, Create
I hope you feel that you can empower others as you create. Start small. What small thing you can do to help a fellow potter or ceramic artist? And if you need a place to share it, we would love to help. Let us know.