The start of something new...
... and it comes with audio!
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It is hard to start something new. I am here because I needed something more. I do not know if this will be the place where I find it, but I want to try.
I am about 4 years into running a business selling my pottery, but the start is a grey area so it is hard to know really how long I have been doing this. I started making pottery at 17, therefore I have been a ceramic artist for 15 years. It took me just under a decade of consistent devotion to my craft before I felt confident enough to try to sell my work. For a long while I have wondered if all the hesitation was time wasted, however the older I get the more confident I feel in my inkling that there is no such thing as wasted time. The meandering path taken while dancing around what I was too afraid to admit I wanted, offered lessons and reflections that have bolstered and enriched the way I move through my business today. It is impossible to know where our paths will take us when we are at the first steps. But we have to be brave enough to take those steps into the unknown if we are going to figure it out. So here I am again, at the start of a new path I have spent the past year or so wanting to take.
I am so grateful that social media offered makers like myself, the direct connection to an audience that would become my customer base. When the barriers of entry to markets, institutions, galleries, were unbearably intimidating, I could just share photos of my pieces and tell the story of my process in a format that felt relatively mundane and safe. The democratization of art that we have seen in the past decade has absolutely improved our society. However, we are beginning to understand that social media comes at a cost to all of us. The changes being made by these companies to optimize the commodification of our attention has depleted the feeling of connection I used to know there. I am hoping to find that connection and build community somewhere new.
The biggest motivator behind my life as a creative is my curiosity. It is what drives my work in the studio, it is what I want to explore when I connect with others. The more time I spend on this journey, the more there is to talk about. I want to discuss inspiration. I want to discuss intention. I want to discuss competition, collaboration, connection, creative-theft, culture, clay, courage, community, centering of self, compassion, and those are just the topics that start with a “C”. As the platform I have used the past 4 years to share thoughts becomes a space crowded with videos, sounds, and colors that fight for a couple seconds of our diminishing attention spans, I want to lean into a place of intention. I want to sit down with boring black letters on a white background, a warm drink in my hands, and read or write thoughts that are too complex for instagram squares. I want to share space with others who are looking for more fulfilling ways to utilize this technological world. I am curious as to where this space can take us. It is my deepest hope to curate something that feels of service to fellow creatives.
If this feels like a space that can be of service to you, I invite you to stay. There is something magical about being at the beginning of something with company. The possibilities multiply with each new voice within a group. I am starting this path hoping that it becomes a resource for other creatives whether you are starting to sell your work, looking to incorporate creative joy within your daily routines, wanting ideas for art projects to do with you kids, or are six years into a successful artist career but feel so alone. I hope it becomes a space where genuine and loving connection is made possible, where ideas are exchanged and guidance is offered.
For the foreseeable future, this newsletter will be free to anyone who wishes to subscribe and engage in the conversations started here. However, I have also opened an optional paid subscription for this newsletter. I am so grateful to subscribers as they help support my ability to continue this creative work as well as support the work of others. As an appreciation they will receive the following perks:
An annual gift
Subscriber-only access to posts to offer feedback, suggest topics, and ask questions
“Just pay shipping” - on Seconds Sales
Hot Pot Access- the opportunity to snag pieces as they come out of the kiln before they are posted on the website.
Founding Members will receive the additional Perks:
Additional Gift
Free Shipping on all online orders
I am so excited to share this unfolding space with you! As always thank you for being here!
-If you have a friend who would benefit please forward this email to invite them along-
With Love and Awe-
Kirsten
**If this space does not feel of service to you please unsubscribe! I was very apprehensive about importing the Sils Mailing list into this space as I know the frustration of receiving way too many emails. If you just want to buy a couple mugs a year without all the concepts behind it, SilsCeramics.com will still operate as usual, sending out newsletters to inform of shop updates or standard marketing information
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