four years since
four years ago today, my llc was approved and i was making the moves to get my business ready to accept photo clients by july 2021 when i planned to leave my job. i had just gotten into pottery, only two weeks into the class that would change everything, and was coming home from work, spending hours figuring out what it meant to have my own business. i put $5000 into my new business bank account, made a shopping list and got to work. switched out my 2012 laptop for an imac and got some new camera gear, setup my office space and was counting down the days till i was my boss. i’ve learned so much along the wiggly way i’ve taken to get here, and here are four things i’ve learned since starting my own business.
2021: my first photo clients - the queens of buttermilk bakery, the best bakery in town!! shot for edible orlando’s women in business issue that year.
2021: hand building for the first time on the patio, still have these mugs that are basically shot glasses because i didn’t quite grasp shrinkage rates then haha
2021: notebook with images and prose that i made for the launch of your goodlight
one. know your why
i think it can be easy to think about starting a thing without analyzing your motives for doing so, simply because excitement for something new can take over! since i was branching out on my own for the first time and i was in charge of everything i wanted to make sure i knew why i was making this move, so that when the days were terrible or handling finances was stressful or the projects just weren’t coming i would have something to cling to. even though i didn’t always know what i was doing or how i was going to get things done, knowing why i was here trying to make this dream happen really saved me. this path truly is not for the faint of heart and there were a lot of days where i just didn’t want it, but then i’d remember that i truly don’t want to be doing anything else, so i’d push through and find something beautiful on the other side.
2022: the first batch of ceramics that i and fired myself in my own kiln
2022: first and only portrait pop-up i did for a local shop’s flower crown event.
two. trust your gut
not every job or project or request is one that you should take. and i guarantee you that your gut will tell you when you should accept or when you shouldn’t. after taking a few jobs that just didn’t align with my goals (ie. my why) i got really good at saying no to certain opportunities. i realized as i learned to trust my judgement and remember my why, i could make decisions from a grounded place that would help me say no to the things that didn’t align so that i could have the space to say yes to the opportunities that did. there were multiple times where i was on the fence about something and finally got the courage to decline, only to have another request come in that i was more into and excited about! just because you say no to one thing, doesn’t mean the opportunities will stop coming.
2023: my first ever published photos in a book! such a lovely opportunity to highlight a local grower for terrain’s book on houseplants
2023: the first of many iterations of me throwing inside my living room
three. keep track
and by this i mean, document, photograph, record, make a spreadsheet, track your expenses, track your mood, track your energy, take note of what lights you up and what doesn’t, and simply log your journey for you. not only is it helpful come tax time to have all your expenses and receipts in one place, but it’s also nice to know how you and the business are actually doing. what needs to change, what can stay the same? are you actually reaching the goals you set or did you get a lil’ sidetracked along the way? do you have images documenting your growth so you can look back on them and see how far you’ve come? are you exhausted all the time or do feel like you’re thriving? taking time to pause, notice, and adjust accordingly has been so incredibly helpful for me. it’s so easy to get lost when running your own small business because there are so many things you have to do. taking notes, making to-do lists, doing daily check-ins, and keeping track of what you’re trying to accomplish can make all the difference.
in 2023 made a sign for my pop-up stall i had inside the owl’s attic for two years
december 2023 i delivered my largest order to date - 55 mugs for the lineage coffee employees
four. make what you want
i’m a firm believer that if you’re staying true to who you are and what you like, and putting that out there into the world, your people will find you. when i started pottery, i watched and listened to alot of potters who had been making a living from their work for a long time and heard alot of them say the best way to keep this up for the long haul is to make what you want instead of getting trapped just creating what sells, and i’ve held on tightly to that from the beginning. ‘should’ can get tossed around a lot when working for yourself, but the beauty of this lifestyle is that you’re in charge, so whatever rules you want to make are the only rules that matter. so i asked myself, ‘ why put yourself in a box if that’s why you left your 9-5?’. i’m an artist at my core, i think we all are, but i don’t want another career other than this one that most times feels like it chose me. the best way i can think of making this a sustainable option for me is staying true to myself and creating what i want to and doing what i can to share my work, trusting that my ideal clients or shoppers or supporters will come for me regardless of where my creative journey as led me.
shooting for chef leach - the neighbors in 2024
me and a vase i made for summer shop update 2024
end of 2024 - shelves filled with piece to glaze for holiday pop-ups
just before the launch of my spring 2025 collection
at the end of the day, i’m just a human with the desire to make the mundane moments magical and i’m currently weaving that into my reality, and the reality of those who partake in my work, by making functional ceramics for everyday use and documenting my life as an artist. i’ve learned so much more throughout the last four years, and above all, taking care of myself physically and mentally has been what’s kept me going. you can’t give on an empty tank, and i’ve found so much joy and healing in prioritizing rest, play, and all the nourishing activities when it comes to my creative practice, so cheers to many more years of making and learning and growing!
thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me!
may your journey as an artist lead you to weave your own magical reality. :)