Shaping Your Pottery with Nic Torres

In this episode of Shaping Your Pottery, host Nic Torres emphasizes the importance of seeking and embracing external feedback for pottery improvement. He discusses how feedback can come from various sources such as family, friends, social media, or fellow potters. Despite the possibility of encountering negative comments, Nic encourages potters to extract valuable insights from criticism to enhanc...

In this episode of 'Shaping Your Pottery' hosted by Nic Torres, the focus is on the vital importance of caring for your customers in the pottery business. The discussion emphasizes how engaging with and valuing customer feedback has been instrumental for Teri in selling her pottery and guiding the direction of her work. Teri exemplifies this by actively soliciting feedback from her audience throug...

In this episode, Nic discusses the significance of articulating your thoughts and preferences concerning pottery, drawing on insights from an interview with Luke Bone Cutter. Nic explains that understanding and expressing why you like certain aspects of pottery, whether it's colors, shapes, or techniques, can not only deepen your appreciation of others' work but also refine your own craft. He enco...

In this episode of 'Shaping Your Pottery', potter Kym Owens shares her personal journey from ballet dancer to becoming a successful potter, offering advice for aspiring artists on perseverance, mentorship, and creativity. Kim discusses the importance of embracing failure, seeking mentorships, and engaging with the pottery community, whether locally or online. She emphasizes the necessity of dedica...

In this episode of 'Shaping Your Pottery,' host Nic Torres interviews Leigh Weinberg, a potter inspired by children's books, who shares her journey of finding her unique voice in pottery. Lee discusses the evolution of her pottery skills, the importance of being authentic, and her unconventional methods of selling pottery. She emphasizes the role of failure in learning and developing her own style...

In this podcast episode, host Nic Torres discusses how he incorporated five different pottery techniques into his own work. He emphasizes the importance of observing other people's pottery, but adapting and shaping them based on personal preferences rather than blindly copying them. He uses the examples of sculpting and underglazing techniques he admired in the work of other potters and talks abou...

In this episode of 'Shaping Your Pottery', host Nic Torres shares insights gleaned from his interview with prominent Potter, Casey Stelter. Casey enjoys slip casting because it allows her to focus more on the design and finishing aspects of pottery, which she finds most exciting. Using her experience, Nic suggests that in order to make pottery more enjoyable and find one's unique voice in it, enth...

Developing and Trusting Your Instincts in Pottery In this episode, Nic Torres discusses the importance of trusting one's instincts, especially in pottery. He shares personal anecdotes and examples to illustrate his points, highlighting a particular instance where going against his instincts led to a piece breaking. He emphasizes that gut feelings are often right and should generally be followed in...

 An Interview with Corey Dewitt In this episode of 'Shaping Your Pottery', host Nic Torres hosts Corey Dewitt, a Potter known for his fantasy-inspired Tiki mugs. Throughout the conversation, Corey highlights the importance of community in his ceramics journey, discusses his inspirations, and explains the reasoning behind his pre-order sales approach. He also shares his excitement over his suc...

In this engaging episode, potter Nicola Moore (also known as Nic) shares her journey in the craft, along with the keys to developing one's unique style. She highlights her love of making pottery, experiments in microwave firing, and her decision to go full-time with her passion. Showing her keen interest in various painting styles and glaze types, Nicola shares her Instagram success, pottery works...

Nic Torres highlights the importance of breaking away from routine to foster creativity in pottery making. He shares an anecdote of Nicole Dacey, who found inspiration after a trip to Joshua Tree during COVID-19 lockdown. Torres stresses the importance of taking breaks from normal everyday stuff to allow new ideas to flow and avoid getting stuck in repetitive tasks. Whether it's exploring differen...

In this episode, Nic Torres shares three essential factors to consider in developing a unique 'pottery voice'. The first is making time to regularly work in the studio, which is deemed as nearly half the journey. The second is focusing on shapes, which can introduce a wide variety of ideas for personal pottery expressions. To do this, Nic recommends observing and taking note of shapes and forms fr...

 five places where potters can connect with each other, including markets, events, workshops, communities, and social media. Each location provides opportunities for potters to meet, network, and learn from others within the pottery community. 00:00 Introduction: Connecting with Other Potters 00:21 Place 1: Markets 00:57 Place 2: Events 02:05 Place 3: Workshops 03:20 Place 4: Communities 04:0...

In this episode Leslie Levings, a writer, sculptor, and potter. Leslie talks about her journey in pottery and how she combines her skills in writing, sculpting, and pottery into one. She discusses the significance of finding a creative community and her struggles with her inner critic. Levings shares how she uses her love for mythology and storytelling in her pottery work, and the influence of a c...

In this episode of 'Shaping Your Pottery', Nic Torres interviews Adam Rush, a sculptor turned potter, renowned for incorporating faces into functional pottery. Adam shares his journey from sculpting to pottery, inspired by a show called 'Great Pottery Throwdown'. He discusses the challenges he faced in mastering pottery, largely requiring him to learn the art of patience. Adam also introduces his...

In this episode of 'Shaping Your Pottery' with Nic Torres, he challenges potters to step beyond their comfort zones and try different pottery techniques. Nic discusses how sticking to one technique or method can limit creativity and growth. He presents examples of how exploring alternate methods can broaden the range of styles and techniques a potter can use to develop a unique pottery voice. He e...

The show takes an in-depth look at the philosophy, influences, and journey of Potter, Shikha Joshi. Shikha discusses her fascination with wood-fired pottery, her love for pottery derived from nature, and how she moved from being a hobbyist to running a pottery business. She shares her journey experimenting trying to recreate the wood fired look in an electric kiln and emphasizes the need to consta...

Join The Free Shaping Our Pottery community click here to join Todays Episode features an interview with pottery artist Katie Bramlage, who discusses her journey in pottery, the influence of her background, the importance of resourcefulness, and her passion for teaching pottery. She also talks about her unique totem theme pottery and the process behind creating her artwork. You can learn more abou...

In this episode, Nic Torres talks about the importance of learning to say no in pottery. He shares personal experiences and insights on how saying no can lead to creative freedom and better results in pottery projects. Join The Free Shaping Our Pottery Community by clicking here shapingyourpottery.com/community   

 In this episode, Nic Torres discusses how making content can actually make you a better potter. He explains the importance of focusing on higher quality content and shares his experiences of how it has improved his pottery skills. Nic also emphasizes the need to avoid falling into the trap of making content just for the sake of it, and instead, encourages creators to spend time crafting thei...

In this podcast episode, the host delves into the life and art of Gabby Melkis, a Chinese adoptee who channels her unique identity and heritage into her pottery. Gabby recounts her journey from art school to a corporate career and her return to pottery during the lockdown, using her art to navigate the complexities of personal history and transracial adoption. Her work reflects her story, combinin...

In this episode, Nicole Dacey, a professional potter, shares her journey into the world of pottery, the transition from making pottery as a hobby to turning it into her full-time career, and the role her husband played in her journey. Nicole talks about the profound impact of building her own pottery studio and explains why she ventured into sculptural hand-built work. She discusses the importance...

Join The Free Shaping Our Pottery Community by clicking here shapingyourpottery.com/community  In this episode of "Shaping Your Pottery" with Nic Torres, listeners are offered practical advice on overcoming creative block. Nic shares his personal struggle with starting a new pottery project—a Scorpion from Mortal Kombat mug—and introduces strategies to rekindle the artistic process. He sugges...

In this episode of "Shaping Your Pottery" with Nic Torres, listeners are guided through the crucial decision-making process of selecting the right kiln for their pottery needs. Nic discusses the merits and drawbacks of both compact and large kilns based on his personal experience with a newly purchased 120-volt kiln from Clay King. He emphasizes that while smaller kilns are economical and ideal fo...

The summary of this episode is about an interview with potter Bryan Wilkerson, who specializes in creating "goon pottery" with monster faces. Bryan talks about his journey as a potter, including his apprenticeship with a renowned potter, his inspiration from cartoons and old toys, and the importance of finding joy and staying committed to your craft. He also shares advice on selling pottery and di...