Wheel Talk

Ryan & Becca reflect on a recent Instagram post Becca shared (linked below) regarding chasing your creative dreams. The post reads "Choosing to not chase your creative dreams is not 'sensible,' noble, or selfless. It's a heartbreaking waste of your potential, your magic, your art." This conversation is pretty open-ended and shares our personal experiences related to ch...

Ryan & Becca go through a wide range of pottery wheels on the market to buy new and used. There are so many options out there right now and we dive right into the specifics of a number of wheels (Brent, Shimpo, Soldner, Laguna, Skutt, Speedball) and how much you could pay for them new or used. We've only used a few of the wheels on this list, so take our advice with a grain of salt as you...

Ryan & Becca answer a listener's question regarding taking care of our bodies as we work in our studios. We cover topics from prepping clay, table surfaces, wheel height, position at the wheel, loading kilns, and packing/transporting work outside of the studio. We lastly touch on our personal health & wellness routines outside of the studio. Listener Questions On this episode: - Glazi...

Ryan & Becca go in deep about the saturation of the ceramics market today based on a listener question. With the popularity of handmade pottery growing since social media is more embedded into our daily lives, new people are flocking to the medium more than ever! We discuss ceramic market saturation, marketing skills balanced with product quality,  and how do you know when you're ready to...

On this episode, Ryan & Becca sit down for a conversation in Bellevue, Kentucky with Kelti Ziese from Coda Co and Nomad KY. Coda Co is a boutique that mostly sells home goods and local handmade art. Nomad KY is a labeled as "a gathering place" for a quick bite or drink. Both businesses are located on the main strip Fairfield Avenue of Bellevue, Kentucky. She shares some of her proces...

Becca reveals some BIG news regarding the future of 5 Lines Pottery. We've held onto this episode for quite a while as some of the specifics are still being ironed out. Enjoy and wish Becca the best of luck in this next phase! Listener Questions On this episode: - What is your biggest challenge when it comes to handbuilding and the wheel? Becca, are you in a relationship? Send us questions so...

Becca goes solo this episode to share about her recently feeling more content with her business as COVID has hit this year. It's been a challenging few years since Becca started selling pottery full time back in 2014. She examines how decisions can pile up to something we may not have envisioned early on in the business and how vital putting your mental well-being is for long term success. En...

Ryan & Becca bring you a special mid-week episode to talk all things #potswap2020 . We made a new Instagram account for all Pot Swap shenanigans @potswapofficial to help us with sharing everything now and into the future. Registration is free and open to the first 400 entries on Wednesday, October 28th at 8pm EDT. First come, first serve on sign-ups so set a reminder! Spots WILL fill up in a m...

On this episode, Ryan & Becca sit down for a conversation in Cincinnati, Ohio with Amy Boullé from Tryst Studios. We chat outside of Queen City Clay where Amy has her private studio. We chat about balancing home life with her family while dedicating time to making and growing the small pottery business. COVID has thrown a wrench in Amy's year (like most of us), but she's finding ways...

On this episode, Ryan & Becca have a conversation with Andrew Fegler, the solo small business owner of That's So Andrew. Our discussion is driven mostly from a listener question related to how to use Instagram & Facebook for marketing. There is so much that goes into marketing period and social media marketing is a new world of its own, with each platform having unique pros & cons...

Ryan & Becca discuss finding a cohesive style and design with your work after a question from Jodie at  @mudslinging_pottery . It's tough to explain exactly what dictates your personal style, but it doesn't hurt to ask your peers. We share a lot of examples of fellow clay artists to explain some different ways to separate yourself from others and figure out your own style. It's...

Becca recorded this conversation without Ryan's knowledge (it's okay, she told him at the end). They chat about the motivation to continue showing up in the studio every week, whether there is a sweet spot follower count for having a sell out restock, Ryan's sales income during the pandemic in relation to last year, and more (there's even some cat talk). Enjoy this candid conve...

Ryan & Becca answer a listener questions about whether someone new to clay should still take classes at their community studio after coming into some equipment for their home studio. We didn't realize how much you get for your money at a community studio until we listed all of them out. Each maker has a unique personality and needs for their making process. You have to choose what environ...

Ryan & Becca discuss how Ryan balances his full time job while slowly growing his side pottery business. Lots of you may be having to balance out a side hustle while having a day job and it's really hard to find a balance, along with all the other commitments. As you grow your small business, it's typically all on your shoulders how you handle scheduling, finding time to make, and ke...

Ryan & Becca are comparing aspects of three social media platforms (Tik Tok, Facebook, & Instagram) to start this episode. The rest of our discussion came from a question we received on the topic of branding & marketing your business. Your branding extends from your social media, online orders, your work, in-person shows, and much more. Lastly, in celebration of hitting our 1 year anni...

Ryan & Becca are back for another question and answer episode with clay, small business, & personal questions. We haven't done a rapid fire episode like this since Episode #6 - 21 Questions . Enjoy, have some laughs, and get to know us a little more. Listener Questions Send us questions so we can answer anything you've been thinking about on a future episode. Send those through I...

On this episode, Ryan & Becca share an amazing conversation with Tara and Matt Brault, the husband & wife artists behind Pitch Pine Pottery. We discuss their journey from Massachusetts to New Mexico, growing their online pottery business, balancing the business and relationship as a husband & wife team, and the struggles along the way the past few years. We absolutely loved having them...

Ryan & Becca get into a listener's question about considerations when thinking about selling wholesale. Contracts, deposits, pricing, minimum wholesale orders, sales tax on wholesale, and way more are covered on this episode. There's so much that goes into thinking about wholesale, but you can build confidence in your products, understand how long it takes you to make them, and do th...

On this episode, Ryan & Becca chat with Curt Hammerly from Hammerly Ceramics, located in Westminster, Colorado. Curt works full-time in his storefront/studio with multiple employees to support his production cycle. He primarily makes functional wares with expertise in 3D modeling, 3D printing, slip casting, and vast array of eye-catching glazes. We appreciate his insights on running a growing...

Warning: Nerd Alert!! Ryan & Becca chat today about how they diversify their income in their pottery business and a little bit outside of that as well. There are lots of ways to spread your income around within the pottery business, from selling at shows, teaching, galleries, etc. Having multiple streams of income during these past few months has saved many of us small business owners as we we...

Ryan & Becca answer a listener question at length on today's episode. Justin Patterson (@justcooperson) asks about studio essentials when moving from a community studio to a home studio. Some clay studios have limitations on the clays, glazes, tools, or open hours that can make you consider whether a home studio set-up is for you. While community studios eliminate a lot of the complexity...

On this episode, Ryan & Becca chat with Aaron Kleinhelter, a recreational clay artist from Louisville, Kentucky. He's recently moved to Washington state and currently focuses on creating figurative mugs, which he calls "muglyz." They are very odd and unique pieces that people either seem to love or hate, as with most art.  Aaron's background in ceramics is very basic, only...

Ryan runs solo on this episode to speak to his new normal these past few months. Adapting to the current reality of very few in-person shows, online sales increasing, and ramping up the social media marketing has given many small businesses like ours new challenges to face. I've decided to keep moving forward, catching up on some studio projects, and experiment with new forms/clay in the &apo...

Ryan & Becca briefly address the happenings around the United States these past few weeks before jumping into the topic for today. Afterwards, we discuss Ryan's first in-person art show in Cincinnati, OH during the COVID pandemic at the Westside Market on June 6th. The feasibility of outdoor events are still up in the air for the coming months, but protocols are going to be different for...

Ryan & Becca break down some ways they are willing to delegate parts of their process or spend money so they aren't the sole person responsible for every part of the making process. Just because you can do everything from start to finish, doesn't mean we all should or want to (and all power to you if you want to do everything yourself). As artists, we sometimes undervalue our efforts...