How much time do you spend creating new products or trying new medium?

[tranguyen]

Hey everyone, I hope your week is off to a great start ☀️

Last Friday, I attended my first ceramic class (!!!). And I didn't expect to have so much fun with it! It was amazing to try and be creative using a different medium. I've never created anything by hands either — my prefer go-to is definitely photography (mostly films these days) and writing.

Are you experimenting with or thinking about trying new medium this year? If so, I'd love to know how it's going! How much time do you usually spend tinkering with new things?

Can't wait to read all your thoughts ✨

P.S: Here's my semi-naked mugs with their underglaze. It'll be a couple weeks before I can pick them up, but I'm buzzing to see how they'll turn out. Hopefully they'll hold liquid, haha!

[maxpete]

First off @tranguyen, these mugs look so good! Please share the update pic after the kiln.

I've been definitely spending more time on writing. It's been a lot of fun being able to work on this craft and see how I can use this skill in other areas of my life and career too. 

Tagging some other members as I'm interested in their hearing more too! @brecreative, @Miri, @mamac, and @manchestercraft! 

[AdamB]

I've always wanted to get into pottery but I've always held myself back because I know I'd need to take them somewhere to get them fired. I mean, I could consider investing in my own small kiln but only after first making and firing a bunch so I'd know it would be worth the investment.

[GeekInStitches]

Time has always been a factor.   I'm retiring from my IT carrier at the end of May, so time is about to not be an issue!

I work with fabric and acrylic painted canvas.  I've been wanting to explore new ideas for a while.  I was going to start a new line of ocean themed fish artwork, but then my current Birb art (yes, I said Birb- lol) suddenly sold out and I have several markets coming up.   I'll put the fish off until after I retire.

I've learned over my 5 years in business that if you want to continue being successful, you have to reinvent yourself every 2-3 years in order to stay fresh.  People will likely eventually lose interest if nothing ever changes.   

I live about an hour outside of Metro Atlanta.  I started making inroads into Atlanta a year ago.  That means new customer bases and that completely changes the dynamic of reinvention.  

I've managed to introduce something new every year that was different from what I was making the year before.  I'm not saying that I try to make something that will sell.   I'm just make something new that I like to make and the trend is that it sells.

I did learn how to make candles during quarantine.   I may circle back around to that sometime or they may just remain Christmas presents.   🙂

[HC_Charlie]

Great point about introducing something new every year...I think as artists we need to sometimes push ourselves to create new things/products, getting out of our comfort zones. You just never know what new experiment will turn into the next big launch!

[tranguyen]

Best wishes for your retirement @GeekInStitches!!

I love how you frame the idea of reinventing yourself and trying something new — not solely with the aim of getting it to "sold" but it should be something you enjoy making as well ❤️

Can't wait to see your ocean themed artwork 🐠 ✨ How many different designs do you usually create for a line? 

[BofBArtStudio]

That is wonderful, @tranguyen !!

I actually run a clay studio and have two locations. We also offer pottery painting, canvas painting, glass fusing, mosaics, and more. We're always trying out new things to offer to our guests. It's a super fun business and although I have a lot of business things that I have to take care of, I'm always trying to make time to play and dabble in different art mediums. 

[tranguyen]

Thanks so much @BofBArtStudio ❤️ It's definitely hard some times to carve out time just to be creative, especially between work and daily life responsibilities, so I'm glad you are able to do it! 

[HC_Charlie]

I love pottery, as an admirer and also a maker, although I haven't made much pottery since my college days. I was recently watching a reality TV show where they visiting a pottery studio and took a class, jumping right off into throwing clay on a wheel. I remember it took me SO LONG to get that right feeling of centering the clay on the wheel. I wonder if it's like riding a bike, and that you never forget...although I may be a bit rusty lol.

[tranguyen]

Haha, hopefully you will be able to go back and so some pottery soon @HC_Charlie! We didn't get to wheel throwing yet, it was only handbuilding and I find myself really liking it cause I've always been partial to misshapen mugs and bowls lol 

[HC_Charlie]

@tranguyenhandbuilding is the best way to start, to begin to see how it feels to work with clay. One of my favorite things to build were boxes...I'd roll and cut slabs of clay, like a cookie cutter. And I love the feeling when it's "leather hard" and you can really bend, shape, and attach pieces together. It can be quite addicting!