Shaken from my slumber, realising what is important to me as I sit here in the warmth of my art studio, the spring air drifting through the window carrying the song of the birds and the nearby crow of a neighbour’s cockerel. I feel calm, safe and at peace. I realise how much I like to be in control of my business and how I spend my time and I realise time spent working for others is not for me! I enjoy making my own way. Right here, right now, I am happy. Business has been quieter of late, I know it’s not just me suffering, the cost of living has seen huge changes in the way we shop and how we spend our time. Friends of mine have closed their shops and for a while I’d become quite despondent at the prospect of a creative life and earning a living at it, so much so that I got a job working in a gallery, although I never actually started it. My business means so much to me, my loyal customers mean so much to me and all the time I can keep doing it I will!
A day spent making something new - some tall stem vases that I will launch at The Dorset Brocante next month. As I’m busy in my work, other ideas float in and out for new designs, I jot them down before I forget and I’ll return to them later. As I sit here and create I’m constantly thinking about how best to adapt my business so it continues to work for me and my customers. I can feel a subtle shift in my style of work coming in. I can feel a move into making more sculptural pieces inspired by flowers. And I have a desire to make vases and paint palettes again, things that can inspire creativity. I love choosing the right vase to arrange some flowers or some time spent painting. I’ll be moving away from mugs and teacups for a while now, if you want any now is the last chance.
This is my first newsletter I’ve realised that is more like a page from my journal, actually the first chapter came straight from my journal and It’s what gave me the idea, to write and tell you my creative thoughts and what its like to run a artisan business at the moment. I’m going to try very hard to keep it up on a monthly basis, I can tell you already though that The Dorset Brocante is the first May bank holiday so I will be late writing that one. You will have my honest account of what it’s like being a trader at these beautiful fairs. I very much rely on them for getting my name out there as social media serves us less and less, I wonder now how many people are actually giving up with instagram and it’s algorithms that haven’t worked in our favour for nearly ten years now… Has it really been that long. As I sit here I have to wonder how else to get my art and ceramics in front of people who would like them, always tricky when it’s an online business. I do have some good news though, although I don’t know when it shall be happening - I have decided to open my own shop/gallery space. I have so many ideas and I’m very excited. It won’t be until I spot a degree of recovery in the high street. Things will always go up and down, that you can be certain, it’s the timing that’s so important.
Anyway I feel like I’ve rambled enough. I hope you all had a good Easter 🐣 Tickets are available now for the brocante, hopefully it will be a sunny one. In the meantime my online shop is still open with pretty wares, I’ll only close it during the brocante and it will open again once I’m back but I’ll keep you updated over on Instagram.
Enjoy your week.
Emma xx