Ep 518: The Economics of Clay with John R Hamilton

The Maker's Playbook

I thought John & I were going to talk mostly about burnout. How it “happened” to him, how he got through it, and perhaps, what he’s doing differently now. But (perhaps rather obviously) it can’t really be broken down that simply. Instead, John and I wound up not only talking about burnout, but also the pursuit of the impossible perfect cylinder, the responsibility we all have to educate others on what we do while also hopefully exciting them, and particularly the realities of the economics of making - whether that be other jobs that help support that reality, but also the internal realities of pricing and finding your market, or rather, finding someone else who has already found your market for you.

If trying to explain your work to others has been feeling hard, if you are tired of explaining why your price is what it is, or if you find yourself in the wrong spaces or shows for the work you are trying to make, then you don’t want to miss out on our next Masterclass inside of The Community. On July 17th, we’ll be learning from Naomi Clement all about Communicating Your Value. As Naomi says, “While the nuts and bolts numbers side of things are sure important, this session will focus more on the marketing side of conveying value and selling your work. Because… Selling is really just storytelling after all.” All of our Quarterly Masterclasses are recorded and included with the cost of Community membership, so you can also binge through the library of ever growing resources to help take the next step in making a living from the things you make. Visit: makersplaybook.com/community to learn more.
Guest Resources:
John's Instagram - @johnrhamilton3ceramics

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Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. The Art and Identity of a Potter (00:00:35)

3. Journey Through Education and Finding Passion (00:03:00)

4. Navigating Life Changes and Geographic Moves (00:10:12)

5. The Craft, Community, and Economics of Pottery (00:12:43)

6. Redefining Work-Life Balance: A New Perspective (00:33:11)

7. The Art of Being Present: Work and Family Life (00:39:37)

8. Embracing the Joy of Listening and Learning (00:40:36)

9. Finding Strength and Inspiration in Family Stories (00:44:45)

10. Navigating Burnout and the Pursuit of Passion (00:49:21)