In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell shares the findings of a study conducted by psychologist K. Anders Ericsson in the early 1990s, which delved into the role of innate talent in the success of two groups of musicians. What Ericsson found was that among the pianists and violinists included in the study, it was those who had logged no fewer than 10,000 deliberate practice hours in their craft who comprised the top-tier performers. No “naturals,” top-tier performers who practiced less than their peers, or “grinds,” those who spent countless hours practicing, but whose performance didn’t reflect their investment, were found in the group. The takeaway being that “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you are good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
For some of us, practicing our craft happens in small bits of time squeezed into our days (this is where I fall), by immersing ourselves periodically into week-long workshops with other makers, or weekly in classes and community studios in our hometowns. For others, including the artists featured in the following pages, making work is a full-time occupation. The day-in, day-out immersion in their work contributes to their own 10,000-hour progress toward becoming an “expert” in our field. Just curious about how the numbers play out, I figured it would take nearly four years and nine-and-a-half months to meet the 10,000-hour milestone, working in your studio an average of 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday; however, we all know studio needs rarely abide by a standard work-week schedule.
Focusing on efficiency, consistency, and growth, their days are divided between the production-based and invisible work of being self-employed artists. It’s easy to romanticize the life of a working potter: wake up, stretch, coffee, clay, lunch, walk, clay, dinner, clay, stretch, sleep, repeat. I myself am guilty of this train of thought, and while I think there is a true freedom in self-employment, the reality is that there are many other branches to making a living centered around clay. Cementing access to materials, weathering financial volatility, maintenance of mind and body health, and finding and sustaining a connection to your audience all pull full-time potters away from their worktables and wheels. Their 10,000 hours are spread across making, selling, and administrative tasks, making them, over the course of years, experts not only in perfecting their own functional work, but also in building and sustaining a life in line with their goals.
Among our Working Potters, the focus of this summertime issue, we have Lucy Fagella, who has spent a quarter century as a full-time potter; Jun Rhee, who has spent the past seventeen years making work destined for fine dining tables; Madeline Wheeler, whose business NonPorous Ceramics has been going strong for six years; and Kate Sampson, who two years ago, after spending sixteen years as an illustrator and graphic designer, transitioned from part-time to full-time potter. While their collective hour tally is immeasurable, the proof of their grit and deliberate practice is apparent.
Past Working Potter, Kurt Anderson, has spent nearly two decades moving the peculiar creatures and characters living in the pages of his sketchbook onto his plates and pots. In this month’s process feature, Anderson shares glimpses into his illustration practice, while leaving the door open for you to infer narrative links and encouraging you to take a step into the unknown, too.
Summer means more hours in the studio for me, and I welcome any opportunity to add more hours to my bank, play into my practice, and optimize my studio processes. I hope that, in the pages that follow, you find a few inspiring seeds of information that may bear fruit over time on your deliberate path forward.
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In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell shares the findings of a study conducted by psychologist K. Anders Ericsson in the early 1990s, which delved into the role of innate talent in the success of two groups of musicians. What Ericsson found was that among the pianists and violinists included in the study, it was those who had logged no fewer than 10,000 deliberate practice hours in their craft who comprised the top-tier performers. No “naturals,” top-tier performers who practiced less than their peers, or “grinds,” those who spent countless hours practicing, but whose performance didn’t reflect their investment, were found in the group. The takeaway being that “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you are good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”
For some of us, practicing our craft happens in small bits of time squeezed into our days (this is where I fall), by immersing ourselves periodically into week-long workshops with other makers, or weekly in classes and community studios in our hometowns. For others, including the artists featured in the following pages, making work is a full-time occupation. The day-in, day-out immersion in their work contributes to their own 10,000-hour progress toward becoming an “expert” in our field. Just curious about how the numbers play out, I figured it would take nearly four years and nine-and-a-half months to meet the 10,000-hour milestone, working in your studio an average of 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday; however, we all know studio needs rarely abide by a standard work-week schedule.
Focusing on efficiency, consistency, and growth, their days are divided between the production-based and invisible work of being self-employed artists. It’s easy to romanticize the life of a working potter: wake up, stretch, coffee, clay, lunch, walk, clay, dinner, clay, stretch, sleep, repeat. I myself am guilty of this train of thought, and while I think there is a true freedom in self-employment, the reality is that there are many other branches to making a living centered around clay. Cementing access to materials, weathering financial volatility, maintenance of mind and body health, and finding and sustaining a connection to your audience all pull full-time potters away from their worktables and wheels. Their 10,000 hours are spread across making, selling, and administrative tasks, making them, over the course of years, experts not only in perfecting their own functional work, but also in building and sustaining a life in line with their goals.
Among our Working Potters, the focus of this summertime issue, we have Lucy Fagella, who has spent a quarter century as a full-time potter; Jun Rhee, who has spent the past seventeen years making work destined for fine dining tables; Madeline Wheeler, whose business NonPorous Ceramics has been going strong for six years; and Kate Sampson, who two years ago, after spending sixteen years as an illustrator and graphic designer, transitioned from part-time to full-time potter. While their collective hour tally is immeasurable, the proof of their grit and deliberate practice is apparent.
Past Working Potter, Kurt Anderson, has spent nearly two decades moving the peculiar creatures and characters living in the pages of his sketchbook onto his plates and pots. In this month’s process feature, Anderson shares glimpses into his illustration practice, while leaving the door open for you to infer narrative links and encouraging you to take a step into the unknown, too.
Summer means more hours in the studio for me, and I welcome any opportunity to add more hours to my bank, play into my practice, and optimize my studio processes. I hope that, in the pages that follow, you find a few inspiring seeds of information that may bear fruit over time on your deliberate path forward.
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