She’s Just Starting to Sell | Crysten Puszczykowski | Episode 715

Crysten Puszczykowski | Episode 715

With a career as a graphic designer and marketer, Crysten Puszczykowski’s real passion is pottery, spanning back to when she received her first pieces as gifts. Crysten took her first class in high school but didn’t really get into it until years later when her daughter was 9 and Cryesten wanted something they could do together. That was 2013 and now Crysten has her own wee studio in her garage and is creating whenever she can. Crysten’s career and homes have changed, but her obsession over clay remains. Crysten believes pottery should be for everyone and used everyday.

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How long has it been since you started putting your ceramic work out in the world for people to purchase?

It has been less than a year. I started around last fall and having more people approach me on a local level. I have met some wonderful people locally who appreciate my pottery and are starving for that local art connection. I think there is a greater desire, you could call it an outcome of the pandemic but I think it’s been going on longer than that. For people to stop and be more mindful of where they are purchasing from as well as the idea that we can be more connected at a human level buying from an artist rather than a big box. So I have these local people, and I live an area that is sort of an artist’s desert, so to speak. I mean, there’s some wonderful potters around here and some wonderful little boutiques but it’s not like some of the other communities that I have been fortunate enough to be a part of, where it is prolific. So those few have reached out to me so I thought if folks around here are looking to buy my wares, then I can make it pay for itself.

How did those people initially start seeing your pottery?

Through Instagram. In the world of pottery there are those who have a huge amount of followers. I follow other potters. It started for me a year ago on Instagram trying to connect with other potters and really document my clay journey. That is my clay community because I am an isolated potter in my own garage. So friends of friends are connecting with me and those friends of friends are connecting and the algorithm and search engines on Instagram have allowed that to happen for me at an online and offline environment.

Do you find that most of your buyers are other ceramic artists then at this point?

Not necessarily. There’s some of that because I have spent so much of my time following other potters and they follow me and there is a little bit of an echo-chamber and who better to support other potters than potters. There is a little bit of that but actually here at a local level for me it started with one friend who has a lot of people in her world and the world spread through them and it’s blossoming from there. And they all start following me on Instagram. I have actually had more offline sales than online. So people can drop by and see what I’ve got going on in my garage an buy from me at a local level.

Have you made a business plan?

I have. Because I have a marketing background I have been trained to do short-term, long-term, 1, 3 and 5 year road maps. I have to road map things out. It’s just the way my brain works. My 1 year was getting myself out there, getting myself of Instagram, getting a website, and getting on Etsy, and my studio built. So I am on track right now to reach all those goals. Pricing is where I am now.

Where did you come up with the name Orange Peel Pottery?

Orange Peel Pottery was a nod at a local level. I live in the city of Orange and I am also thinking about a play on words. How do I give a nod to where I live? I love oranges too and citrus fruits of all kinds. There is a technique on pottery called orange peel (which I don’t do) and I am not going to do any service trying to guess where it comes from but it is a pottery technique. So there is little play on words but it’s really a nod to where I live.

You have a tag-line, Bespoke, modern ceramics. Is it important to have a tag-line?

I don’t necessarily know if it’s important but I think it helps tie everything together, from packaging, every interaction is an action to leave an imprint. For me it is because I am been a graphic designer, marketer, and brander for over 20 years so it is second nature for me. I don’t even think about it, I just do it. I think it is important for anyone who wants to do business that everything ties together beautifully and tells that story of who you are and what you believe in and what separates you? What makes you different?

Are you in it for the long-haul?

I am. You know, I’ve been doing pottery since 2014. It has not let up in any way or fashion. I have made commitments to my own capital investments and to my studio-for me. For the business side of it I would say, how do I make that go from a hobby to paying for itself is the next step. For sure I am in it to win it.