A Potters Life Is Possible | Sofie Neuendorf | Episode 995

Sofie Neuendorf | Episode 995

Sofie Neuendorf is an Australian ceramic artist who discovered wheel throwing as a teenager, and has been potting ever since. In 2017, Sofie opened a pottery studio ‘Lunio by Sofie’ in Northern New South Wales. Immersing herself in the local ceramics community, Sofie has spent the past five years participating in wood firings.

All photography by Zali Bartholomew

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How would you define creativity?

That’s a big question. I think creativity…it is very personal and sort of what ever you want make it to be. Like I don’t think pottery is inherently creative. Like making a mug is not a creative thing. But then what you then do or how you decorate, it can be creative. So I think it’s a really personal thing but it’s not something people need to feel worried about.

How do you keep your freshness available for your making?

I always try to dedicate the time to it. I am fortunate to be able to spend so much time on it but I really try to keep so I have a few days a week to really be in the studio and as well seeing new things. I love traveling and particularly the last few years I have tried to do that centered around ceramics and seeing different cultures and how they do things has really been eye opening for me and helped me create new ideas and keep things fresh.

What is your biggest challenge that you are facing right now in the studio as a maker?

I think one for me is always time management. I am not very good a that and being self-employed and I have to be self motivated and that in itself is a very tricky thing. So generally with the pieces I am making I feel like I am at the stage where I’ve got a lot of skills and now it is coming into that creativity part. It is coming into what is my work? What does my work say? Where is my voice? How is my work distinct? And I am sure people through their careers have these questions but this year in particular I am at a bit of a crossroads. What is my work saying? And what am I trying to make it say? And trying to make my work my own and trying to find my voice I think has been a real challenge.

What is the biggest challenge you are facing as a business person?

I would say selling enough pots. It’s kind of the main thing but it is that tug of business versus creativity. Because I could probably very easily sell a lot of pots if I looked at what was very popular right now and kind of spoke to that. But I am also trying to be true to myself and make what I love and that’s why I started doing this. So trying to make work that makes me excited and makes me love doing it is not always what’s popular and not always what people want to buy. I have other streams of income like the teaching that is a helpful one where I don’t have to be every single week have to be making a certain amount of pots.

What advice would you give to a young potter or to another potter trying to make their life a ceramic life?

That’s big because I still feel very early and perhaps I am not the best to be giving advice. But I think knowing that it’s possible. As a kid I didn’t really see a lot of people doing this and know that perhaps it was an option. It’s that classic thing you hear, You’ll never make any money in the arts. But I think for a lot of people in the arts it’s not necessarily about money. It’s about doing something you love and living a life of fulfillment and that has always been my goal. To live a life that I love and that I am happy with. I think I would say to someone to know what you are about and what is true to yourself and to try and pursue that.