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Paul Tholl | Episode 298
Paul Tholl is a Wyoming-raised, Western Colorado-living potter, and Art educator. Paul received concurrent BA/BS from the University of a Wyoming in 2011 and has been living in Grand Junction, CO for the majority of the time since. Paul is married and has a 10 month old son.
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Paul you are busy and you have a full schedule with the family, how do you stay inspired?
I think we talked a little bit about Instagram and social media being a great way to continue learning. I think that really pushes me to see so many people creating so many different things. To see the overwhelming variety of work that there is out there. Just trying to push myself to have work that is my own and striving to come up with something that is my aesthetic and is recognizable as my work. So I think that is really what drives me.
You are a new dad, how old is your new baby?
He is ten months.
Being a new parent takes a lot of energy. How do you find the energy?
Primarily coffee. But secondly I think it goes back to what I was just saying. That I am really inspired at this point and I am really feeling like my work is exciting to me. It is the first time in a long time that the work that I am making is exciting to me. So I think it gives me energy. It really keeps me going. When I finish working those two hours I don’t want to stop. I want to keep going because I am feeling it.
Give me three words that you would use to describe your work.
Industrial. I would say is the main one that I get. I would say, whimsical. And I think grimy is a good word that I try to use.
Give me your best Instagram tip.
I might be able to use some Instagram tips, I am not sure. I would just say posting every day. I think if people are seeing new things from you every day and they see you are not just sitting idle. I would say that has been the biggest thing to get people to see my work.
What is your best periscope tip?
That’s tough. I’m still a rookie there. Pay attention to the comments. Because I miss a ton of comments. I go back and rewatch my scopes and I probably miss one out of every five comments. That’s one tip that I also need to do myself.
How about the best sales tip?
Sell to your friends in person. (laughter)
Yeah, I don’t know. I am still very new to the sales part so I am still trying to figure out how to get into shows, galleries and even farmers’ markets and things like that. I would say for me right now the biggest thing I have been doing is just acting the part. I am trying to get business cards made. I’m trying to get the website figured out so it looks as professional as possible.
If you had a chance to have a do-over in life, what would you do differently?
I think I would have probably stayed in school and got my master’s degree. I think I wold have really benefitted from the extra time just figuring out how to talk about the work that I am making in a way that makes more sense. Grad school would have been a good thing to stick with.
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Instagram: @paulthollceramics