A Conversation on Instagram Strategies | Gina Zycher | Episode 346

Gina Zycher | Episode 346

Gina Zycher is a studio potter in Los Angeles, California. She has always enjoyed creative pursuits but never felt such a strong pull to create as she did when she started working with clay in 2014. She strives to make pieces that are simple and modern with a bit of character. When not at the studio, Gina likes to cook, dote on her cat, and explore LA.

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How did you find the confidence to offer your stuff for sale?

It was a combination of me having too much stuff in my apartment and needing to get rid of it and people that I know and people on Instagram were very encouraging to me about my work. I felt that I had developed as an artist and a maker and that my work is good enough to sell, I guess. I finally felt like I got to that point. It was a combination of not wanting to hoard my pottery any more and feeling like I was ready to put my work out there.

As far as social media goes how does social media give you confidence, especially when there are haters out there?

I luckily have not had any haters yet so, that is yet to be determined. My friends and family are great and they have always been very encouraging and supportive and it’s always so nice to hear compliments from your friends. Your friends always want to say things to lift you up no matter how they feel inside but being on Instagram and complete strangers leave a comment that says, This is really beautiful or Can I buy this? or whatever. That was a huge confidence booster for me.

If you had to keep only one of the social medias out there which platform would you pick now as your only one to use?

I am pretty much only using Instagram so I would have to say that. Although Pinterest could be just as important. I would say Instagram but maybe I need to look at Pinterest more.

How much time do you spend on Instagram?

Do I really have to tell you? I am following 900 people and I like to look at every photo that’s been posted since the last time I opened it. So if I leave it the entire day I will sit there for I don’t even know how long just scrolling. So I kind of do it in little five minute bursts at a time, so I am not sure if I know or want to know how much time I am spending.

How often are you posting on Instagram?

I try to keep it to no more than one per day. I am not posting every day so maybe 5 or 6 per week.

I notice that you have only a few videos on your feed. Why do you tend toward still shots as opposed to process or video shots?

I don’t know. The shots I can control them more, I think is a big part of it. The shots are an aesthetic experience and the videos are not as clean and you do not have as much control over the aesthetic experience. If you look at someone’s feed and it’s all still shots from videos it is not as pretty.

Do you have goals for yourself financially with your work?

I would love to be able to have pottery be my main source of income. Everyone at the studio I go to says you cannot make a living doing pottery. I don’t believe it. I don’t want to believe that that’s true. So I guess that’s the goal, I would like this to be my job instead of my side hustle.

My last question for you is how did you come up with your Instagram name,Glitter Mountain?

That came to me before I started making pottery. I was in a relationship from the time I was 21 until I was 33, I think. It was a good relationship for many years but it kind of started to fail so I found myself thinking, my relationship is ending and I don’t do well with change. I was very nervous about where my life was about to go so I kind of had this concept in my head that I was about to embark on this journey and it was going to be hard and it was going to be difficult but I would overcome a lot of obstacles and I would reach this place where everything would be sparkly and sunshine and I would have my own apartment, which I had never done,and whatever else I was imagining single life to be. So Glitter Mountain was this place where I got to after I got through all of the hard stuff.