She Just Graduated And Is Selling Her Work | Kylie Smithline | Episode 857

Kylie Smithline | Episode 857

Kylie Smithline received her BFA in Ceramics at Jacksonville University. As a ceramicist, Kylie enjoys creating large-scale sculptural work that is non-representational as well as functional-work that corresponds with the sculptures. Kylie began working with clay in high school and decided to choose this as a career path after falling in love with the material and process.

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Has this become your full-time gig?

Currently it is my full-time gig. I am looking into possible picking up a part-time job just to help with some student loans though.

Were you concerned initially about starting an art business?

Not really. I think it was just excitement.

What resources are you using now to learn how to run an art business?

So, you know, that’s a hard question. I think I get a lot of it from Instagram and I also take my professors and their websites and kind of draw from that to see how I want to set up my business. I also used to work for Jacksonville Pottery Studio and a lot of the stuff that she did throughout her business I am trying to incorporate into mine as well.

What is one thing that you learned from Jacksonville Pottery Studio that you have carried with you into running your business?

I think some of the classes and the style of classes. It’s not a five week course or anything, it’s like you come in and you try it once and you see if you fall in love with it and then you can further your education and take a five week course. I think that is something I want to pull from that and I think also being able to teach. I was never really given the opportunity to teach anywhere else and I was able to do some one on one lessons and that gave me a lot of experience as well.

What has you excited in the studio right now? Something that you are making.

I think what has me excited right now is the freedom to kind of …I want to make a lot of new things, and it is something that I am kind of hesitant to do because I have been kind of making the same style of mugs for probably about a year. So just experimenting with new styles and new possibilities.

What is one thing that has you challenged in the studio right now that maybe could be improved?

I think for me right now it’s lack of materials and lack of access to certain materials that I had while being in school. Something I am trying to be very mindful of is using my reclaimed clay before I go and buy more clay because there is clay shortages and I have to wait a couple of weeks to get the B mix or to get certain glazes so I am just being mindful of my use of materials and making sure I am not wasting anything.

What is your favorite way to sell now that this is your main gig?

I enjoy selling at markets. I like the social aspect of it and being able to talk to the customers about the work and seeing their reactions to it as well. It is always fun for me.