Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Patty Bilbro | Episode 269
Patty Bilbro is a displaced southerner with a craft degree in clay and a BA in Psychology. She has been a resident artist at Odyssey Ceramic Arts and Baltimore Clayworks. Currently, Patty lives in Wilmington, DE and works out of her windowless leaky basement. She loves to teach.
SPONSORS
Number 1 brand in America for a reason. Skutt.com
For all your ceramic needs go to Georgies.com
How do you keep your work fresh?
One of the ways I keep it fresh is I having been pulling away from selling so much. Focusing less on selling and allowing myself to change and also not being afraid to try new styles.
When you say trying new styles what does that mean?
Different types of firings. One thing I do is I listen to myself. When I am making work if it is consistently, I mean we all go through ups and downs in the satisfaction we get from making work, but if consistently I am frustrated because it is not feeding something in me, I am paying attention to that. I do things until I start to feel that feeling again and feel a livened by it.
Do you ever feel intimidated about marketing your work or promoting your work?
Yes. I mean there are some marketing geniuses out there. It is not my strongest suit. I try to do what I can, I don’t have a bright sun-filled studio to take great pictures of my work as I am making or anything like that so I have to figure out something different.
So what is your solution for good image capture?
I think lighting is important. Having the right cameras. I am not the best one to ask about the good image capture.
So how do you market your work now?
Because I have been moving around I try to get involved in whatever the local clay community is,with what they are doing. I think online sales are important, definitely, but I don’t think you can do it with online sales alone, I think you have to more than anything develop a good local following. So I put a lot of energy into making local connections, putting my work out, meeting people. I also have Etsy, I have Instagram.
If there were a magic power you could use in your ceramic making what would it be and why?
If I could magically reclaim all my clay, that would be it. It would make my life so much easier.
Book
Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal?
Contact
Instagram: @pattybilbro