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Peter Eastwood | Episode 1013
Peter Eastwood is an artist who studied Ceramics at NSCAD University from 1992 – 1997. Peter found his passion for ceramics under the tutelage of Walter Ostrom and Neil Forrest. After graduating, Peter worked in Continuing Education at NSCAD while starting his own Web and Graphic Design company, Eastwood Design. In 2007, Peter left his job at NSCAD and starting working for himself exclusively. By the summer 2016, Peter starting longing for a more creative outlet in his life and made the decision to invest in his creative passion – ceramics. Ceramics is a life-giving and joy-filling pursuit that gives life.
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Is there a big ceramic community in your area?
Not really. It’s growing but I wouldn’t say it’s huge. We have a guild here so it’s hard to say whether it’s big or not because I don’t really know what to compare it to. I tis close knit and what we are really lacking is studio space and if people want to take pottery lessons it’s really hard to get in. It’s so competitive that you have to have lottery to even register.
How fun is it to work with your wife in the business and in making?
It’s very fun and I don’t know, there will be days when she has something else and she in not in the studio for the day and it’s not as fun working alone. I don’t love working alone so being able to work together is great.
Does your job require a strong work ethic?
Yes, I think anybody who runs their own business needs to have a strong work ethic and being in ceramics it’s imperative. You have to just keep making. Because you fail so much you’ve got to work really hard.
How do you keep your love for ceramics alive when the orders are driving your schedule?
I always try to be making something new, something different that is not for our regular product line. Because I am always thinking about something new to make. As kind of one of my downsides I would say I start too many things and I don’t finish enough things. So I am always starting something new. Getting it across the finish line is something my wife has to help me do. Always trying new things. Always keeping things fresh.
What does your work week look like in terms of hours in a day or in a week?
Oh, this is probably going to be embarrassing. Because both of us do it…we start work at 8 in the morning and we have to drive our daughter to high school so we miss a little time there but other than eating we probably work at least 12 maybe 14 hours a day. And if we are not working we do a lot of running. If we are not working in the studio we are probably running.
You are in your studio with your wife. Do you work with headphones on or do you work with music in the studio?
Oh this is funny. I do not work with headphones on. I prefer working in silence and my wife loves her podcasts. So I listen to a lot of podcasts but they are directed by her. She has a podcast on one hundred percent of the time.
Book
The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones
Contact
Instagram: @eastwoodpottery