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Annelies Callewier | Episode 604
For years Annelies Callewier has invested in the small family in knowledge, experience, workshop and equipment. From Annelies’ perspective, life is too short to master the whole trade. Each potter learns all the necessary things of the trade to be able to earn his or her bread and specializes in a specific work. Annelies’ passion in recent years is the serial production of utility pottery.
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Balance is not necessarily a goal but it’s a process so when did you realize that it wasn’t the goal but it was a process to find that sweet spot?
I think it was because my daughter was growing fast. I think every mother finds her children amazing and she’s really so cute and so beautiful and I was missing out on her growing. I needed to be more with her and also I got really tired. At the beginning of January I was…I can’t call myself burnt out but maybe I was. The rest of January when I came back from the markets I was just sleeping and doing nothing until February. I really needed three weeks off. But it wasn’t vacation because Christmas vacations were already over. So I wasn’t even spending vacations with my little family. In the summer I started production and holidays I was working all the time. And that had to stop. After 4 years it was okay to stop. It was a huge adventure, it was very nice, it made it possible that I could buy the throwing tables, it made it possible to have the studio finished but we can also do with a little bit less and more time.
How did you then start to slow down?
I got surgery! I got back surgery. I fell on my back nine years ago and I had to have two surgeries and for more than five months I was laying down. So I have some history of back problems but I needed to have the metal that they put into my back after the accident, to have it out. And so after my last Christmas market I decided to have that surgery. I took the time and that helped also. To realize that you can’t work for two months, when you are laying on your back again, you have to enjoy other things. That opened also my eyes to slow down. And I learned to cook because before I wasn’t a cook and I got passionate about cooking and that helped for my workshops. When I started teaching it was lovely also to cook for the people and when you are cooking you are at home so I spent more time with my daughter.
Did setting goals become more important to find balance? Did you have specific goals for the studio?
I decided how much pottery I needed to go to summer selling. I decided in July and August I wanted to do two markets a week and with my experience I knew how many pots I needed for that. So I just worked to be able to do my markets in the summer. And not a lot more. I didn’t exaggerate it. I think that helped to put the goal less big.
Did you also set goals for family time?
That’s recently. We decided not to work because my husband is renovating the house and he also works at home. He also has a working space so we are always working when we are home. And we decided lately to take one day a week off and we don’t stay at home. We go away and that helps because otherwise you are always working when you are at home if you are not working for your job you are working for the renovation of the house.
Has there been an impact financially in trying to find the balance?
Yes, of course. But that is not so important anymore. I will never be rich and I don’t mind at all. That is not at all a goal. My goal is to be passionate about something and love it and don’t count the hours that you spend on it.
What does a day in the life of Annelies look like as a potter?
I like to start at 8 and then I pour some coffee. I get the wood and I light the stove and normally on Monday I decide what I will do for the rest of the week so I don’t have to think about it. And mostly I have to recycle clay, make the clay balls, and then I start throwing or I trim. Throwing is just ten percent of my time. The rest is glazing. Decorating takes a lot of time. at 12 my husband stops working also and we go for lunch. at one o’clock I start working again until five when my daughter comes back from school. So it is an eight to five job. I try, I really try. Sometimes I come back in the evening if necessary, but I do it less than before.
Contact
Instagram: @atelierdumejanet_pottery