QotW: Do you have any pottery secrets that you do not share? If so how has your outlook on sharing with others changed over the years?

[Pres]

@Hulk Placed a question in the QotW pool while I was on vacation at Disneyworld: 

"Secret" procedure, technique, material, recipe - got any?
If so, how has your outlook on sharing with others changed over the years?

This came to mind when packing pots for first show/sale I participated in - there will be other potters there, will any ask how I do x,y,z? I'd settled on answering pretty much any question (heh, there haven't been any questions), although I may not share my low expansion liner glaze with just anyone.

When I was coaching, several times, other coaches tried to "trick" me into revealing my "secrets" - I didn't have any secrets, always willing to share how I designed and orchestrated training plans, taught techniques, etc. An overarching "secret" is planning and executing said plan is a lot of work.

During my mid life (ok, maybe a bit after mid life) return trip through college, I'd read some studies about information and "power," where hoarding secrets/information and therefore retaining power to oneself is on one end of a continuum, and empowering others - sharing - is at the other. I found some truth in the notion, and reflect on it quite often, to this day.  @Hulk

I have not ever held any secrets,  usually share them before being asked. Publish them when I believe they are relevant, and try to suck up every secret everyone else has to pass on to others.  I guess being a teacher is deep deep inside, and cannot be separated from the potter, or the man.  Pres

best,

Pres

Once again, QotW: Do you have any pottery secrets that you do not share? If so how has your outlook on sharing with others changed over the years?

 

best,

Pres

[Denice]

I will share with anyone who asks,  I decided that even before I had any knowledge.   It is very hard to copy someone's work,  your own personality comes through.   I did have someone copy my work in college,   I felt sorry for him.    I was working on my bachelor's degree and he was working on his masters.  I didn't know him,  a friend of mine had seen the work at the masters show and thought it was mine.   I was working at home and only coming in for critiques,  I had to fire my babysitter for mistreating my newborn son.  I  had some of the pots in a soda fire,  he probably unloaded it.  His piece had a little more detailed work on it and was more refined.   His personality came through and improved the design.   

[GEP]

Great question, Pres. I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot lately.

I do not share my exact glaze recipes, because I feel that keeping them to myself is necessary when running a business. If you have some aspect of your work that makes you stand out as individual and original, that’s a very valuable asset. However I will freely tell people that my main glaze is a modified version of a semi-matte base recipe from MC6G, and that they can figure out their own modification. I also share all of my glazing techniques (though not for free).

I agree with Denise that it would be impossible for anyone to copy another person’s pottery, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. 

In recent years I’ve been leaving most of my shows with very few pots, and one time with no pots, and I can (sometimes) see other artists looking at my near empty booth with some confusion about how I managed to do it. Most of the answer to that is shared freely on my blog, for those who care to read it. But it is scattered around, and some of the most important bits are in videos that are not free. So I am planning to write an in-depth blog post soon, where I consolidate all of it into one place. This is the kind of stuff that I don’t mind sharing. 

[Mark C.]

I feel you change over time about sharing. For me it was quest of knowledge for  the 1st 20 years then the next 20 years was about execution. The past 10 years (yes it been 50 years now)  has been about to some extent giving back. I have lots of knowledge  in kiln building, marketing , firing and glazing and instead of dying with that info I have tried to give some of it back

Ceramics takes about two lifetimes to master things-I am near the end of the 1st one

I only have 2-3 things I have yet to share-one is my rutile glaze  reciepe that I use the most of my 15 glazes (its out there if you look) the other is salt/soda coating I developed about 15 years ago. I have shared components of it (today someone is calling me with a salt kiln  question from NC) I have thought about marketing it but am on the fence still.

The last thing is I was given Otto Heino's Million dollar yellow recipe and  promised not to share it so I respect that promise

All  the rest is an open book-I have written some articles for CM that really are just sharing  what I have learned. I really want to encourage others on how to be successful in a full time pursuit of ceramics  as I have. The thing is one can make a really good living at this if you have the fortitude drive and tenacity .If I can pass this on to one person I feel I;ve done a good job

In our area (most of the west coast as well ) there are not many young potters up and coming doing funtional wares-the void is huge. Right now the market demand is at an all high and I'm scaling back. My most hopeful local younger potter has long haul covid and at least for the past 2 years cannot even make pots as he has no energy. -Its a sad story. he may never recover as its all an unknown.

[JohnnyK]

I am all for sharing whatever knowledge I have on any subject. Having been a photographer for 60 years, I have found that I could show a technique to 10 other photographers and have them demonstrate that technique, and they would come up with 10 different expressions of the same subject. As Denice says, "Your own personality comes through." My best days, and I have had many of them, is when I can teach something to someone else, no matter what the subject. So, to answer Pres' question...no, I have no secrets and am happy to share what I know that may improve another's outlook on life...I think my most shared "secret" is Napoleon Hill's book, "Think and Grow Rich". I have read it at least 4 times and have given many copies to young folks that I thought would benefit from the knowledge it contains!

Edited May 16, 2022 by JohnnyK
Expansion of thought process

[Roberta12]

This is a great question.  I wouldn't be doing what I do if it weren't for people who shared their skills and tips and tricks.  I just spent a weekend in Denver at a glaze materials workshop.  It was a wide mix of people and skills and ages.  One of the younger men who is the ceramics director at a studio in Denver commented on how the host of the workshop (Jonathan Kaplan) was still asking questions and learning from the presenter (Matt Katz) who is much younger.  You never stop learning seemed to be the message and you never stop sharing.  Lots of people were asking questions of one another and sharing ideas, recipes, techniques etc. 

 I was given a recipe years ago and asked not to share it.  So I have not.  Everything else that I have learned over the years I readily share.  Like @GEP I have also heard Sarah Pike explain that she does not share her glaze recipes.  She developed/tweaked it and it is hers to use.  There does have to be some proprietary parts to a business I would think! 

 

[JohnnyK]

2 hours ago, Roberta12 said:

 I was given a recipe years ago and asked not to share it.  So I have not.  Everything else that I have learned over the years I readily share.  Like @GEP I have also heard Sarah Pike explain that she does not share her glaze recipes.  She developed/tweaked it and it is hers to use.  There does have to be some proprietary parts to a business I would think! 

 

I would agree about the proprietary parts of a business to a certain extent, but when it comes to the marketplace, I would not have a problem with sharing one of my glaze recipes or techniques with someone who is not working or selling in the same market as I am...

[Pres]

I have a few glazes that I have not posted the exact amounts of the "color" oxides, or the glaze itself. However, as these glazes are readily available and I give the original source, and since I list the oxides, it is possible for anyone to figure out the glaze. In this case it is a matter of leaving the originator of the glaze credit.

 

best,

Pres

[Mark C.]

I recently gave away my slip mixer tank and motor and pump to another potter who could and is using it daily in her business-as well as some master molds.

I bought her SS  VMP20 Peter pugger as well. I did not ask for any $ for that stuff as its hard around here to find anyone who is in the slip making world.This stuff all went to Portland Or where slip is a thing now more than other locations.

I sold a Brent wheel last year during the begining of covid for a good deal for her (not trying to gouge any buyers) at a time when  wheels where non extistant.

Its all part of the ceramic community in a broader sense I feel ,we help one another as this is hard enough and helping others avoid mistakes is the right attitude to have

Edited May 17, 2022 by Mark C.

[LeeU]

The only secrets I don't share are the ones where I'm breaking the rules-or common best craft practices-or ignoring the science-AND the situation is one in which I am looking to avoid the snarky assumptions that I don't know what I am doing or am "violating" someone's sensibilities in some way that I certainly cannot be responsible for. 

Edited May 23, 2022 by LeeU