#334 The Power Of Influence:How Joshua Tree, Teaching, and Natural Inspirations Shaped Nicole Dacey's Pottery Style

In this episode, Nicole Dacey, a professional potter, shares her journey into the world of pottery, the transition from making pottery as a hobby to turning it into her full-time career, and the role her husband played in her journey. Nicole talks about the profound impact of building her own pottery studio and explains why she ventured into sculptural hand-built work. She discusses the importance of discovering one's unique voice in pottery and provides insightful tips on how potters can use Instagram to sell their pottery. The conversation further covers the influence of natural landscapes and antique objects on her pottery designs, and how teaching pottery helped improve her skill and understanding of the craft. You can learn more about Nicole by checking out her instagram @nicoledaceypottery [https://www.instagram.com/nicoledaceypottery/] Top 3 Value Bombs: 1. Discovering Your Voice: Nicole suggests that it's important to understand what you're good at and what you enjoy when creating pottery. This includes drawing inspiration from various sources, developing a personal style, and recognizing the types of pottery that you don't enjoy creating. Copying and learning from others in the learning phase helps find your unique style and voice, and gradually dropping the things you don't enjoy doing paves the way for focusing on what you truly love. 2. Building Your Own Pottery Studio: Nicole emphasizes the importance of organizing and planning for your own space and studio, including thinking about functionality, ergonomics as well as aesthetics to inspire you. She recommends having ample shelf space and smart storage ideas. 3. Leveraging Instagram: Nicole advises using Instagram as a free marketing tool to showcase and sell work, keeping in mind that potential followers might not necessarily be potential customers. She draws distinction between followers who appreciate the feed for humor, educational content, and feel a connection, versus followers who may potentially buy the work. Developing Instagram content that is visually pleasing and relevant to your goals is crucial. and so much more Take this Free Quiz to see how close you are to finding your pottery voice click here to take the quiz shapingyourpottery.com/quiz  [https://l80hrbmg3p5.typeform.com/to/tpiCqpnW]