Being self-employed as a potter

We love what we do!

Recently, we did some pottery and poetry workshops for a community groups but tonight, we sent them an invoice. All the costs had been agreed beforehand, but we still felt a little squeamish sending it! It’s hard to imagine that someone reading the costs has an idea of the work involved in running a pottery business which allows the workshops to happen. So, to help myself as much as you, I thought I’d put some thoughts to ‘paper’..

Over the last week, we have..

Run two pottery workshops in the community

Made pottery

Attended the local Open Studios AGM

Supplied clay and glazes for a community group

Invoiced the community groups

Contacted a gallery regarding our work there

Quoted for a commissioned piece of pottery

Collected work from the printers

Done a bisc firing and a number of raku glaze firings

Glazed workshop pots (starting before the sun came up) and

Filled the kiln for a stoneware glaze firing tomorrow

Chosen paint and repainted the stall displays

Wrapped and posted orders

Placed a glaze order

Answered queries about possible orders (all said yes)

Filed some receipts

Done an up to date stock sheet (what has been selling)

Done the last few month’s accounts

Sorted out the letter stamp boxes for future workshops

As well as… exercising, helping our young adults with life stuff and babysitting, attendingthe local community shop AGM, having tea breaks with friends, making birthday cards for upcoming birthdays, taking Mum to A and E (she’s okay), having time with family and celebrating a friend’s birthday and doing a food shop..

I think we earnt the money we invoiced for today!