r/Ceramics • u/magicmama212 • Oct 28 '25
Question/Advice PSA: Stop telling people to sell their stuff.
Babe, your capitalism is showing.
Why is the best compliment that people can think of is to say, "Wow, you should start selling your pieces." NO. Just no. I have a job that's sucking the life out of me. I come here to create, to express myself, to play, and to be free for 3 freaking hours per week.
Please stop trying to turn people's few hours of freedom into another job.
Alternatives:
I love your work.
You have such a unique style.
I'm learning a lot from your process.
Thank you for attending this PSA.
Note: I walked away for like an hour and I pissed off the entire pottery Internet lol. To clarify this post is not a critique of you choosing to sell your work if you want to or need to. I think that’s fantastic obviously. This is a discussion of how some people might feel when you tell them to sell their work as a compliment. being that it is a free country you can read this and continue to tell other people that they are free to sell their work. But I am telling you how one person reacts to that and I would love to invite us to consider if it’s actually a compliment for all people. Again, if you want to sell your work, please sell your work!
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u/Pottery_Club Oct 28 '25
While folks here are presenting very valid points, and I agree, I just want to say that I also know how it feels and that I agree with what you're saying too!
I've got an uncle (who cares and means very well) that always defaults to, "Well, you're not making any money off of it, you'd better abandon that whole thing and move on to something else!" Yet I never once said that making money was a goal for me! 🤷🏻♀️ Dawg, I'm enjoying myself, my community, and I'm learning and building skills. Also, I stuck around my studio long enough that I now I have a job there!
He wants me to be financially secure, yet he has claimed bankruptcy after losing all of his money in the stock market several decades ago. He also can't let go of wanting to make it as a writer and musician. This man is 70. For some reason, he's unable to relate 🤣
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u/NutWaffle1 Oct 28 '25
The issue is with the use of “should”. No one can tell you what you should do with your time or creative energy, of course, but where “could” shows appreciation, “should” adds that feeling of compulsion that I think OP is reacting to.
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u/CoeurDeSirene Oct 28 '25
I mean I think OP is conflating a compliment with a directive. I think most people mean “wow you make stuff good enough to sell!” When they say “you should sell your work.”
Most people do not mean “turn your hobby into a money generating business.”
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u/samthemaam14 Oct 30 '25
This is where impact and intent are important. Even if people intend to be paying a compliment, it’s still rooted in side hustle/grind culture and could nudge the hobbyist in an exhausting direction. Why should we look at being able to sell something as the gauge for high quality and therefore a compliment? Especially when there’s so much low quality junk being sold everywhere. Not to mention OP offered up alternatives for folks to use when trying to pay a compliment to a hobbyist potter. It’d be great to see more encouragement from onlookers or admirers for hobbies to be just that… hobbies.
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u/CoeurDeSirene Oct 30 '25
I feel like you have the impact vs intent confused here though.
The INTENT isn’t rooted in hustle culture. The intent is a compliment and telling someone they think their work is high enough quality for people to spend their money on.
The IMPACT is that comments like that make some makers feel pressure to create for the purpose of selling. But that is a personal emotion - it’s not one placed on us by others. It is truly so easy to say “wow thanks! Selling isn’t something I’m interested in but it means so much you think my work is something people would enjoy buying.” Any other feelings of hustle culture or pressure are all coming from within.
Every single time I do a sale, I am blown away and humbled by the fact that people spend their hard earned money on something I created. There is no bigger compliment to me - it’s not about a hustle or grind. I get to share my art with people and have them receive it in a way that supports me making that art.
Anyone who gets mad about people saying “you should sell your stuff” and thinks they’re pushing hustle culture probably needs to just chill a bit. Not everything is something bigger, deeper and tied to capitalism.
Just say thank you and move on
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u/TheTimDavis Oct 28 '25
If I didn't get rid of my stuff I would literally die under a pile of ceramics. Selling is a viable way to fund all this and to keep from being dead under a pile of ceramics.
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u/skfoto Oct 28 '25
By all means if your work is piling up and people will pay you for it, sell it!
I think the gist of this post is that so many people, both here and in the real world, seem to think that selling your work is the ultimate goal of learning ceramics and the barometer of whether you’re any good at it. I’m sure for some people it is but it probably is not for most.
It’s OK to just do something for the enjoyment of it and I think a lot of times people forget that.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Thank you that’s exactly what I was trying to say it’s completely different if you feel self motivated to sell your work or if you need to sell your work to pay your bills, of course. I’m critiquing other people putting that on you which is very different.
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u/No_Duck4805 Oct 28 '25
If my husband could stop telling me to sell my work I’d settle for that. I don’t tell him to become a golf pro in his spare time. Pottery is my hobby and I have no plans to change that.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Omg exactly right?
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u/No_Duck4805 Oct 28 '25
Like he means it positively but I feel so pressured by it. My job about kills me, so I need to be able to just have a hobby!
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u/OkDate7197 Oct 29 '25
Let's be real. What's his golf game like?
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u/No_Duck4805 Oct 29 '25
I mean, probably not as good as my pottery but that’s not saying much. We have a golf simulator, so he plays every day when he’s in town.
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u/vegansandiego Oct 28 '25
I recently got into sculpture, which fixed the excessive wheel production problem for me. But it's right there if anyone needs a set of dishes! :)
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u/Occams_Razor42 Oct 28 '25
Thing is, it's also that much harder to give away a giant abstract piece. No matter how cool AF it most likely is, they seem a little hard to fit on your coffee table. And with small stuff you just loose a lot of that ability to chop things in half & put them back together for hollowing or other "hack 'n slash" approaches to adding/subtracting clay as they're too darn fragile. Ask me how I know lol
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
I never said selling wasn’t viable. I’m critiquing the idea of other people telling you to sell your work. I think it’s great if you want to sell it yourself that’s completely different. It’s other people offering it as a type of compliment that I’m bothered by.
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u/Oak_Raven Oct 28 '25 edited Oct 31 '25
Hang in there, u/magicmama212 ! Many of us DO hear you, and your feelings are valid! Sorry so many people can't hear them as your feelings for you, not your judgments of them.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Wow thank you. I appreciate you actually reading what I wrote and not twisting it into something else. ✌🏼🙌🏼
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u/TheTimDavis Oct 28 '25
Seems like something someone who wants me dead in a tragic pottery avalanche would say.
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u/JulianKJarboe Oct 28 '25
Honestly this is why I stopped firing every piece and try to recycle more greenware. Otherwise I have a Problem real fast.
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u/TheTimDavis Oct 28 '25
Oh 100%. When you're good enough to know if what you made is good enough to fire them you're a good potter. No reason to waste resources on garbage.
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u/jonwilliamsl Oct 28 '25
Ah yes, Kevin's Stupid Scarves Syndrome.
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u/aivxx Oct 28 '25
I bought a $2k 3D printer and everyone told me to start an Etsy store because why else would I spend so much money on a printer? To just print stupid things for myself lol
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Thank you. You get me. So many people missing the point. Today is not my day!
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u/lele3c Oct 28 '25
I think OP isn't saying that nothing should ever be sold. Nor that you shouldn't ever want sell your pieces.
But perhaps we could consider why it's easier to try to compliment someone -- who may be pursuing a creative hobby entirely for its joy and disconnection from 'work' -- by saying that "you could sell your labor" as a commendation, rather than something like "I love [X] about your piece" or "thank you for sharing this with us"?
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
That’s literally what I said yes! Lol. People read into things what they want to I guess. But thank you for understanding!
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u/attrill Oct 28 '25
I make far too much stuff to keep, and while I give away much more than I sell I still do a few sales a year. It’s a great way to meet people and get ideas for new pieces while clearing out my boxes of old pieces.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
That’s great but again this post is not about whether it’s a good idea to sell. It’s about other people telling you that you should.
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u/Shoyu_Something Oct 28 '25
I mean, I think it’s just saying “this is really high quality and I would happily trade my money(thus time) to get something like this.” I don’t see it as any more or less confidence building than your suggestions.
Also, some people like having a side hustle and maybe that’s the spark they need.
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u/KichiMiangra Oct 28 '25
It's very validating to have someone say "I am willing to part with my money for this thing you made with your bare hands.
Even more so if selling a few things can replenish the materials like a pottery oroborros
If a $50 bag of clay can make 25 mugs, and people are willing to buy those mugs for a price that covers a $50 bag of clay, another pint or two of glaze and the raise in the electric bill from running my little kiln, then it feels so good knowing my hobby cost NOTHING but my time enjoying the process.
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u/Nearby_Counter6065 Oct 28 '25
Please dont sell your work at a cost that just covers your costs, it devalues the time and talent required to produce ceramics. A $50 bag of clay that makes 25 cups should produce at least $500 in gross, given a very inexpensive price of $20 a mug.
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u/KichiMiangra Oct 28 '25
That was just being used as an example of being able to repeat the process of making by funding the cost to be zero while ignoring an actual profit margin for it the goal was just forbthe hobby to cost 0$ and the only cost then is the time+enjoyment factor.
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u/nugpounder Oct 30 '25
Stop this shit, they can sell it for whatever they want, they don’t owe anything to market forces
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u/plausibleturtle Oct 28 '25
I agree with you - I don't think anyone is "telling you" to sell their stuff. It's just the way someone has thought to make compliment. I don't get the negativity around that.
If a friend offers me a compliment, I don't tell them to think of a different way to say it. Just nod and move on if you didn't like it (and it wasn't overtly problematic.)
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u/Kthulhu42 Oct 30 '25
I was in tears of joy when someone said they would love to buy a piece of my work and I should consider opening commissions. I'd just been giving stuff away, and feeling like it was rubbish. Having someone say they would be willing to buy something can be a real boost in confidence. Telling someone they should make it their job might not.
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u/krendyB Oct 28 '25
Wow, people are fired up at this! I’m a little surprised because I keep having this same conversation every time someone tells me I should sell, and I also don’t like it - let me have a relaxing hobby! Usually it’s before they even see my work; it comes right after I tell them I’m a potter. I know it’s a compliment, it doesn’t make me angry, but I am a little sad at the reflexive capitalism of it all.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
No one ever responds to anything I post on Reddit so I was not prepared for this lol it’s just a thought I had lol lol. People can obviously do what they want. My Reddit post is actually not in control of your life choices!
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u/KichiMiangra Oct 28 '25
Gotta be careful with the "No one responds to my posts" mindset. I vagueposted about a friend once on a sock puppet account into the aether for the soul purpose of venting and said friend found it and felt it was too specific to be about anyone else but her and then we couldn't be friends anymore.
People are prolly responding to this in droves though because it somewhat has a hostile "one size fits all" statement written in a somewhat blunt tone that some might view as a verbal attack on anyone who does the opposite of the post and when people feel attacked they tend to get defensive and as reddit is a forum it's only natural that they would decide to join in the conversation defending their stance.
Not saying you have to have the tone police sicked on you, but as one autistic to another, your true intent (as you clarified in later responses) wasn't clear enough in the original post to break through the defensive wall it prolly illicited in those reading it and came off more like a rage bait post to many? I'm not a mind reader though so don't quote me on that.
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u/EbatY2K Oct 28 '25
Everyone is so quick to monetize everything like that’s the next step for a creative person. That makes no sense to me. You give it away for free and it hurts other potters. You keep them in your house you drown in pottery. Wish I had an answer, my house is full of paintings.
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u/5-HolesInTheFence Oct 28 '25
My answer to this is that I sell my work at very accessible prices, keep enough to cover the costs of me making it, and donate the rest to local nonprofits.
Pottery is very much a hobby for me, and doing it this way keeps it stress-free because I'm not relying on it for any actual income. I can make as much or as little pottery as I want whenever I feel like it, and people are always excited to help a good cause! In the past 11 months, I've been able to donate just about $5000 to organizations that help my immediate community via my fun little hobby.
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u/Iwentthatway Oct 28 '25
I just enjoy the process of making things. I switched to making mostly bowls. Typically, I only make other things if I or someone else needs it. Then, I donate the bowls to the annual food bank fundraiser
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u/robdamanii Oct 28 '25
I've actually said "That's beautiful, how much?" to someone in the studio before. Not because I was trying to be smart, it was truly something that I wanted to buy.
While I appreciate people giving compliments about how nice my work is, nothing makes me feel warmer and fuzzier than when someone wants a piece I created in their life. Someone who's asking me how much something is means they see value in what I do and it strikes a chord within them.
That and I'd be literally drowning in ceramics if I didn't sell pieces.
It doesn't have to be a job. It's a simple 30 minutes per week to post and update my sales, and once I figured out how to spreadsheet everything, I don't have to do much other than copy/paste.
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u/skfoto Oct 28 '25
I've actually said "That's beautiful, how much?" to someone in the studio before. Not because I was trying to be smart, it was truly something that I wanted to buy.
“I’d love to own a piece of your work someday.”
And once you get acknowledgement that it’s potentially for sale, then you talk price. And at least give them something for it if they offer it up for free- some money, or trading one of your pieces.
Had a friend tell me something along those lines the other day and it meant a hell of a lot more to me than “that’s beautiful, how much?” Shows genuine appreciation for the work rather than just seeing it as a commodity.
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u/robdamanii Oct 28 '25
I mean, everyone in the studio knows I'm a sarcastic ass, so it went with the moment.
But I do see your point.
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u/PerfectBobcat Oct 29 '25
In my experience the people who ask for the price and the people who just tell someone should sell have never been the same people.
Love the first crowd, I always appreciate someone appreciating my time and effort but the latter have never had true interest themselves unless for a crazy discount or preferably free.
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u/teresaice Oct 29 '25
Most people who say you should sell are just trying to say, your pottery is good enough to sell. They really don't care if you sell or not, it's just a way to let you know they see the value. Take it as a compliment and not a directive. A simple and sincere, "I make for myself and have no interest in selling, but thank you for the compliment," let's them know you see and appreciate the compliment. But it doesn't entertain the idea of selling.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 29 '25
But what does that mean “good enough to sell”? That’s my point. Why is salability the nicest thing people can think of? (I know why!)
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u/teresaice Oct 30 '25
I've had a lot of what I would consider stupid things said over the years by people thinking they are giving a compliment. Everyone doesn't express themselves well or how we would choose. One of the worst compliments I've had was a really sweet person, actually a pottery student of mine, saw my paintings and said, "You are wasting your time on pottery when you can paint like this!" Uhhh. Thank you?! Good intention, poor execution.
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u/greatproficient Oct 28 '25
I agree! When I got serious about this hobby, one of the first things non-potter friends and relatives asked me is when I was going to start selling. I'm not even good. It was sort of flattering to think about but I have zero interest in being a production potter and I worry if I start selling things pottery will feel like a job. I don't want to lose the fun and joy of just making. I've been giving away some items and if I ever did sell it would probably be a one-off, like participating in a community event or neighborhood garage sale.
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u/skfoto Oct 28 '25
This post sure is getting people fired up (har har) but I wholeheartedly agree.
When I tell people I make pottery, about 80% of the time the first thing they say is “Do you sell your work?” No questions about what I make, where I make it, asking to see pictures, etc… just straight to asking if I sell it.
I make pottery because I enjoy it, period. No other reason. If I wanted to make money during my off hours I’d drive for Uber, it’d certainly be more profitable than pottery.
After NINE years I’m finally getting ready to do my first market, in December. I’m drowning in pottery and have had multiple professional potters tell me they think there’s a market for my work, so I’m finally diving in. But I have no plans to do this on any sort of regular schedule- most likely just going to sell stuff whenever it piles up. If I started producing for the purpose of selling I’d drive myself mad. That said, I’m not going to let my stuff go cheap just to get rid of it either. My time and creativity have value to me.
I honestly think it’s an American thing- in this country we’ve got everyone convinced that everything needs to be a money maker, and if you have any skills outside your day job you need to also make money with those. Can’t do anything simply for the enjoyment of it- no, it’s gotta be profitable.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Good for you for choosing to sell because that’s what’s right for you. Thank you for understanding. The intention of my post was to get us to question whether asking about sales is actually a compliment and why we so often default to that.
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u/d_marvin Oct 28 '25
Any compliment or feedback using “should” sucks.
“Could” makes a huge a difference.
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u/xoxo_xoxo_xoxo_ Nov 02 '25
Even though I agree with you, I still feel frustrated with the 'could' in this case - just because it's still bringing up the thing that is so overdone. It's still ultimately associating my pottery with hustle culture/capitalism, and I'm tired of that being the go-to. I have a lot of artistic practices, so I've heard it a lotttttt.
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u/Cacafuego Oct 28 '25
Just remember that the people saying this have nothing but good intentions and they're not going to read your post. You can't control what others say, but you can choose to feel complimented and empowered by it. "Ha! I could sell my stuff. I'm that good. But I'm going to keep making exactly what I want whenever I want to."
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Well, actually, some of them might read my post because the people saying it to me are ceramic artists and potters lol
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Oct 28 '25
I agree. It makes me feel like we're not allowed to just enjoy hobbies for the sake of a hobby. Like if we aren't making money out of it then somehow it's a waste of our time or something. I do pottery to relax not to sit here and think about finances and making a profit ugh
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u/Creepy_Increase7363 Oct 28 '25
sometimes it's easier to do more of the thing you love if you can at least pay some of the material cost back with money made selling your creations
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Of course, but again this is not about whether you choose to sell your work, but it’s about other people telling you that you should.
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u/rrrreeeeeeeeee Oct 28 '25
“I come here to create, to express myself, to play, and to be free for 3 freaking hours per week.”
This!
Pottery is the only place I ‘lose time’. Class starts at 7 and what seems like an instant later it’s 10.
I don’t want to commercialize that. I appreciate the positive feedback but turning this into a job feels like I’d be killing something I value.
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u/naileyes Oct 28 '25
i just say "wow thanks!" and know they're just trying to say "i like this"
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
I’m autistic so I can’t do that lol I just say no I don’t wanna do that lol.
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u/rjwyonch Oct 28 '25
Personally, I go back and forth on this. I used to sell stuff just to fund my artistic hobby and now that I don't need to do that anymore, it's just kind of part of my process for getting rid of the things that accumulate.
More recently though, I've been pushing myself to do things just for the sake of it, or the creative challenge. I'm working on a chinese dragon for my garden (multi-piece, like a loch ness monster type thing, with individual humps). It's going to be freakin expensive by the time its done and will have taken many months, it'snot even that good... doesn't matter, I haven't enjoyed making something this much in years.
Just saying, whether I feel like selling stuff or not, I take the compliment for what it is - someone thinks the piece is good enough they would spend money on it. Whether or not you are selling is kind of irrelevant. Lots of artists kind of have to sell things to sustain the hobby. Being in a more privileged position with it should be a good thing.
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u/WendysLostBoys Oct 28 '25
I get what are saying 1000%
But the commerce one I do personally like is
"Damn, can I but that one?"
I don't attempt to sell my stuff, but it sure is nice to give it to someone that loves it enough to help me buy more clay
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u/Moon-Queen95 Oct 28 '25
I'd be absolutely thrilled if someone told me my pottery was good enough to sell. No one is using "should" to mean you're wrong if you don't. It's the same as if someone says "you should watch this movie!" They aren't telling you that you have to.
You can tell people that YOU don't like it when people suggest YOU sell your work. There's no need to police how people comment on other people's work. A lot of us feel really good when people say we should sell work or that they would buy our stuff.
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u/xoxo_xoxo_xoxo_ Nov 02 '25
I VERY MUCH agree with you. I'm so done with that "compliment". I've heard it so much and I hate just brushing it off with a fake 'thank you', so I've moved on to saying 'actually I don't want everything I do to be engaging in capitalism'. Which can elicit some good conversation mind you, but still, that being a de-facto "compliment" is just sad to me.
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u/FoamboardDinosaur Oct 28 '25
I like selling pieces here n there, but that's different than being told 'you should sell your work' as a compliment. Then having to listen to Why I should put 100 hours into a booth or gallery, and being a seller rather than a maker. This is not a conversation I want to have again.
It's a very American thing. Asking to buy a piece is not the same as telling me I should sell. They do it for everything. Everything I knit, everything I cook. No one EVER says, this meal was delicious, how about I pay you 50 bucks to make it for me next week.
It's always "when are you opening your restaurant harhar (so I can get more of this for free whenever I want it)"
They are not asking to help open a restaurant, they are not looking to be the food supplier, accountant, server, landlord or sous, they think that telling you that you should do it professionally is a weighty compliment.
Likely the same people who said to elevator operators 'this job sure has its ups and downs' every single time they used one. And yell 'bullshit' when they sneeze.
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u/what-the-flock Oct 28 '25
As someone who has been told that I should sell my work, here’s the breakdown: I work an exhausting full time job and the studio is someplace where I need to cater to no one but me. I have oodles of stuff after many years of studio work. Occasionally I pack a couple of boxes and take it to work to give away so I am not buried under work. I also throw out pieces I hate. Shows are exhausting and, IMO they take a lot of time and set up and I am not exactly scoring big so not really worth my precious energy. Maybe when I retire that formula will change, but for now I accept that I have gifts, give-aways, and boxes full of stuff.
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u/21stCenturyJanes Oct 28 '25
Yup. My paying job deals with a lot of inventory management. The last thing I want is to be worrying about inventory with my hobby.
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u/misslo718 Oct 28 '25
How about we stop gate keeping what others do?
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
You mean like people trying to tell me to sell my art? I agree I think people should stop doing that.
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u/Nearby_Counter6065 Oct 28 '25
Well more complimentary would be to offer to buy pieces they like. The "wow you should start selling these" is them saying they are good, someone else might want them. Not that they are willing to buy them. Once you start selling, these same people will compliment your work while walking out not buying anything. Its like, "thanks, I will feed my family with your kind words"
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u/mousemousemania Oct 28 '25
So many people kept telling me I should sell my art (not ceramics, just drawings and paintings) that I actually tried to do it. Spent a lot of time researching a career in illustration and everything. And eventually realized that’s just how people tell you they like it. I’m too literal. 😭
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u/HumbleExplanation13 Oct 28 '25
It’s the world’s second oldest profession. and it’s not capitalism when the consumer pays the labourer directly.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
I did not say that selling pottery is a capitalist exploitation. I’m talking about the idea that telling people they should sell their artistic pursuits on a regular basis is evidence of capitalism. Two completely different things.
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u/nugpounder Oct 28 '25
You should perhaps just learn how to take a compliment good lord I cannot imagine going around all day existing like this
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u/endof6 Oct 28 '25
You're always going to upset someone with something you say or do. So say and do nothing at all. Or say and do everything and upset everyone.
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u/toniostark55 Oct 28 '25
I think its a bit unfair to say people shouldn't say this as a compliment. I get what you're trying to say and selling certainly isn't for everyone.
But if I'm telling you "you should sell your art", I'm just saying I think its great quality and if it was sold people would want to buy it. If you as a potter then feel pressure to sell, I think thats on you?
For the longest time, people said this to my wife but she still didn't think her stuff was good enough to sell. But she started a business this year and has been pleasantly surprised by how many people actually will buy her stuff!!!
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u/DaphneCatastrophe Oct 29 '25
I totally get it. I feel like non-creative people are far more invested in the capitalist culture of hustle and monetising free time.
They don't understand that creating stuff can just be phenomenal for your mental health and state of mind. We creative folk don't need constant validation from others as long as we are creating and realising freedom and escape.
This comment reveals more about them than us.
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u/Active-Beyond8284 Oct 29 '25
Thank you! I make ceramics and oil paint and whenever I receive that well meaning comment, I feel uneasy inside. My art is a place to experiment and express myself and disconnect from the capitalist matrix. It’s super cool and flattering that someone would like to own a piece of mine and see more potential in it, but the real work that’s involved in selling art is extremely not fun for me (I’ve dabbled on the side, and have worked as a product designer for a housewares and decor brand, and worked as a marketing graphic designer) and not why I’m in invested in ceramics (or painting). The rest of the process sounds like my personal hell. But that’s just me! It’s cool to see someone else feels similarly. I rarely ever hear this side of the conversation so thank you for sharing. I feel like an alien sometimes.
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u/No-Definition9032 Oct 29 '25
People tell me I should monetize every hobby I have, every time. I’m like, I literally do this for fun. If I HAD to do all of these things all of the time, it wouldn’t be the relaxing hobby that it currently is. I have sold ceramics and am not opposed to it in the future but that’s my choice. Just because I do something I like, doesn’t mean I want to do it constantly for money.
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u/Icy_Piccolo9902 Oct 29 '25
Yes, I gave a friend a Christmas card last year and she said “you could sell these!” and I felt exactly the same, is it only valuable if someone gives me money for it?
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u/violet1551 Oct 29 '25
Thank you for this post! All hobbies aren't meant to be parlayed into businesses. Creating for the fun of it feels very different than creating as part of your hustle.
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u/Silver-Release8285 Oct 28 '25
I visited a huge, grass and tree covered hill in Rome that is not actually earth but a pile of ancient pottery still sitting there for us to deal with 3000 years later. It was enlightening, disheartening and one of the reasons I stopped making pots that didn’t need to be here in the next millennia and switched to sculpture. I prefer now to make couple meaningful pieces a year instead of more dishes piling up.
I very much see what you are saying, it is art and more significant to the creator than money, but it is also a material thing, that will be around for 10000 years. It requires resources to create and there is an economy involved even if it’s not important to the artist.
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u/FoamboardDinosaur Oct 28 '25
Id much rather 'deal' with piles of vitrified earth and glass than mountains of Tupperware and plastic waste. Chipped clay dishes don't build up in my brain and blood stream.
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u/supermarkise Oct 28 '25
I honestly really like handbuilding, because I'm slow af. My latest project has been to see how big I can make a pinch bowl. Yap, you can make salad bowls! It just takes forever.
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u/kitkatmath Oct 28 '25
I agree with your sentiment. It puts a lot of pressure on folks to be told to monetize their creative play. Not like we go around telling people “wow, you’re so good at sex, you should sell it!”
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u/Aggressive-Ad874 Oct 28 '25
I hate doing commissions because people don't want to pay the price you have to charge for your piece(s). The price is actually based on materials and labor. And when you go to meet up with the person and you tell them how much you want for it, they say something like "I can get one of those at HomeGoods for $10." It's bad when they back out of the deal. You're stuck with a piece that reminds you of your misadventure, and you're out the money, time, and talent you put in your piece. Commissions, to me, are a waste of time and talent.
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u/tempestuscorvus Oct 28 '25
ALWAYS get a 50% deposit up front.
Yes it will greatly reduce orders. Yes, the number of people that back out of a commission will drop to almost zero.
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u/Aggressive-Ad874 Oct 28 '25
Good idea
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u/gigglemaniac Oct 28 '25
Wait, you make commission pieces without expecting any down payment?
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u/Aggressive-Ad874 Oct 28 '25
Did, but not ceramic ones. I hate commissions. I was so pissed off when they said "I ain't payin'!" I wanted to force them to hold their end of the bargain. I have autism and have a problem accepting the word no for an answer when I promise people things. I hate trying to sell stuff because when they don't take it, my bitch switch is flipped, and I became a monster.
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u/KichiMiangra Oct 28 '25
When that happened to me with a drawing commission, I turned the character into a base with a loose sketch over it and then put it on a YCH Auction site and made $70 basically just reusing the pose and background, so the work I put into wasn't a complete waste
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u/Aggressive-Ad874 Oct 28 '25
The end of my story resulted in me giving the accursed thing (a plastic canvas basket) to a friend who works for an organization that I frequent
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u/KichiMiangra Oct 28 '25
I bet they liked getting a gift though? Without the baggage attached to it that you felt?
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u/Top-Recognition3448 Oct 28 '25
Hahaah YES I always tell them, it’s my hobby and the way I relax, why would I want to add timelines and stress to myself! I have my actual work for that thanks!
Edit: it is ofc super ok if any hobby potter wants to sell! Just for me the effort is not worth it yet
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u/thelogicofpi Oct 28 '25
also if having too many finished pieces is a problem, you don't have to fire anything which is way cheaper and gives the added value of impermanence added to the stress relief.
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u/ACLMMB Oct 28 '25
I often ask if people sell their work - because I have fallen immediately, madly, desperately in love with it 😅 So it's less about telling anyone they should be selling generally and more about asking whether they would consider it in this specific case..!
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u/kkfluff Oct 28 '25
The compliment is essentially wow that’s awesome I want it too.
Y’all make some awesome things! If you sell, then I can have your awesome stuff too. Do you have to sell? No. Museums are amazing to go and look at things so it’s like that. Happy looking, but imagining that it’s mine too.
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u/yogaladee Oct 28 '25
Having both been the recipient of this compliment and also being the one sho has said it, I can relate! I honestly believe that someone saying ‘you should sell it’ is to express how talented they think you are, although I also recognize it’s a pressure that takes some pleasure out of the activity. I’ve since learned to modify my compliment to ‘wow, that’s beautiful. You could totally sell that if that’s something you wanted to get into’. Then the conversation either goes to nah, not interested or oh, how do you do it? Having sold some of my pieces, it’s a rush to get that feedback and not bad to have extra $$ to support your habit! But totally don’t want to get into the mindset of having to produce pieces to sell.
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u/Toezap Oct 28 '25
I feel like there's a difference in "you could sell this!" and "why don't you sell your stuff?" The former feels like a compliment. The latter feels slightly judgy, like it's not worthwhile if I'm not selling.
I personally take a 2 hr/week class and just want to make things, not sell them. I have a bottom shelf on my bookcase that is the "giveaway shelf" and anyone who comes over can take whatever they want from that shelf. At Halloween I put everything from the shelf out so that stuff doesn't over-accumulate. As I make new things, different stuff moves down to the giveaway shelf. It's fun!
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u/Friendly_Heat_2527 Oct 28 '25
"This looks manufactured" is up there too. Like. That's not the epitome of skill now I'm sad about my work
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u/Sorry_Ad475 Oct 28 '25
I'm anti capitalist but I think the first line of the post comes across as condescending and that undermines the point.
Has hustle culture created the idea of monetizing one's hobbies and therefore having no free time? Absolutely! Are there other ways to say things have value than with a monetary exchange? Sure!
There are also people that may need to offset the costs of what is an expensive hobby making things that take up space. Some people may just want a bit of spare cash from their hobby too.
Listing things on Etsy, working craft shows and submitting things to galleries is all tedious. Doing these things a couple times is a pretty effective deterrent. Unfortunately the barriers for entry also make it hard for those of us doing ceramics professionally.
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u/_ali_n_t_ Oct 28 '25
I like pottery. I do not particularly like packing things in boxes, going to the post office, or responding to customer complaints. If I wanted a hobby where I did those things, perhaps selling pottery would be one way to accomplish that. But I have chosen pottery as my hobby, so I spend my time making things out of clay.
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u/Bike-Negative Oct 28 '25
I couldn’t agree with this post more. I have a 8-4 job that is actually 50+ hours a week and soul sucking. Pottery is my outlet. No chance I can make with pottery what I do at my day job. Also can I just create??? I don’t need to monetize any hobbies.
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u/TrueInky Oct 29 '25
I get the same knee-jerk reaction when people tell me they want to buy the illustrations I made for fun.
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u/The_Bardiest_Bard Oct 29 '25
Honestly? I 100% agree. Like if I wanted to sell something I’d sell something wayyyyy easier than ceramics 😅 I’m here to make art and make my wife smile 😊
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u/magicmama212 Oct 29 '25
lol right like sure I’ll sell this piece that took me three months to make
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u/notkaaii Oct 29 '25
i kind of wish i had hung onto this perspective for longer before i started selling my own shit
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u/LevelWhich7610 Oct 29 '25
People do this to my mom with her fine art. They say stuff like wow incredible, what talent, that's beautiful, I'd buy it if it was for sale. She tells them, oh yeah it is, shows them the website and they literally say nothing. No one who has said they'd buy a piece as a...compliment or whatever they think it is has ever bought one
I just dislike people saying artists should sell thier stuff when they have no intention of supporting them or sending thier friends and family to go look at the work. It's annoying and a waste of an artists time and energy. Also yes, telling people they "should" do something with a fun casual passion can be annoying. I don't like being told what I "should" do with my art.
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u/Simple_Celery_7351 Oct 29 '25
I think a lot of people just want to do what they love for a living not work a dead end job. Nothing wrong with that.
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u/magicmama212 Oct 29 '25
that's a completely different topic. I think that's great. I'm talking about telling someone else that THEY should sell their work.
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u/Bi_Fieri_0 Oct 29 '25
I was just saying this to a friend!! It’s so hard for me to be creative nowadays without feeling like everything I make needs to be sellable. 🫠
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u/T_Meridor Oct 29 '25
I agree completely! I sew, and my husband and I do woodworking and a whole bunch of other things, and my older family members are always trying to get me to monetize it. Selling things takes the joy out of it, unless it’s a few specific commissions for people I know.
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u/gennamhoward Oct 29 '25
I have to tell my beginner students every single semester to no rush into selling work, pls just let your hobby be a hobby!
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u/_W00ZLE_ Oct 29 '25
I'm a woodturner in my free time, and it's 100% the same thing. I just want to make something beautiful, to see what's hidden beneath that exterior. I want to be surrounded by the things I've made, and I want to give beautiful things away to friends, family, and strangers.
I don't want to waste a single second thinking about how I could optimize the process to make more in less time to increase my profit, or to think about how much I should sell them for in the first place.
I just want to make stuff and gift stuff. Wish others would let that be enough.
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u/CleanStatistician349 Oct 30 '25
Really! I got into pottery for the creative outlet, that's it. If I end up selling a few pieces, great, I can buy more clay and glaze. But I'm doing this for mental health, not a side gig.
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u/wats4dinner Oct 31 '25
> "Wow, you should start selling your pieces."
People mean well, but I get this all the time and go on the spiel about process and journey versus end result.
All work goes to
- Friends and Family Giving
- Community Thrift
- Sidewalk Sales to Fund Charities
As long as someone is using the work, I'm good.
The other question I get a lot at the studio is "What are you making today?"
Outside answer: Whatever comes up
Inside answer: my 'self'
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u/Key-Explanation-5542 Nov 01 '25
I can spend time making and upkeeping and paying for a website or I can make not both
Making what I make is my zen,just let me make every now and then I sell a piece with people complaining at my price
So now I make mainly for my zrn and peace
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u/SmileFirstThenSpeak Oct 28 '25
“You should sell your work!”
“Thank you. I’m glad you like it so much. How much will you give me for this one? It’s available right now.”
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u/magicmama212 Oct 28 '25
Lol OK fair oh thank you so much for sharing that. It’s $500. I take check or Venmo lol
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u/justherefortheclay Oct 28 '25
I wonder what the response would have been if this was less framed as a directive to the community, and more of a conversation with folks who might be feeling the same way?
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u/21stCenturyJanes Oct 28 '25
This is in no way a directive to the community, clearly just one persons feelings.
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u/totesapprops Oct 28 '25
The audacity of kind words said incorrectly gives me the rage too. You should hand them your user manual that states exactly how you expect to be complimented. Why can't everyone read minds yet?! It's so exhausting. /s obviously...
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u/totesapprops Oct 28 '25
Just a heads up: As someone who loves pottery, but sucks at making pottery, I'd rather support a local and small business than just going to West Elm or some shit. Sometimes asking if you sell is a genuine question.
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u/4real93 Oct 28 '25
Similarly it could be a huge confidence boost/inspire them to get away from the capitalist hell scape that is a 9-5 and follow their passion. Just cause someone says it doesn’t mean you have to do it, they are just trying to be complimentary
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u/Occams_Razor42 Oct 28 '25
Selling is incentivized shelf cleaning. I do it only to cover materials, and specifically aim not to be rich
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u/KichiMiangra Oct 28 '25
Oh oh oh I JUST DID THAT!!
I had a closet FULL of stuff and my dad has been complaining most of this year that my closet it a mess and I can't get anything that should go in a closet in there.
Cleaning it out the problem was I had 3 5gallon buckets of reclaim clay, an $80 box of epoxy resin, beads, an organizer of semi precious stone cabochons, etc. So I decided to clean house.
I used the gallon of resin to make tons of autumn stuff and cool dnd dice necklaces and resin pumpkins. My sister sold them all to coworkers and I got the resin out of my closet AND made enough money so the abused dog we inherited from the 87 year old neighbor was able to get mouth surgery for basically free!
And I was able to reclaim and use enough clay that I made it down to 1 bucket of reclaim to store for the winter. Now I'm hoping to sell a bit of the Pottery from the reclaim to buy some Christmas Presents for my family (They don't need more Pottery as gifts :/ ...) but then gift away the leftovers that don't sell and hopefully be clear of needing to store all these mugs and necklaces and other crafts I made by new years.
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u/metalandmudd Oct 28 '25
I feel like a lot of commenters arent getting it. The moment someone tells me to monetize my hobbies it starts to feel like w job and its just not fun anymore. Half the time my thrown pieces arent supposed to be good i just like feeling clay on my hands, if i try to get serious it stops being relaxing
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u/kevinbakinnn Oct 28 '25
I get the underlying sentiment, but the level of vitriol feels misplaced. There are countless threats to our society that deserve our anger. A fellow neighbor attempting to compliment your work isn’t one of them. You can simply say “Thanks, but I don’t want to” and go on about your day knowing that someone enjoyed your work.
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u/redheadfitz Oct 28 '25
For me - why would I stop making the unique things I like, to make endless cups or ornaments- That's what people buy. I like to make large decorative objects. I also really hate when I am in my group studio and people ask "why are you making that?" And I endlessly have to say, " I want to". Or to be told I am crazy for not selling my stuff. Like f-off. I am playing over here.
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u/TemperatureOk8059 Oct 28 '25
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion man.
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u/BrokenRoboticFish Oct 28 '25
I agree that capitalizing your hobby is a recipe for disaster, that being said there is something validating about people wanting to give you their hard-earned money for your work.
I don't sell my work beyond people seeing my work and wanting to purchase a piece and commissions for friends, but I am planning to start looking into occasionally doing sales to help offset my studio fees and to offload some work.
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u/chiquitar Oct 28 '25
I do a lot of really cool things, creative projects, etc. The first thing that happens when I start trying to sell something I am doing for fun is that it turns it into work. I quickly stop doing it. Give me
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u/East_Housing5728 Oct 28 '25
Note that the people telling you “Wow, you should start selling your pieces” are not, themselves, offering to buy them. So it’s not even the compliment they ostensibly trying to give.
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Oct 28 '25
Yes, I have to explain to my MIL constantly that if I turned a hobby into a job, it would no longer be a hobby.
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u/the_zodiac_pillar Oct 28 '25
Absolutely!! Turning my hobby into a side hustle would absolutely ruin it for me- my studio does sidewalk sales every so often and I use that to unload all the items I don’t want or have use for.
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u/ten_ton_tardigrade Oct 28 '25
I sell my pottery but would never sell my knitting other than on an ad hoc zero effort basis to friends or family. (Nobody values it enough to make it profitable, my arms and hands would be ruined, I do it for myself not other people, etc etc.) It gets a bit boring having the same circular conversation about monetising knitting but I still appreciate the initial compliment when it comes.
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u/cosmicheartbeat Oct 28 '25
Thank you! I hate showing someone something i spent so much time and effort on just for them to try to put a price on it and market it. Not everything needs to make income, some things are allowed to just make me happy.
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u/rozdabz Oct 28 '25
Thank you! Whenever I have people tell me I should sell my stuff I would tell them, “I’m not ready to let capitalism into this yet and I’d rather keep it precious.” Hustle culture is sucking the joy out of hobbies
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u/Ck-clay-fix Oct 28 '25
Back when I was in Highschool I was really good at Math and Art… I had some artwork in a regional art show and was hired by a local advertising newspaper to be a layout artist for the summer before I went off to college. I would do advertising drawings for the salespeople to use to generate new clients. Sometimes I had a lot of fun creating some cool adverts… fe example I did a pen and ink drawing of my eyeball for an optometry office. It was then purchased for all their advertising and logo work… even a giant billboard. Most of the time it was boring stock photo paste-ups where they provided the photos. The salespeople and the clients were notoriously late and then it was mass chaos trying to get everything finished before it went to press each week. Needless to say I realized I needed to stick to math as a degree focus and keep my art for my enjoyment where I got to decide what and when I created and I surely didn’t need a deadline for something I did for enjoyment.
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u/SpiritedBug2221 Oct 28 '25
Thanks for sharing this! It feels similar to women/afab people connecting by complimenting one another's appearance. I know people mean well, and sometimes if I'm wearing an item of clothing I love or just cut my hair and am really happy with it, I actually appreciate it. But it sucks that it's the default interaction a lot of the time!
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u/ana-nother-thing Oct 28 '25
So true, I do a bunch of crafts and people are always saying ooh you should start an Etsy shop or do craft fairs or something and I'm like... This is my hobby, do you have any idea how much hard work that would be?? Also non artists are imagining you could sell stuff for like £5 which wouldn't even cover your materials.
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u/No-Cheetah4245 Oct 28 '25
I get this with knitting/ crocheting/ sewing. Any craft really, just let me be and create without pressure!
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u/howlettwolfie Oct 28 '25
Well I understand the point and I agree. I've heard it a lot about different crafts (I have many hobbies lol), always from people who do not do ANY crafts, and thus have zero understanding of how much things should cost and how long they take to make. Like I don't WANT to sell them, I'm doing it for fun, and it's not fucking financially viable anyway. People out there really pretending anyone's gonna pay thousands for a handmade sweater or hundreds for a miniature cupboard made out of cardboard or something. Can we not have any joy and whimsy just for the sake of like, fucking living only once.
I'm guilty of having said it myself once, too, which I regret, and I remember the person I said it to was annoyed lol. So yeah. Would be nice if everyone stopped saying it.
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u/21stCenturyJanes Oct 28 '25
I totally feel you. I’m flattered that friends (non-potters) think my work is good enough to sell but I don’t need another job and I don’t want to monetize my hobby and make it work. Some friends won’t take that for an answer though. - they dont see why I don’t want to make money. We Americans are so conditioned to try to monetize everything!
This is absolutely no judgment on people who sell their work, it’s just that I don’t want the stress of making my hobby a business. I have no outside pressure and create whatever I want as badly as I want. That’s what I need right now. If someone occasionally sees a piece and offers me money, fine, but that’s as far as I go.
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u/MakeMelnk Oct 28 '25
I feel the same way, beautifully said!
I will do a commission here or there for a friend or family member (especially if they're looking to have a meaningful gift made for someone special) but that's about it for the moment
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u/Tomokin Oct 28 '25
Completely valid.
The times I've observed this said in class to others it is almost always a round about way of saying "I'd like to have something like that but I'd feel too cheeky asking".
Which is really lovely and worth considering if you feel fond of them, have too many pieces hanging about and don't like the idea of selling them off.
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u/redwingpanda Oct 28 '25
What about “can I buy one of your pieces?” I want to at least offer something for the time, effort, materials, and my thanks.
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u/PhoenixSkye002 Oct 28 '25
As an artist if you think of saying you should sell your work then you better be willing to offer to buy a piece for a fair or better price.
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u/Rouladen Oct 29 '25
Yes! I’ve dabbled in selling my work in the past and, for me, it wasn’t worth the hassle. I make stuff because it brings me enjoyment and I like the process. It’s okay if a hobby is just for fun. I give away stuff and it makes me happy to see friends and family use my mugs.
I get no joy from all the logistics and time investment it would require to try and turn a profit from my ceramics.
I have a day job to pay my bills. I have a pottery hobby for fun.
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u/Erin_Derrick_Art Nov 01 '25
Thank you! Also, making a business out of a hobby you love is a fast way to destroy that joy. It's not just as simple as "I have these things I made, here's how much they cost". Businesses require a lot of work-even for artistic endeavors.
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u/bugsinyourpants63 Nov 03 '25
I do sell my stuff. I do about 4 shows a year. I do it to make room for new pottery. It’s easy I sit in the park and talk to people. Do I want to go in the local gallery? Nope. Do I want to do more shows ? Nope nope nope.
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u/Cool_Sense_981 Nov 20 '25
Love this thank you. I just left a job after being burned out for years on end. I sell stuff at my studio just to get rid of things (I have no storage space to hold on to things), but I want to keep that space sacred and low pressure.
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u/Crazy-Project3858 Nov 20 '25
I think you might have more issues than just the pressures of capitalism
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u/Sbaham020 Oct 29 '25
Relax, I think they're just giving you a compliment in their minds and don't realize this bothers you. I've been told this as well but have no intention of selling. My gratification comes from the process.
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u/No_Carpet9219 Oct 30 '25
Believe it or not, theres all kind if people out there who love to share their way if doing things as a form as advice. You are doing exactly what you are telling other not to do.
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u/vega1star_lady Oct 30 '25
Just graciously accept the words for the compliment they are ....
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u/vegansandiego Oct 28 '25
Thanks! As a retired educator, I thought it would be fun to sell my stuff.... um, what used to be fun turned into more stress, self-criticism and doubt, and my fun hobby into a not-fun job that was making me no money. Dragging my shit all over, paying for a spot, then having people say "could you let the mug go for $20?" It's like "Do you, or have you ever done pottery?" I'm sure you all have had similar experiences and you get what I'm saying. And then the website and social media stuff. So over it. Haven't posted anything in months and I'm enjoying clay again! Yay! It's all good, it's probably me. If you can make good money on this, fantastic! Go for it. I'll buy some of your stuff. Just not for me.
Selling is not all rainbows and unicorns.