Julie Pearce
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Julie discovered clay about 10 years ago, and immediately knew that she had found a medium that she would become passionate about, and a total antidote to the stresses of working in the finance industry. Upon retiring in 2015, Julie decided to take the opportunity to turn her passion into a small business and set up her home studio in St Brelade. After initially participating in numerous craft fairs and markets, Julie now concentrates on her display at the Harbour Gallery, her website and on direct sales from her studio.
“You can't expect your product to be as good as it could be when your heart is not in it.”
Tell us about your path to setting up your business and what motivated you?
Having access to a wheel and kiln at home has made a huge difference to my development as a potter. New ideas can be put into immediate action, at any time of the day (or night!) and this has helped me to both find and develop my own style.
How do you work and what is a typical day like for you?
There are so many different processes involved in pottery, that it is very rare to be doing the same activities two days running, and there is really no such thing as a typical day. When working on a large order, I can be at my wheel from early in the morning, or loading my kiln late at night ready for the following day's firing. With a home studio, it is much easier to check that a firing is progressing smoothly, or that recently thrown pots have reached the right level of firmness to enable them to be turned and trimmed, or to put a spare hour to good use decorating and finishing pots.
What are the best parts about your business?
I will never tire of the notion that I can take a lump of mud and turn it into a useful, practical and beautiful object that will if handled with care, last for hundreds of years. To me, that's a form of alchemy. Every glaze firing is exciting too, as until I open the kiln, I can't be sure of what I am going to find - particularly when I am experimenting with new ideas and trialing different glazes. But possibly the best part of my business is when a happy customer admires and enjoys my work, and actually wants to take it home with them!
What has been your greatest struggle as a business owner so far?
Social media seems to be a necessary evil these days, in order to grow and develop a small business, but sometimes it feels like something of a chore, as self-promotion does not come naturally to me. However, I have learned that it can be very useful for customer feedback and engagement, and to let me know that I am moving in the right direction.
What has been your biggest a-ha moment so far?
In any creative process, it's easy to get caught up with trying to guess what the customer wants to buy, when it may not be what you actually want to make, and you can't expect your product to be as good as it could be when your heart is not in it. Whatever I make, in my heart I am making it for me. Would I like to own this piece? Would I enjoy using it? If the answer is Yes, then I know I will put my best into it. My work is therefore truly "handmade with love". If it just so happens that my customers also like the pieces as much as I do, then it's a happy result for all concerned!
Do you have any advice for other small business owners?
If you are a creative person, then carry on experimenting and developing new ideas. Most may come to nothing, and you may feel that you have wasted valuable time, but if you don't continually try to develop your work, you may miss out on something inspirational.
What currently inspires you?
Staying in touch with the natural world is very important to my health and well-being, whether it's in or by the sea, the countryside or just pottering in the garden and chatting to our hens, and these themes are reflected in my work all the time.
You can contact and find me here