I heart The Studio Potter

Can I just tell you how much I love The Studio Potter? I do, I love it so much. If you're a clay person and you don't get Studio Potter, you're really missing something great...

Studio Potter is a ceramic arts journal that comes out twice a year. I first started getting it a few years ago, and I have to admit, at first it was a bit over my head. It's chock full of intellectual articles, and completely free of advertising. It's unlike any other clay magazine. The major difference between Studio Potter and the other clay magazines for me is that I will read and re-read Studio Potter. I've read some issues twenty times I bet. Out of each issue, there will be a handful of articles that are so insightful and profound for me, I have to read them over and over to really absorb the ideas and content.

My favorite articles from the most recent issue are Eyes Wide Open by Kari Radasch, and Empty Promises: Accountability and the MFA degree by Raymon Elozua. Radasch's article is profound for me right now, because I am in the midst of a huge upheaval of my work. If you're familiar with my work through Etsy, you might have noticed a bit of a drought in the pottery section of the store. The truth is, I have lots of work hanging around the studio, but most of it's not quite finished, and it's different than what I've been making for the last few years so it hasn't hit the public stage yet. Leaving behind a body of work is scary, and Kari's article perfectly sums up everything that goes along with such a huge change.

Elozua's article grabbed me because I've been seriously entertaining the idea of applying for an MFA program in ceramics. Elozua's article shifted my grad school thinking away from, "Will they like my work? Will they accept me? Can I afford to do this? Can I afford not to do this?" to "What am I going to get out of grad school? Is this the only way? Is focused study with a couple of people better than study with many different people in different places?" His article really brought up a lot of new questions for me, and made me realize that I have to be as discerning in looking at schools and my future education opportunities as they would be of me. As Elouza put it, I would essentially be hiring the faculty of a particular school for three years, for a cost of anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000. I better make damn well sure that they jive with me and my goals!

So, to put it simply, Studio Potter is fantastic because it always makes me think. And it always gives me comfort and courage to hear about the trials and tribulations of a life in clay straight from the potter's mouth. Check out studiopotter.org to become a member or check them out on Facebook!