Complete Pottery Techniques

Inspiration can come from anywhere: colors in nature, a favorite piece in a museum, or your daily experiences—there are no limits. You need only keep, follow, and investigate whatever you respond to, and this will naturally infuse your work, making it wholly yours in the process. Wherever you get your ideas from, keeping a sketchbook is the key to realizing and developing them.

Ideas are all around us. Nature is a great starting point, especially as a source of color and textures which would translate well into clay. From the color of fall leaves to the shapes under the dome of a mushroom, nature is full of great ideas. The important thing with inspiration is that it is personal to you.

If something interests you, take a photo, make a sketch, or write it down. In order to produce work that makes other people feel, you must infuse it with your ideas.

Museums, galleries, and ceramic collections can provide a wonderful resource. Pots of the past, be it your mother’s antique teacup or an ancient drinking vessel, can inspire and inform your ceramic practice.