Building a Sustainable Pottery Business

‘Sustainable’ is bandied around a lot today. Thirty years ago I started a degree in Environmental Science and first explored the attributes of sustainability of resources. Then, it was a term limited to eco warriors; now every business and organisation uses it in promotion and advertising. There are sustainability models like the one pictured; Unlike many who promote the latest green credentials I have deep roots in the sustainability movement.

sus·tain·able

1. able to be maintained at a certain rate or level: "sustainable economic growth"

o conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources: "our fundamental commitment to sustainable development"

2. able to be upheld or defended: "sustainable definitions of good educational practice"

For starters, I grew up in Tasmania at a time when dams were protested and old growth forests fought over between loggers and conservationists. The family of my first serious boyfriend made mud bricks from their property and built their house entirely from found materials I began buying all my clothes from ‘op shops’ to the horror of my mother; a practice which I have continued to this day. I drew up a blueprint for my ultimate self- sufficient home complete with methane powered stove and compost toilet. I read the ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carsen and David Suzuki’s ‘Metamorphosis’ and subscribed to ‘Grassroots ‘ magazine.

In case you don’t recognise any of these titles, the key themes are living sustainably and responsibly with the resources we have. This has been a lifetime goal throughout the myriad roles and places I have found myself in.

I am not a natural ‘businessman’. My sister is a financial analyst and now CEO; she obviously inherited ALL the business acumen from my father and his family. IN other words, I am not wired to make money, accrue wealth and make investments; for me, living authentically is sharing my knowledge and skills, connecting locally and respecting the land on which we live. As one workshop participant said after I offered a discount on a class ‘you are such an artist! That’s not how you build a successful business.’

So, the questions is…CAN you be self-employed in a way which provides income for your family AND is sustainable? My infographic isan attempttomap out the model of ‘Wild Mount Morgan Clay’. The key features are PEOPLE, HISTORY and ENVIRONMENT and how they interconnect.

According to the dictionary definition ‘sustainability’ means the ability to maintain a certain rate of activity or growth which is upheld to a standard of ecological good. One year on from my business launch it is a good time to reflect on the core values and goals for the future.

What does it take to sustain a certain rate of growth? For me, it means always exploring new ways of providing creative outlets, researching more worldwide trends in wild clay use and an attitude of innovation. I have been blessed with the regular input from local residents in Mount Morgan who are quick to give feedback, either constructive or enthusiastic. The business is after all connected to the place and history of the town; they should have a sense of ownership!

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In most ways, facilitating art workshops is providing a service for the community; it allows people to meet and connect, it provides new skills and achievements and addresses social isolation. I believe the key aspect of sustainability in a smalltown is meeting the expectations and needs of the local residents. As an artist and educator I want my business to be founded and rooted in the local community and viable for the long term as an expression of historical events like mining, the narrative of local people and materials found in our very backyards. If that provides an income for me as well, then it’s an added bonus.