Education · 1 of 5

The path

This is a skill you build with your hands over thousands of repetitions. Formal school is optional and common.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 10 to 12

   Visual arts, and any class with a kiln. Chemistry helps more than you would expect because glazes are chemistry.

2. 2

   Learn to throw

   1 to 3 years

   Community studio classes, a college program, or an apprenticeship with a working potter. Expect a year before your pots are even.

3. 3

   Studio access

   Ongoing

   Join a shared studio or a co-op. You need a wheel, shelving and access to a kiln long before you can afford your own.

4. 4

   Production work

   1 to 3 years

   Making the same form hundreds of times, for a studio or for your own line. This is where speed and consistency come from.

5. 5

   Your own studio and line

   3 to 8 years in

   A recognisable range, a market schedule, wholesale accounts and a class or two a week.