I’m a part time potter based in North London / Hertfordshire and I properly started pottery just over two years ago, taking a four-week taster class in London after quitting my previous job. I’d given myself a month off and wanted to do something other than just not be at work. So, I booked the pottery course I’d been telling myself I should book for years and was very quickly hooked, if not actually very good! What followed was about 6-8 months of once-a-week classes each Saturday, with the occasional drop-in session to satisfy my itch to do more.
Eventually though I knew once a week wasn’t enough for me, and I wanted to be creative with clay on a more regular basis. So, I found a local (and wonderful) community studio in Enfield – Bella Jones Ceramics – and joined as a member. Initially for 10 hours a week to eventually an unlimited membership where some might say I now basically live at the studio! Along the way the question inevitably came up as to whether I was planning to sell my work. Initially that hadn’t been my goal, a nice mug for myself or a set of Christmas presents for the family was what I wanted to achieve.
But in April 2025, around 1 year into my pottery journey the studio was holding an open day with the opportunity to sell our work. This felt like a very low-stakes chance to test the waters and see if this was something I might want to consider. In hindsight, I might have done this a little early as I didn’t have much finished work and it was probably a little all over the place. But I joined some of the other members and set up a little table with about 20 pieces. What I didn’t have however was a tablecloth, any props or shelves, or in fact anything except the finished pieces. Honestly. I had no idea how to approach selling my work. But thankfully, the amazing studio community came to the rescue. One member offered my stickers to price my work, another offered me some props to stand my work on, and one member even brought a bunch of plants to my table to help decorate and make the table feel a little less empty.
By any normal metric, my first attempt at selling wasn’t successful – I sold one mug, and that was to a fellow member. But I still had a lovely time, in large part because of my studio friends. While I didn’t sell much, I did learn a lot including what I wanted my work to look like on a market stall and the value of community when at this sort of event.
So, I decided I wanted to try selling my work again and really focused for the next few months to improve my work and to put together something that felt like a cohesive collection. I also started looking for markets to apply for and with very little expectation I applied to the Independent Ceramics Market which I’d visited as a customer myself many times. To my immense surprise I was offered a place and so in October 2025 I headed down to Peckham for my very first public market.
It’s fair to say that setting up I felt a little intimidated and out of place. I was surrounded by incredibly talented makers many of whom I’d followed on Instagram for years, some I’d even bought pieces from. The imposter syndrome was real, especially for the first hour when I didn’t sell anything. But eventually the customers came, and I sold pieces to people I didn’t know for the first time – and I couldn’t stop smiling. It felt so rewarding to see people pick up something I’d made and decide to take it home or buy it as a gift. At the end of the day I packed up, a little lighter than I’d arrived, exhausted but happy and keen to do more. Later in 2025 I did a Christmas market with Crafty Fox which was another wonderful experience and so I decided 2026 would be a year to push myself and work out what sort of market I enjoyed, what people wanted to buy and importantly what I enjoyed making.
So far in 2026 I’ve learnt that markets aren’t always as fun as my first experiences. This year I’ve done 10+ markets all over the country and not all of them have been successful. There’s the market where I crashed my car and was bitten by a dog, there’s been a market where the rain kept most customers away, and there’s been more than one market where the heatwave kept people away. But I still turn up because ultimately getting in front of my customers is the best way to get feedback and see the way people respond to my work. Plus, I have met so many amazing potters, jewellers, artists, and craftspeople who have been my fellow stallholders that I feel part of a creative community that I wouldn’t have imagined when I did that first open studio back in April 2025. And as a bonus I’ve got to sell my work in some incredible venues ranging from the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield, to Battersea Power Station and King’s Cross.
I’ve also had to consider the upfront costs of a market with a stall fee ranging from as little as £30 for a a single day to as much £240 for a full weekend. But there’s also transport costs and potentially accommodation if you choose to travel for markets . It can add up quite quickly and is often a big part of how I consider whether to apply for a market. I’ve been lucky to sell up to £1000 at a market, but also had times where I’ve not sold enough to cover the costs, so it’s something I always consider before submitting an application.
Selling your work isn’t for everyone I’m sure, it takes your hobby and takes it into a different direction. But for me selling my work has been a real driver for improving as a potter. Not every market is a success, some have even been a bit of a struggle to stay positive, but overall I’ve found there’s nothing quite like seeing someone connect with something I’ve made. I’m still figuring it out. I’m still trying different markets, experimenting with new pieces and learning which events are right for me and my work. With another seven markets still to come this year, I’m sure there are plenty more lessons ahead with hopefully fewer car crashes and dog bites.
