Art Teacher Draws Her Way Into Ceramic Shop

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

I sometimes say "experience produces confidence." What do I mean by that? Well, I first learned this lesson in my research for an older book, The Happiness of Pursuit. Most people who undertake a big quest, or something that seems impossible, just kind of out of this world to others, they've usually worked up to it through a series of smaller successes. That's certainly how it was for me in going to every country in the world. That's how it is for lots of other people doing big quests too.

This is true in the side hustle world as well. Your first project is often not your final one, which is why it's so important to get going. Even earning a few hundred dollars a month, even experimenting, putting something up for sale for the first time, can be really empowering. So in today's story, which by the way, this is Side Hustle School, I'm your host, Chris Guillebeau. In today's story, a single mom living on a high school art teacher's salary includes a series of creative projects.

One of those projects seems more daunting than the others, but as she works it out, she gains confidence to do even more. Alright, that story is coming up. I want to say thank you to our sponsor, and I'll tell you about this art teacher who draws her way into a ceramic shop. Lisa Long has been a creator for as long as she can remember, eventually studying for a career as an art teacher. When her son was born, she decided she needed to have some sort of side hustle.

As a single mom, raising a family on a teacher's salary was just not cutting it. So during that year's holiday season, Lisa molded and sold a bunch of ceramic pots. She ended up earning $600 and felt like she could be onto something. Next, she decided to save up her money to buy a kiln and pottery wheel, with the aim of making her own studio at home. As more years went by, Lisa experimented with making art for sale in a variety of mediums.

She made all kinds of things from pottery to sock monsters to graphic designs. She even branched out into teaching Skillshare classes on digital art and printmaking. Through these experiments, she learned what she did and didn't like to sell. For example, Lisa thought she would like doing watercolor portraits. However, in doing so, she realized it wasn't the right fit.

So instead, she tried a new form of art, hand lettering. It turned out she liked that a lot better. Then, in early 2019, Lisa was approached by a friend who worked as a coach to create touchstones for her clients. That friend wanted her clients to have a physical reminder of what they learned at the retreat she led. Lisa designed the touchstones in a unique way.

Rather than incorporating a crystal the way others had done, she used small ceramic stones with words like "freedom," "kindness," and "peace" imprinted on them. She also made ceramic mugs with a word of intention etched into the side. It was a bold choice, and the gifts went over well. So well that her business coach suggested she sell the touchstones to a broader audience. Lisa's initial reaction was, "No way. It would just be too much work."

But the idea stayed with her. One night, she woke up with touchstone designs swirling around her head. The next day, she got to work creating three types of packages she'd sell under the name "Intentional Touchstones." About those three packages, the first was the basic package. It cost $34.95. It contained a hand-lettered rubber stamp and a touchstone with whatever word the customer requested.

The second was the deluxe package. It cost $54.95. It included all the products for the first package, plus an energy crystal, a hand-lettered word on cardstock, and a sticker sheet. Finally, the last package was the Supreme. It cost $74.95.

It contained all the products from the first two, plus a handmade mug with your words stamped on it. Unfortunately, it did not come with a pony, a fortune-telling session, or a giant chocolate chip cookie. Lisa set her price based on the time and effort it took to make the products. She says she knows too many people who underprice their work because they're just doing it as a hobby. At the time, she thought that intentional touchstones might become her sole brand.

A bunch of her friends and family members were buying them, and she also got a lot of requests from life coaches. Unfortunately, long-term sales did not match expectations. While some people were still buying the products, they weren't buying enough for it to be her only venture. So, not ready to stop, Lisa decided to combine all of her creative pursuits into one hustle, called Lisa Long Designs. She still sells the stones, but most of her profits now come from her pottery.

Here's the point. Lisa learned a lot of important skills from developing that product line. She now knows how to work with lasers, for example. Intentional touchstones also provided the perfect platform for her to combine her love of pottery and digital art. She'd been looking to combine those two areas for a long time, and decided to start figuring out how to get her digital designs onto her pottery.

Lisa now uses rice paper and silk screens, and has found a way to transfer the designs to her ceramics. This side hustle currently makes anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 a month from the various products. Every now and then she'll have an off-month where she makes closer to $500, but it always picks back up. She's also still earning passive income from her Skillshare classes and attending art shows. Lightly, she's been selling handmade jewelry, cups, and mugs at a local boutique.

Experience produces confidence. Alright, that is the lesson, so start where you are. Get some experience. It will bring you confidence. It will lead you in different directions.

Some of those directions may not stick. They may not be the best products or services. It might not be the best business idea that you have at first. But that's okay. It's going to lead you to something else.

So again, that's why it's so important to get started. And in Lisa's case, the Touchstones were a strong start. They taught her a lot. And even though they petered out a bit in terms of sales, the lessons she earned gave her the motivation to add them to a full suite of creative projects. Which is something she might not have been able to do without having that other experience first.

So again, experience produces confidence. What are you working on? What kind of experience are you getting today? Inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is better. Today's show notes, including links to Lisa's work, anything else I mentioned in the episode, will be at sidehustleschool.com/1071.

That is episode 1,071. Thanks so much, my friends. I'll be back tomorrow with a weekly recap. Much more is coming up. My name is Chris Guillebeau for Sodasol School.

From the Onward Project.