Emma Fleetwood | The Seasonal Ceramicist
Emma Fleetwood is an emerging Canberra ceramicist working in stoneware and porcelain clays.
Emma's label 'The Seasonal Ceramicist' provides homewares and jewellery which combine hand pinched textures with intricate patterned finishes.
Emma's work focuses on creating reusable, timeless, pieces for ritual and self care use. Emma shares those skills through regular community workshops.
Q&A
1. Tell me about yourself: who are you, what do you love etc?
I’m Emma, a ceramicist/education policy adviser originally from the UK. I have two children and we live with my partner, a very old cat and two naughty dogs in Canberra’s north. I love creating things – baking, sewing, gardening, photography, but of course making ceramics is my biggest love. I also really like taking day trips out of Canberra to explore local old towns, so I can take photos and drink all the coffee.
2. What do you do?
I have two careers which I am pursuing at the same time. I really like swapping between very different types of work. As a ceramicist I make homewares and jewellery, and I teach regular workshops. I trained originally as a community educator, so I really enjoy designing workshops and building connections with people. I travel around regional NSW delivering workshops, as well as running them in Canberra.
In my other role I work on education policy. It is a very computer based, writing and numbers kind of job. A huge contrast to being covered in clay and firing hot kilns!
3. What's your 'why’
There is magic in imagining a cup, making it with your hands, seeing it finished and then go to someone who loves it and makes it part of their everyday rituals. The biggest satisfaction I get from my business is seeing photos of my work being enjoyed in other people’s homes. I also like to learn new things and problem solve, and clay provides you with endless chances to learn and problem solve!
4. What was the biggest turning point in your life?
I was 27 when I became a mother. Becoming a parent is always transformative. But for me, prior to that, I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself. My son was very ill in his first year, the fluid on his brain would swell dangerously and he was in and out of hospital a lot. This scary time taught me to trust my own instincts and be braver, as I had to advocate for him. He is now a very healthy 12 year old, but that lesson in being braver has stuck with me.
Putting yourself and your work out there in a business can make you very vulnerable. Not everyone will love what you do and some people will bluntly tell you that. But being yourself and trusting your instincts helps you reach and connect with the people who do understand and value what you do.
5. How did you get to the point you're at now?
In 2017, with my second child off to school soon, I had the choice whether to increase my office hours or do something creative with that new free day each week. I had been learning ceramics at night classes for many years, as well as doing other craft hobbies. My business started off as little market stalls shared with friends at Christmas selling photographic greetings cards, polymer jewellery and a few of the ceramics I had made in classes. I didn’t really have a plan! But the ceramic side took off, and by mid 2018 I was focussing entirely on the ceramics and stocking some local shops.
I now run my business ‘The Seasonal Ceramicist’ from my home studio one day a week, with workshops usually twice a month. I stock small independent shops around Canberra and regional NSW, and also sell direct via my new online store. I have no plans to grow my business any bigger that it is now. It is at the limit of the time I can give it while also trying to be a present parent and partner. This year I bought my first little kiln, so I am enjoying being able to make new designs more quickly, and at home.
6. Is there any advice you can share or something you wish you knew?
My advice is that if you want to start something new, just starting is better than waiting and trying to get it perfect first. You probably will never feel perfectly ready, so sometimes it is best to just start and see what happens.