We were lucky to catch up with Melanie Westheiden recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melanie, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have been able to earn a full-time living from my work. It was a difficult journey working long hours but it was so worth it. I started doing pottery in my spare time from my 3-4 jobs after graduating college in 2017. I would be in the studio at odd hours, even for just 30 minutes whenever I could. At this time I was also participating in local art shows selling my work when I could. I slowly dwindled my jobs down to one, working at the local animal shelter. In April 2018 my parents sat me down and helped me realize it was time to take my business full time. Once I took it full time I was able to sign up for more local art shows, take more orders, and make more work to sell online. I quickly outgrew the studio space I had at my parents house, sharing the garage with my dad’s wood shop and my kiln taking over my mom’s pantry. I rented a house with a garage. Having a bigger space allowed me to make more work and work more efficiently. This was when the tables turned and I was able to make a living out of making and selling pottery. I worked in my garage studio for 2 years until it was time for me to move out. I rented a retail location in Nags Head in 2020 where I now have my studio as well as a retail area. Getting to this point took a lot of sacrificed time, hard work, determination, long nights, and utilizing social media to grow a following on Instagram. The process was much quicker than I anticipated. I didn’t think I would be able to take my business full time until at least 5 years after graduating college, and I went full time in less than a year.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Melanie, owner of Swell Ceramics, living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I had always had an interest in pottery but never had a chance to try it until my sophomore year of college. I had originally gone to college for photography to one day start a wedding photography business. That quickly changed after I took my first pottery class. I was immediately hooked. Now I run & own Swell Ceramics. I make unique functional pottery inspired by my beautiful home, the Outer Banks, and my travels. What I’m most proud of is something I often forget, that I started a successful business at only 22 years old. It’s been quite the journey. I love making pottery that can make small moments, like drinking your morning coffee, special moments whether my pottery reminds you of a special memory, a favorite place, or you just like the way it feels in your hands.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The most important thing about building an audience on social media is to have fun! If you aren’t having fun, it will show. There is a lot of pressure to “beat the algorithm” I say post what you like when you can and the right people will find you. If you need some ideas for posts, see what types of posts other accounts with bigger followings are posting. It is important to have your own artistic style that is unique to you, because it is what will make you stand out from the rest. My final advice, is to have patience. Yes there are cases where someone’s account blows up overnight and that’s great, but it typically fluctuates and takes time.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m not sure if it’s considered a lesson, but I always thought I had to say yes to every opportunity that came my way. I viewed it as failure to say no to opportunities, such as wholesale or custom orders. I thought that because I owned a small business I had to work 60-80hrs a week. Nobody explicitly told me this, but it always felt implied by hustle culture. Saying yes to everything that came my way left me feeling burnt out and uninspired. I learned it was okay to say no to things, and that I had to say no sometimes to further grow my business and take care of myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.swellceramics.com
• Instagram: @swellceramics
• Facebook: Swell Ceramics