We were lucky to catch up with Tori Motyl recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tori, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Yes, I am happy as an artist. I wake up every morning excited to get to work and my life is full of passion and beauty! There are definitely times when my brain starts to question if I should pursue a regular job. I think about how I could be making more money which I guess is something I am supposed to want. I think about how I am supposed to want to buy a house for example but whenever I start to question that, my amazing partner reminds me that we don’t need to want more. I will definitely continue to question if I should pull away from art to pursue a better paying job but I hope I have the confidence to continue to choose art.

Tori, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Thank you for asking! I started my business in 2011 but my love of art really flourished in High School. I had the privilege of attending an amazing school that had several art rooms and full time art teachers. 20 years later and I have focused my artistic exploration on large scale terracotta pottery. Creating art with a single medium strips away all the noise in my head and gives me the freedom to explore form, scale, and my own creative process. I create one of a kind work for clients both for residential and commercial spaces by exploring the space my pots will sit in and creating work that relates to and reflects that space. I want people to know that I work with my clients when it comes to designing and planning, offering many drawings for them to choose from. The client knows the space and what feeling they want it to have and so their opinions on what the final design should be are invaluable.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pivoting is the name of the game for me for sure! I am constantly changing what I do and trying to improve and find my next idea. For the first 11 years of my business I focused mostly on different types of dinnerware and functional pots with only a small amount of attention given to large scale pottery. I was worried it would be hard to sell big pots and that dinnerware was more marketable. It wasn’t until last year, when I received a commission from Ralph Lauren for a selection of large pots that I had the confidence to walk away from dinnerware and focus solely on large scale work.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was that the art world was a cutthroat place. Sure there are artists out there who believe in keeping secrets but when I moved to Asheville, NC in 2014, I met a friend who said something that really defined how I have come to view the art community here, at least in the clay part of the community. “If you want a bigger piece of the pie, make a bigger pie”, and I have held that as my personal belief ever since. Whenever I have the opportunity to share what I know or help other people or contribute to the community, I take it. When we strengthen and grow the art community, we all benefit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.motylpottery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motylpottery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motylpottery
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MotylPottery
• Other: tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@motyl.pottery

Image Credits

Photos by Nicole McConville