What Living Slowly Has Taught Me About Enough
More quietly swallowed enough — until I chose slow, purposeful days instead. These days, enough looks like muddy paw prints, quiet cups of tea, and weaving my heart into the small things — even when no one is looking.
From Breadwinner to Bare Hands: Untangling Self-Worth from a Paycheque
When I left my steady income behind to become a full-time artist, I thought I’d buried my old fears about money and worth. Turns out, they were just waiting for a quiet moment to speak up again. This is a reflection on what happens when your worth has been tied to your payslip for years — and how you gently untangle it, one choice, one conversation, one cup of tea at a time. If you’ve ever felt that pinch of guilt for not “contributing,” I hope these words remind you: you’re adding value in ways money can’t measure — and that is more than enough.
One Artist Date a Month (Because I’m Booked, Literally)
I don’t do weekly Artist Dates — I wish I could! But once a month? That’s my rhythm. And when the calendar clears, I go all in. This June’s Artist Date was extra special because it doubled as a date-date: flaky croissants, smooth hot brown, and a slow morning that led to second-hand bookshop bliss at Canty’s. Room after room of pre-loved pages stacked sky-high, and there — like it had been waiting for me — was the Van Gogh book I’d been quietly manifesting for years. It wasn’t even priced yet. Reader, I claimed it.
We finished with lunch by the water, people-watching like it was our job, and I came home full — creatively, emotionally, and snack-wise. If you need a nudge to pause, refill the well, and chase the kinds of places that light you up — this is it.
Zippy Cups: The Clay Keeps What the Hands Remember
What started as two humble cups for late-night brews and second morning coffees has become a quiet studio staple. In this post, I share the personal story behind the Zippy Cup—how it was born from daily life, tested in the chaos and calm of home, and slowly shaped into something worth sharing. This isn’t just pottery. It’s memory held in clay, and comfort held in the palm of your hand.
Bleeding Love (for Clay): Why I’ve Stopped Cleaning My Wheel
It turns out throwing pottery isn’t like riding a bike—especially after weeks away from the wheel. My hands were rusty, my perfectionism was loud, and Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis was blaring in the background like a personal anthem. In this post, I share what it’s like to fall back in love with clay (mess and all), how not cleaning my wheel has helped me throw more often, and why sometimes the best studio practice is just showing up—muddy, imperfect, and open-hearted.
Carrying Japan in My Hands: A Mother-Daughter Journey Through Clay, Philosophy, and Quiet Inspiration
Japan is more than a place — it’s a quiet garden I carry inside me, blooming with lessons in patience, imperfection, and presence. This mother-daughter journey deepened my love for the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi — finding beauty in the incomplete and transient — and renewed my commitment to making pottery that holds stories, heartbeats, and a little bit of magic.
Clay in the Laundry Sink: Setting Up a Home Pottery Studio (Without Losing Your Mind… or Your Taps)
You don’t need a sun-drenched studio or a Pinterest-perfect setup to start making magic with clay. You need a patch of space, a lump of mid-fire, and permission to make a joyful mess. From my early days elbow-deep in clay at the laundry sink to stashing my wheel under the table on tri-dollies, this post is a low-consumption, high-encouragement guide to starting your own home pottery space — no fancy tools or panic purchases required. Just a few humble bits, a sprinkle of humour, and a whole lot of mud.
The Road That Led Me Home: A story about slow magic, muddy hands, and the art of listening to quiet dreams.
There’s a particular kind of silence you only hear when you’re finally still—when the rush fades, the inbox is closed, and the air smells like eucalyptus and fresh clay. It took years of chasing titles, ticking boxes, and forgetting to exhale before I realised I was miles from the life I actually wanted. The road that led me home wasn’t paved with certainty—it was winding, messy, and full of detours. But somewhere between packing up my city heels and learning to centre clay on a wheel, I found it: a quiet kind of joy, rooted in making, in mothering, and in muddy hands.
Filed Under: Dreams Come True
There she was. My book. On an actual bookstore shelf. Not a dream. Not a daydream. A proper, public, spine-out moment in the wild.
Grateful—my debut picture book—was quietly perched at Dymocks Belconnen, nestled among classics I’ve read a hundred times over. Seeing it there stopped time for a moment. This story was born in the stillness of 3 a.m., in the hush of toddler breaths and hallway night-lights. It’s a keepsake stitched from the everyday magic of our lives: muddy knees, first words, backyard playhouses, and the lighthouse where we said “I do.”
It’s not just ink on paper. It’s our story. And now, it’s out in the world.
Cracks Let The Light In: Notes from the muddy middle of art, life, and letting things fall apart (on purpose)
When my commission vase cracked—twice—I was reminded that pottery, like life, is shaped in the messy middle. This is a story of failure, resilience, and embracing imperfection in art, motherhood, and creative business. Because real handmade pottery doesn’t live in perfect Instagram posts; it lives in the cracks, the pauses, and the quiet work of showing up, starting over, and letting the light in.
Muddy Hands, Full Heart: Thoughts on Mother’s Day
Motherhood isn’t just nappies and night feeds — it’s an entire transformation, a slow becoming that no one really prepares you for. This Mother’s Day, I’m writing from the muddy middle: where matrescence reshapes us, guilt creeps in, and connection sometimes looks like a 10pm voice memo. Whether you're celebrating, grieving, exhausted, or everything at once — there’s space for you here.
The Glazington Chronicle: Courting Clay, Scandalous Slabs & the Etiquette of the Artisan Elite
Dearest reader,
Within these muddied pages of The Glazington Chronicle lies a tale of scandal, slip, and studio secrets. From the forbidden love of potter and clay to kiln catastrophes worthy of high society gasps, I reveal the messy joys of handmade pottery life in Murrumbateman. There’s passion, etiquette, and invitations to play—because here, we don’t just throw clay… we throw caution to the wind.
Ever yours in sass and slip,
Lady Whistlepot.
Confessions of a Former Nine-to-Fiver
Once upon a colour-coded calendar, I lived by KPIs, commuter trains, and corporate catchphrases. But a quiet longing tugged at me—one I couldn’t file away or power through. This is the story of how I traded suits for slip clay, boardrooms for bisqueware, and found creative freedom (and a whole lot of joy) with muddy hands and a handmade life.
Confessions of a Clay-Stained Parent
Confession #852… Pottery, parenting, and showing up fully for both—with muddy hands and a full heart.
Once upon a corporate life, I was drowning in emails and expectations. Now, I’m raising kids and clay creations side by side in my rural studio. This is the story of boundaries, balance, and building a life (and business) you don’t need a break from—one muddy masterpiece at a time.
Confessions of a Workshop Whisperer
What happens when grown-ups swap spreadsheets for slip clay and start playing with mud again? As a full-time ceramic artist and workshop guide, I’ve seen firsthand the magic that unfolds when adults let go of perfection, embrace the mess, and rediscover the joy of making something with their hands. From collapsed bowls to unexpected masterpieces, teaching pottery is less about the final product and more about the laughter, letting go, and connection that happen along the way. Spoiler alert: it's never just about the clay.
Firing Up the Studio: What I Wish I Knew About Pottery Firing
Confession #216: Not everything survives the fire—but that’s part of the magic. Pottery firing isn’t quick, tidy, or predictable (much like life). It’s a slow dance with heat, chemistry, and hope. Sometimes things crack. Sometimes they surprise you. But every piece that makes it through carries a story—of patience, transformation, and a little bit of wild. Step into the kiln with me and discover what I wish I knew before I fired up the studio.
March Pottery Horoscopes: Your Star Sign's Take on Life, with a Side of Clay
March is here, and with it, a cosmic nudge for you to pay a little more attention to your pottery collection. Why? Because it’s not just about collecting clay—it’s about collecting soul-soothing experiences. Whether you’re the bold Aries or the dreamy Pisces, there’s a pottery piece out there that speaks to your soul. So, let’s dive into your star sign’s take on life (with a side of clay) and see what the universe has in store for your pottery destiny!
What’s In and Out for Pottery in 2025: A Series of Fortunate Clay Events
March in Murrumbateman always feels like the perfect blend of chaos and calm—crisp air, the first hints of autumn, and a studio filled with the hum of creativity (and, admittedly, a bit of clay dust everywhere). This year, 2025 is all about intention in pottery. It’s time to embrace the imperfections, celebrate the handmade, and, most importantly, use the pottery we love every single day.
Forget saving that beautiful, handcrafted mug for “special occasions” — potters want you to use it, to sip from it, to make it a part of your daily rituals. Pottery isn’t just for display; it’s a tangible piece of artistry meant to be lived with. And if it gets a little coffee stain on it? Well, that’s part of its charm. 2025 is the year to take pottery off the shelf and into the heart of your everyday life.
How to Feel More Present in Your Own Life (Even on the Busiest Days)
Feeling Like Life is Passing You By? Here's How to Slow Down and Reconnect with the Present Moment.
Between work, family, and endless to-do lists, it’s easy to feel like life is just a blur. But there are simple, powerful ways to press pause and feel more present in your day-to-day. From starting your mornings with your hands—not your phone—to finding your own reset ritual, this blog post offers small shifts that can make a big difference in how you experience your life. Join me as I share practical tips and reflections on how slowing down with creativity can bring you back to yourself.
Honouring Women in Pottery: A Legacy of Strength, Craft, and Creativity
For thousands of years, women have shaped more than just clay—they’ve shaped history. From the hands that crafted ancient vessels to the artists redefining ceramics today, their legacy is etched in every fired piece. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the pioneering women of pottery—past, present, and future—whose creativity and resilience continue to mould the art form we cherish.