There is an economy of scale in an artistic craftsmanship such as pottery, where a great deal of the work you do is repetitive, simple, and possibly not very inspired in terms of originality. Customers often want the same things that they’re used to, and in multiple sets. A bowl that looks like other bowls may not be very interesting to think about, design-wise, and it may take up a huge chunk of a potter’s day for very little original output, but it’s what allows him or her to continue making pottery and gives time at the wheel, which is the important part. Potters and ceramics artists love to make the items, even if the items they’re making aren’t necessarily the things that inspire them most.
As a YouTube creator, I am in contact with many other creators, and I find it interesting to listen to them, especially when it comes to the process of making videos. We tend to flatten out our creations by calling them “content” (a term YouTube itself uses to describe the work we’ve done), but I don’t think that most people uploaded their first videos thinking they’ve made an excellent piece of content. They may think of themselves as reviewers or musicians or actors or game players, but “content creator” is a term that’s all-encompassing but totally meaningless to a creative individual.
Still, making videos on the scale and schedule that has any hope of gaining attention can feel like a content factory slog. The first few weeks of setting up the camera, learning how to edit, finding subject matter to film and uploading can be exciting just for the novelty of it, but eventually, if you’re serious about making a name for yourself on the platform, you’ll need to get into a routine. Often, that routine will mean making a lot of videos that aren’t necessarily the most inspired pieces of creative output you’re capable of, more like the dozens of cereal bowls required of a professional potter.
What interests me is how little joy many of these creators find in the process of making videos at all. It’s always much easier to be happy with the process when the final product brings you attention, creative inspiration, and joy, but even when you’re making “cereal bowl videos,” there should at least be some semblance of happiness in the process of creation. Otherwise, why are you doing it?
I’ve heard many times from creators that they like being “YouTubers,” but that making videos isn’t something they enjoy doing, or can find time to do, or have any inspiration to do. If this is the case, I often wonder why they are still bothering. YouTube as a platform is getting more and more difficult to stand out on as more and more creators are joining and uploading content every day, so there’s a slimmer chance each day of making it into a viable career. That leaves making videos for the joy of creation, and the benefits that go along with having an audience who appreciates your output.
If you’re not able to find the time to sit at the wheel, and putting your hands into clay isn’t making you happy, why would you be a potter? And why would that be different for any other creative medium?
