Biddy Pots: Functional Everyday Things

"My name is Brighid and I am originally from NZ and now living in Sydney, and I am currently preparing to launch my new handmade ceramic business 'biddy pots’."

"It all started when I was living in London and wasn't enjoying my 9 to 5 job at the time. I booked a pottery class as something to satisfy my creative side and take my mind off work. After the first class I was totally hooked and have not looked back since. I was lucky enough to be kept on as an apprentice for the next year under Getta Hextall at Crown Works Pottery, learning lots and developing my skills. Then once moving to Sydney an apprenticeship with Steve Sheridan in the Blue Mountains of NSW. I love the craft so much that halfway through 2019, after a few commissions and orders from friends and family, I finally got the nerve to create and develop my own brand and business 'biddy pots’."

When you are creating, in this case ceramics, you're putting a little bit of yourself into it and hoping people will like it.

"The idea behind biddy pots is to create simple, beautiful and functional ceramics that you can enjoy in day to day life. There is a certain warmth and feel that you get from drinking your morning coffee out of something that is handmade, and I suppose ideally I want as many people as possible to experience this. It's about getting little bits of joy out of everyday things."

"The biggest challenge for me initially was having the confidence to put myself out there. Launching a creative business was such a new thing for me as my job up until this point has been very much science based. When you are creating, in this case ceramics, you're putting a little bit of yourself into it and hoping people will like it. It is such a long and gradual process where a lot of instances it can go wrong, so when you open the kiln and you see what all that time and effort has created, it's such an amazing feeling, which you ideally want others to appreciate with you. It's been a gradual process but the more I have produced and shared with others the more positive feedback I have received, which has been fantastic."

"Right now, it's more the general administration side of running a business that I’m still getting to grips with. In an ideal world I would love to just be able to sit down and make all day everyday, but that's not the reality of running your own business. There is so much to learn when starting out, which is not as fun as potting but has to be done, e.g. building a website, tracking orders, etc. It's all part of it, but if it lets me do what I love to do which is making ceramics then it's all worth it."

"Making ceramics is a time consuming process. A lot of time, effort and care goes into each piece as there are so many different stages of making (throwing, turning, firing, glazing to name a few!). So when it came to packaging, I wanted to ensure that the individual piece reflected that, in having considered packaging with brand visibility."

"Additionally, ceramics may not be considered to be the most environmentally friendly activity. It's a hard thought to consider and obviously doesn’t sit well with the issue of climate change. In general I try to be as environmentally conscious as possible, and so it was extremely important to choose environmentally friendly packaging."

"I have been friends with Karen for a few years now. She was the one who created my branding initially as I knew she would be the best person for the job as she has a great eye for design and extremely reliable. She really listened to my ideas and literally turned them into a reality. This was no different for the tissue design. It was a fully collaborative process. She listened to all my feedback and was extremely patient with me! I am so incredibly stoked with what she has produced. It compliments my pieces perfectly and I and can’t wait to get it out there for others to see."

"It is really important to me to be as eco-friendly as possible where possible, so using noissue was a no brainer. The high quality of the product and the fact that its eco-friendly ticks all the boxes. I'm hoping it will add to the unpackaging experience for my customers, and truly reflect the premium quality of the pieces."