We recently connected with Amanda Kohr and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Definitely from my grandmother and my mom. My grandmother quit school in the 8th grade to go to work to help support her family. My mom was a single mom for most of my childhood and worked her butt off so that my brother and I had as many opportunities as possible.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m building my business, Combustion Ceramics, with the goal of making it my full time gig in the next few years. I focus on handcrafted functional and decorative ceramic pieces, and while I sell mostly at art fairs and craft festivals, I do have a small selection available on my Etsy page — https://www.etsy.com/shop/combustionceramics
I love making miniature holiday decor (ghosts, pumpkins, trees, candy corn, etc) and pieces that invoke nostalgia (Oregon Trail inspired Christmas ornaments anyone?). I am also committed to creating pieces that make viewers think about issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights. For example, 25% of the proceeds from my Spider Gwen inspired ornaments will be donated to the Trans Youth Emergency Fund and Lambda Legal to fight back against the attacks on the Trans community in Tennessee.
I’ve been exploring atmospheric firing in recent years and am excited about gaining more experience with wood-fired kilns and soda kilns.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Being inquisitive — always wanting to know more about my craft and the processes behind it. Meeting other potters and full time artists and picking their brains about their knowledge and experiences.
Willing to compromise — what I want to be creating (large wood-fired sculptural vessels) is not always what is going to sell frequently. I make thousands of ornaments, ghosts and pumpkins each year to help pay the bills. While it’s not my favorite task, they’re small, easily portable, unique, and quick to sell. It’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make right now as I’m in a growth phase.
Knowing myself — I’m about as introverted as they come. After a craft fair, I need a good two days to recover mentally and recharge my social batteries, so I make sure to build that into my scheduling.
And, I’ll add a fourth. Surrounding myself with people who support me and my work has been truly a game changer in the last year or so. After a recent divorce, I took a hard look at all the relationships in my life. I’ve really started putting my energy into relationships with people who want to see me succeed. They’re the ones who cheer me on, who cook for me when I’m exhausted, and who come to shows specifically to give me a break. My business wouldn’t be growing like it is without their kindness, love, and support.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I’ll borrow a saying from my 11 year old son. When it comes to social media promotion, I’m a total newb. The interwebs and socials are not my strength, and as a GenXer, I really want to succeed but just in a quiet and behind the scenes kinda way. That’s not going to build my brand and my business though.
So, if anyone wants to help a girl out, I’d be grateful for your support, suggestions, and follows of @combustionceramics on Instagram and Facebook. Haven’t ventured into the world of TikTok just yet, but I know I need to figure that one out, too — maybe after the fall show season is over!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.combustionceramics.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/combustionceramics/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/combustionceramics/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/combustionceramics
Image Credits
Image 1: Tennessee Craft, Southwest Chapter
