Interview Spotlight With Paula Armstrong

Paula Armstrong is the contemporary ceramic artist and teacher who runs the award-winning Paula Armstrong Ceramics studio and small business. She makes distinctive ceramic sculptures inspired by the potential inside all living things and the beauty of the natural world while also sharing her passion for all things creative and clay in person at her studio and online with courses, workshops and memberships.

Besides being creative herself, Paula passionately believes more widely in the power and potential of creativity and the arts as a tool for both individuals and communities to create better, more balanced lives and places. She brings this enthusiasm to her work at the studio as well as at Northstowe Arts, a CIC that uses community arts and creative projects to support community development and placemaking in the developing new town of Northstowe.

Paula lives with her husband and daughter in a village just outside of Cambridge, UK. To relax she loves stories, whether it’s reading books or watching movies. She also loves trying out other arts and crafts and is currently trying to learn to sing.

Thank you for interviewing with us today, can you introduce yourself to us?

Hi, I’m Paula. I’m an artist, creator, business owner, mother and wife. I’ve just celebrated my 25^th anniversary of being a self-employed artist and maker and it’s been an interesting journey so far! Now I run Paula Armstrong Ceramics and am a director of Northstowe Arts CIC.

On the personal side I’ve been married to my fabulous husband for 10 years and have an amazing daughter who’s almost 10. I love all things creative but have always wanted to be able to sing so I’ve just started joint lessons with my daughter to find my voice!

Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?

I’ve always wanted to be an artist and first found and fell in love with clay in secondary school. From here I went on to do my degree in Design Crafts Ceramics & Textiles then, after spending a year to save up some money, I set-up as a self-employed artist with the help of the Prince’s Trust.

Since then, it’s been an eclectic journey with a mix of teaching, community arts, gallery work, event planning and working as Arts Development Officers in local authorities. I met my husband in 2010 then in 2012 we changed everything! In one year, we got married, he changed job, we moved houses and I found out I was pregnant. After moving in I found that I couldn’t have a studio at home with my kiln so I went on the hunt for a studio space. I decided if I was looking for a studio it needed to be big enough for me to run classes and start teaching again. It took a while to find but finally, in 2014, I set up Paula Armstrong Ceramics.

I now run a studio membership six days a week along with a regular programme of beginners courses and specialist workshops for things like raku and kintsugi at the studio. I also have the Hand Building Academy online membership which includes a mentoring option for makers wanting to take their work to the next level. I create regular tutorial videos on YouTube as well as more in-depth video courses and workshops and zoom courses for sale on my website.

I also make, exhibit and sell my distinctive ceramic sculptures that celebrate the potential inside all living things. Inspired by the birth of my daughter and the art of enso I love the idea that everything comes from the centre, from a seed. Something that looks so simple becomes the world as we know it. All that energy and potential inside something so innocuous and so easily missed. You need to look beyond the obvious and see what it can become.

Since starting, have you made any changes to your business model?

As difficult and shocking as the pandemic was, having to close the studio gave me the time to strategically consider my business. I went from managing the day to day of the studio to having lots of time to really think about why I run my business, who I want to serve and what was the best way to do that. As a result, I changed from the traditional course model to a membership, and updated my website so all the subscriptions and bookings, not just for the members but for one-off workshops too, could be handled online.

This shift to online instigated by the lockdowns is also where my YouTube channel started as well as my zoom classes. All of which has led me to a hybrid business model which at one time seemed impossible for something like teaching ceramics.

I also set up a click and collect firing service for students and anyone close enough to the studio that wanted to make in clay at home but needed a kiln for the firing which worked so well that I still offer it as well as offering pottery painting by post.

Have you ever had a mentor? If so, how has this benefitted you either personally or professionally?

Yes, I’ve had a few mentors during my time self-employed starting with the Prince’s Trust. Most recently I had a marketing mentor who is the one who helped me to transform my business during the pandemic. It was her questions, guidance and confidence in me that really meant I fully transformed the business rather than trying to shift slowly into the new structure.

It also helped me to believe in myself more as I’ve always been one to undervalue my skills and experience particularly around the business side of things. It helped enough that I decided to enter the local SME business awards. I figured it would be a nice night out and a good chance for networking. Much to my amazement I won not one, but both of the categories that I entered!

What outlets do use for marketing?

My business is really in two parts. I have the main teaching elements which I market on social media and YouTube, as well as listing my workshops on other websites that specialise in arts and crafts courses. I also attend local fairs and events where I can chat with people and hand out leaflets. So many people will say to me “I could never do that!” and I’m always happy to answer “Sure you could. I’ll show you how.”

The other side to my business is my artwork. I market this on social media as well but mostly I exhibit with galleries and at fairs and events.

What or Who has inspired you most recently?

For my artwork I’m constantly inspired by the world around me. There are so many amazing things in our world and everyday beauty can always be found. For my business I’ve most recently been inspired by a local entrepreneur who I met through the awards. He has so much passion and such belief in what he’s doing and he’s absolutely amazing at connecting people to make things happen!

What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?

Write a genius ideas book. I am a great one for coming up with lots of ideas…and when I say lots, I mean lots! They’re not all necessarily good ideas but given a situation or event, I can generally think of a way that I can offer something for it – which you may notice at the end with my future plans!

I’ve designed my genius ideas book so that when I get an idea I can write it down, quickly make notes on the strengths and weaknesses of the idea and decide whether it’s good, ok or not worth the effort and whether I should look at it now, in a week/month, leave it for the right time or forget it. I find it helps me prioritise and focus.

How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?

This is definitely still something I’m working on. I have some health issues which mean I struggle with fatigue so sometimes I have no choice but to stop and focus on the important things but I also aim to schedule in family time that cannot be moved!

Name a seminal point in your career so far?

I find this a surprisingly difficult question to answer. I could say it was when a museum bought one of my sculptures for their collection, or when I exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London, or buying my current studio space…but I think ultimately it would have to be when I set up Paula Armstrong Ceramics in 2014 in a rented space when my daughter was just a year old. It was mad, but it was right.

What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?

I have two. The first is seeing my members and students’ faces light up when they make something that they didn’t think they could or when something comes out of the kiln that they love. I adore that I was able to help them get there. The second is when one of my sculptures finds its new home. I love to see the connection the buyer has with the piece and hear their stories about what they see in it and why it resonates with them. They both make my artist’s heart happy.

Are there any leading entrepreneurs or SME leaders that you admire and if so, why?

I don’t have one in particular but admire the many small business entrepreneurs that I meet. Their energy and passion are endlessly inspiring!

How do you define your own success?

This is such a good question and it took me years to understand that everyone needs to decide what success look like for them. For me I tend to ask two questions. Am I able to do what I want to be doing? Am I happy?

Finally, what can we expect from you next?

I have three main projects that I’m working towards at the moment. The first is a new range of sculptures inspired by some gorgeous axe heads that I saw at the Stone Henge exhibition last year. I love the shape and the colours in the stone. I’m also really interested in the idea that the point when humans were able to create tools like the axes was when we were first able to cultivate the land and moved away from hunting and gathering. This project gives me the chance to try out a new technique I’ve been wanting to try as well.

Making with clay is great for your wellbeing. Students often comment that it’s very therapeutic. I believe that it’s a very mindful activity as it engages the whole of our being. The body physically makes the piece. The mind is thinking about what is being made and making adjustments when they are needed, and the senses are actively engaged as you see, feel and listen as you make. A friend and I have tested out a Mindful clay session that combines QiGong, meditation and ceramics and we’d like to develop this. I’m researching the potential for a clay retreat or a broader creative retreat and considering possible partners and schedules for a day, weekend and week.

Something I hear far too often is people saying “I’m not creative!” I passionately believe that everyone is creative, everyone is able, and creative skills can be learnt. I want to build on my online ceramics business expanding into the broader area of creativity in general. I’m developing a range of products from journals, planners, videos and a book to help people reconnect with and grow their creativity – and I don’t just mean artistic. Creative and artistic are not the same. Artistic endeavours are just one way of being creative and we seem to forget this often. I’m most excited about the book! I’ve set time aside later in the year to concentrate on writing it and can’t wait to get going.

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