Lindsey and Donte return after a break for the first episode of 2025! They chat about the highlights and lessons learned from 2024, as well as what 2025 has in store. There’s talk of changing work/life balances, glaze development, new classes, new glazes, the upcoming NCECA clay convention, and how to bring a little bit of Star Wars energy into your life.

What’s one success you can celebrate from 2024, big or small? Let us know in the comments (if you're listening via Youtube) or send us a message on the socials!

***Resources for resistance and survival in the Trump administration***

FOLLOW Blair Imani (@blairimani) for social justice education delivered with detail, receipts, humor, and pizzazz.

SHARE and/or ACCESS queer youth resources from The Trevor Project.

PRINT Red Cards/Tarjetas Rojas through the Immigrant Legal Resource Center or other organizations helping immigrants assert their civil rights

DONATE $5 to the National Network of Abortion Funds

READ this guide from The Guardian contributor Robert Reich

Mentions:

ClayScapes – clayscapespottery.com (Use Donte’s discount code: earth10 at checkout)

Dirty Panda Ceramics (@dirtypanda_ceramics)

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 100k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Lindsey and Donte chat about their experiences working with local businesses as another way to get their work out there. From pros and cons to best practices, these mud peddlers hope their stories will help you decide whether and how to tap into this part of your local creative economy.

Have you ever sold your work through a local business? What’s some advice you might share with someone thinking about doing the same?

Let us know in the comments (for those of you listening via Youtube) or send us a message on the socials!

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 100k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Lindsey and Donte put together a list to help out with holiday gifts for clay people– whether you have a clay person in your life, or you are the clay person in your life. From classic quality-of-life picks to some potentially surprising suggestions, these mud peddlers hope you can find some inspiration in this holiday medley.

What’s one of the most helpful gifts you’ve ever received, ceramics-related or otherwise?

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 100k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

**Election Day is Nov. 5th! Go to Vote.gov to find your local polling place and do a democracy!**

Lindsey and Donte discuss the many ways you can use sculpture to expand the way you decorate your functional ware (whether wheel-thrown or hand-built). There’s talk of clay types, sculptural techniques, and how you might avoid some common pitfalls – as well as some trickier territory like pursuing representative vs. abstract work and pushing yourself out of a creative rut.

Do you incorporate sculptural elements into your functional work, or do you prefer more 2D surface decoration?

Referenced Artists:

Danny Meisinger ( @spinningearthpottery, spinningearthpottery.net)

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

**Do you have your voting plan? ^_^ Grab a buddy and participate in democracy together (then go get some ice cream or cake or some cheese, cuz you deserve it ;) ) Check your voter registration and find your polling place at Vote.gov**

Lindsey and Donte introduce you to bentonite, a common ingredient in glaze-making. 

From basic traits to baking analogies, these mud peddlers do their best to explain what bentonite is and what it does to your clay and glazes.

What ingredient do you want to meet next? Tell us in the comments or tag us on the socials!

**Do you have a voting plan? Grab a buddy and participate in democracy together (then go get some ice cream or cake or cheese, cuz you deserve it ;) )**

Sources and further reading:

Digital Fire – Bentonite (https://digitalfire.com/material/bentonite)

Sue MacLeod on the Ceramic Arts Network (https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/ceramic-recipes/recipe/bentonite#)

Rose and Matt Katz’s Ceramic Materials Workshop (https://ceramicmaterialsworkshop.com/)

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Lindsey and Donte chat about SacAnime Summer: the good, the bad, and the gross – gross income, that is…

There’s talk of table positions, the price of goblets, and the never-ending challenge of figuring out what fandom to focus on.

How do you evaluate your experience selling at an event? Do you sit down and write things out, have a discussion with friends…? Tell us in the comments or tag us on the socials!

P.S. If you enjoyed this episode and want more details about Lindsey's experience, you can get their 5-part written summary as a $3 House of Earth member on their Patreon (patreon.com/lindseymdillon)

Shoutouts to:

Emerald Barkley (emeraldbarkley.com or @emeraldbarkley)

Tea cozy (teacozy.biz or @teacozy_arthouse)

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Lindsey and Donte sit down to reflect on their experiences with Patreon. What’s been working? What have they changed? How can Patreon be useful for more than the income? They also dive into their perspectives on creating free community content vs content that’s behind a paywall, and what they want to bring their members in the future.

What do you think is the best way to balance sharing free vs paid content online? What appeals to or repels you about how creators approach this topic?

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Big episode. Bigger career shifts. Biggest lessons learned. Join Lindsey and Donte for the 100th episode of The Mud Peddlers for where they’ve been and where they’re going. 

What’s your clay journey like been so far? Where would you like to go next?

Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us a message @earthnationceramics or @lindseymdillon

Join Lindsey and Donte for the 35th Anniversary show at Alpha Fired Arts in Sacramento, CA on Saturday August 17th from 5-7pm.

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Lindsey and Donte do their best to define the tricky thing that is heatwork. What is it? What things affect it? Why is it making Lindsey crave cake? They also talk about a big business development for Donte.

Curious for more information? Check out Sue McLeod’s blog about heatwork and pyrometric cones and Glazy’s article about heatwork: 

https://suemcleodceramics.com/do-you-put-witness-cones-in-every-firing/

https://help.glazy.org/concepts/temperature/

*CORRECTION*

In this episode, Donte and I talk about resources about heatwork on Digital Fire. While that website does have great information, the article that Lindsey read in preparation for this episode is actually on Glazy.org.

Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us a message @earthnationceramics or @lindseymdillon

Referenced Resources:

Sue McLeod (@suemcleodceramics)

Glazy (Glazy.org)

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Lindsey and Donte talk about some of the things that might not seem ceramics-related, but actually make an impact on us in the studio. From the fear of small, irregular holes to EV’s, these mud peddlers have plenty to talk about…

What non-clay thing has had an impact on your clay journey in terms of inspiration or tools?

Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us a message @earthnationceramics or @lindseymdillon

Referenced Resources:

For Flux’s Sake (https://open.spotify.com/show/6jgiddm9KnLrg8J6Wsch5H)

Mud Tools (mudtools.com)

Dirty Girls (dirtygirlspotterytools.com)

Garrity Tools (garritytools.com)

Xiem Tools (xiemtoolsusa.com)

Hand and Fire (handandfire.com)

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y

Lindsey and Donte introduce you to a few of the ingredients that make up a glaze. From talk of why Lithium isn’t just an Evanescence song to why you shouldn’t try and order “Rio” from your local clay store, they hope to give you a better understanding of these arcane ingredients that make glazes so dang pretty…

Have you ever looked at a glaze recipe and felt overwhelmed? What ingredient/material would you like us to introduce next?

Drop your thoughts in the comments, or send us a message @earthnationceramics or @lindseymdillon

Referenced Resources:

Digital Fire (digitalfire.com)

The Ceramic Materials Workshop (ceramicmaterialsworkshop.com)

Glazy (glazy.org)

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About Your Hosts

Lindsey M Dillon is an award-winning professional ceramic artist who makes mugs and creature sculptures inspired by history, folklore, and geek culture. They have been working in clay since 2007, and doing so professionally since 2014. Their supernatural powers haven't manifested yet, but it's ok, they’ll wait.

Donte of Earth Nation Ceramics is a professional ceramic artist and Youtuber with over 90k artists in his community, all helping each other grow through their ceramic art journey one step at a time. He also has a massive addiction to boba milk tea and anime.

Find Lindsey

Website and shop – lindseymdillon.com

Patreon – patreon.com/lindseymdillon

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook – @lindseymdillon 

Find Donte

Website and shop – earthnationceramics.com

Patreon – patreon.com/Earthnationceramics

Youtube – Earth Nation Ceramics

Instagram – @earth_nation_ceramics

TikTok and Facebook – @earthnationceramics

Join the Discord – https://discord.gg/Xtmwk7y