How Lulu Jacobs Turned Pottery Into a Full Time Creative Career

Potter Lulu Jacobs joins Robin Johnson to discuss leaving a career in branding and marketing to pursue pottery full time. Lulu shares how a short course at Turning Earth turned into a full creative obsession, leading her to build a pottery business from a garden studio while raising a young family. The conversation explores the emotional highs and crushing failures of ceramics, the reality of selling handmade pottery, the pressure of social media, and the challenge of balancing creative freedom with commercial work. Lulu also talks openly about working with difficult black clay, building an audience online without becoming fake, and why bravery matters more than confidence when building a creative career. Key Topics CoveredLeaving marketing to pursue pottery full timeLearning ceramics through Turning EarthBuilding a pottery studio at homeWhy social media feels uncomfortable for makersAuthenticity and community on InstagramThe challenge of working with black clayGlaze chemistry and kiln failuresSelling handmade pottery profitablyRestaurant commissions and wholesale potteryThe impact of The Great Pottery Throw DownFunctional pottery versus art potteryCreative risk taking and overcoming fearPottery as escapism and meditationImposter syndrome in creative industriesEnjoying the show?Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Key Moments:00:00 Leaving branding and discovering pottery01:27 The Turning Earth course that changed everything02:40 Learning pottery privately through failure03:58 Building an authentic pottery audience online05:57 The nightmare and beauty of black clay10:50 Growing up around pottery studios and kilns15:18 Why pottery feels addictive18:30 Opening the kiln at midnight20:35 The financial reality of handmade pottery23:35 Landing a first restaurant commission26:58 The impact of The Great Pottery Throw Down35:15 Pottery as escapism and meditation42:24 Creative freedom versus commercial work46:56 Florian Gadsby and the pottery creator economy49:07 Pottery content creators and social media culture58:32 Advice to her 18 year old self