Are You Scared of Doing Live Demos? Why I Still Risk My Pottery Wheel at Irish Markets

If you’ve ever visited a Clay Fairy Ceramics market stall, you might have caught a glimpse of something a bit unusual sitting right next to my display: my heavy, electric pottery wheel.

Taking an expensive, heavy, and delicate piece of studio equipment out on the road isn't easy. It means loading it in and out of the studio, wrestling with the famously unpredictable Irish weather, and constantly checking the forecast on my phone every single hour. I find myself comparing different weather stations just to try and figure out which one has the most accurate predictability—obsessing over whether it’s going to rain this hour, what hours the sunshine will break through, and exactly how long a downpour is going to last! Because my 6-foot market table is completely packed with finished, handmade mugs and plates, the wheel has to sit right beside the stall with no roof over it, meaning I have to risk the elements and pay extra electricity fees just to plug it in.

But despite the heavy lifting and the rain-watching, I still do it. It cuts out the old question of "Do you really make all of this?" the second people see my wheel spinning and me throwing. More than that, it connects me directly to the wonderful people who support my work. Here is a look at why I face the fear of live demonstrations, and what life as an Irish artist looks like after 8 years behind the wheel.

Overcoming the Fear: What If I Mess Up?

Let's be completely honest: live demonstrations can be terrifying. Whether you are scared of facing a big audience or absolutely terrified of messing up a piece right in front of everyone's eyes, the pressure is real! When you are throwing clay live, there is no "undo" button. If your hands slip, the piece collapses for everyone to see.

But I've learned that facing that fear is where the magic happens. I get so much lovely feedback from people telling me how relaxing, beautiful, and therapeutic it is to watch a potter at work.

When people compliment the process, I always tell them the same thing: this is a craft, and it is a skill that absolutely anyone can learn.

Clay is an incredibly tactile, responsive medium. It feels amazing in your hands, and truly, your imagination is the only limit! With a bit of effort, focus, and practice, you can create absolutely anything you want out of a simple lump of earth. I started my own pottery journey exactly like this—just giving it a go—and I have never looked back.

Beyond the creative freedom, pottery has also taught me immense patience. Clay has its own timeline; you cannot rush it, or it will collapse. It forces you to slow down, breathe, and present your best self to the wheel.

The Heart-in-Mouth Journey: Potholes and Packing

The anxiety doesn't just start when the wheel begins to spin—it starts on the road! My little Renault Captur gets packed completely to the brim. Between the heavy wheel, my 6-foot table, display shelves, and boxes upon boxes of ceramics, there isn't a spare millimeter of space. Every single mug and plate is meticulously slotted into cardboard slotted holders to prevent any dreaded "clinking." Driving across Ireland and Northern Ireland with a car full of fragile ceramics and expensive equipment is a true exercise in nerves. Depending on where the market takes me, I can be driving anywhere from an hour and a half to over two hours each way—meaning my precious pottery can spend up to three hours rattling around in the car! Our windy, old roads are famously unpredictable, and the potholes can be massive. Every time I hit a sudden bump or see a crater in the tarmac, my heart is instantly in my mouth. Sometimes there can be breakage, and sometimes there won't, so I'm always holding my breath and praying everything makes it to the market stall in one piece.

Connecting to What Matters: Supporting Local Craft

We live in a fast-paced world full of mass-produced, factory-made items stamped out by cold machines.

When you choose a piece of handcrafted Irish pottery over a big brand, you are choosing an authentic local connection. There is a distinct comfort in holding a piece that is sourced and made locally. By supporting local craft and handmade artisans, you aren't just buying an object or a piece of pottery, you are investing in a real person's passion and the skill they have taken years to learn. You are directly supporting them and getting an authentic piece of their unique creativity and hard work.

Running live demonstrations right beside my stall puts a true face to the brand. It allows my audience and customers to see the spinning wheel, the throwing clay firsthand and relate my own two hands directly back to the final pieces on their table. Doing live pottery demostrations is worth its weight in gold rather then just having a stall and selling your wares.

The Secret of Miniatures

While I love throwing large, functional pieces, I’ve discovered a secret weapon for market demonstrations: Miniatures.

As the wheel starts whirring, you can see the throwing forms of clay the spinning wheel as the tiny shape forms. Watching a miniature pot take shape keeps the energy high and allows me to show the full process from start to finish before a small crowd has to move on.

From the Quiet Studio to the Bustling Market

My life as a potter is a balance of two worlds. There are the quiet, focused days spent in my creative studio, and then there are the market days where those quiet hours turn into rich, wonderful conversations and shared smiles. Every single mug, plate, and design you see on my table has been shaped by my hands, painted by my brush, and fired in my studio.

To be completely honest, I still get nervous. Whether I'm traveling to a brand-new market I’ve never done before or meeting a fresh audience, the nerves are always there. But if you are starting out, you have to take the chance and take the risk! Just like your very first market, you are going to be nervous, but that feeling will pass.

I find that when I am out at a market and get on my pottery wheel, I just completely zone out because it is something I truly love doing. I can spin on my wheel without even looking up. The very first time I did it, I remember finally looking up and being absolutely shocked to see a massive crowd surrounding me! It gave me quite a start, and everyone had a laugh because I laughed and they laughed.

At the end of the day, live demonstrations are entirely worth doing. People are not judging you—we are always our own harshest critics. As they say here in Ireland, you need to risk it for the biscuit! Life is a journey of learning and growing. The more you practice and put yourself out there, the more it builds your confidence.

In fact, it was taking my pottery wheel out of my quiet studio and doing these live market demos that gave me enough confidence to actually start teaching pottery classes! It completely changed things for me, and now I proudly teach pottery classes right in my own studio.

Live demos do so much to help you talk to people. A lot of people know how to eat off a plate or drink from a mug, but they don't actually see the work, the different stages, the time, and the immense effort that goes into making an authentic piece of handmade pottery.

Thank you for reading this hope my blog helps you and the stop the fear of doing live demos. Ask me any questions, and sign up to my newsletter will support my journey. Next time you see me at a market, come say hello, watch the process, and let's share a laugh behind the wheel!

Based in Belfast, BT170GN