5 Tips for Tracking Your Pottery

Every potter knows the frustration: you pull a beautiful piece out of the kiln, someone asks "what glaze is that?" — and you have absolutely no idea. Tracking your pottery process might seem tedious, but it's the single best habit you can build as a ceramicist. Here are 5 tips to get started: **1. Log Every Piece Immediately** Don't wait until after the firing. The moment you finish forming a piece, record the clay body, technique, and any notes about the process. Future-you will thank past-you. **2. Photograph at Every Stage** Wet clay looks completely different from bisque, which looks completely different from glazed. Take a quick photo at each stage — it only takes seconds and creates an invaluable visual record. **3. Track Your Clay Bodies** Different clays behave differently. Log the brand, type, cone range, and how each clay performs. Over time, you'll build a personal reference library that's worth its weight in... clay. **4. Build a Glaze Library** Keep detailed records of every glaze you use — commercial name, brand, how many coats, application method, and most importantly, result photos. This is how you go from guessing to knowing. **5. Note Your Failures Too** Cracked pots, crawling glazes, unexpected colors — these "casualties" are your best teachers. Log what went wrong and what you think caused it. That's how you grow. The Potter's Mud Room was built specifically for this. Start tracking today — it's free.