Shit! She’s wearing my necklace!!!

Note: This post might be the most relatable to terracotta jewellery makers in India. So I urge you to give it a read. My intention isn’t to hurt or offend anyone. Please leave your feedback and suggestions in the comments section. 

Picture this – You are happy when you see your customer wearing a necklace you created for her. But that customer might not be so elated when she runs into two other people wearing that exact same necklace.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” ― Maya Angelou

If this is actually true, which I believe it is, why is it that we see so many repetitions in the terracotta jewellery made in India.

• Is it because we aren’t creative enough to make new designs?
• Are we looking for short-cuts?
• Do customers insist on replicating other designers products just so that they can get it at a lower cost from you?
• Are we getting incessantly reliant on silicon molds?
• As a maker are you getting in the cycle of creating the same piece over and over again?
• Is it just a source of income, so it doesn’t matter what you create?

I keep ruminating upon these very questions often. So lets get to it one by one:

• Is it because we aren’t creative enough to make new designs? 

That’s not true. I am a creative person and that ability in me has only improved over time.

• Are we looking for short-cuts?

Yes, sometimes I do. I look to make quick and easy pieces to increase inventory. But I have never compromised on quality.

• Do customers insist on replicating other designers products just so that they can get it at a lower cost from you? 

A big YES. I was mostly into creating pieces in bulk. My retail front was and is very small. But I have had a lot of customers/re-sellers who did share images from other pages and asked if I could remake them. To some I would agree. But a lot of times I refused. Not because I couldn’t do it, I just didn’t want to. I lost a few of them due to that, but I am quite sure they must have found someone else to do the work for them. I have remade some designs in the past that can be found on some other pages and I don’t feel very good about doing that. But this is not a guilt trip. If customers/re-sellers like your work, then they should ideally choose from your catalog.

I recollect a time when a customer shared images from every other page except mine! I was going through two emotions at the same time. I wanted the work but I didn’t want to recreate someone else’s work. It was clear that I was needed for labor and not for my creative ability. I politely refused and moved on. Let me tell you, the feeling sucked big time! I kept going back to thinking if I had done a mistake because it was an order for a substantial sum. But I didn’t dwell too much beyond a point. Whats gone is gone and we look towards the new.

• Are we getting incessantly reliant on silicon molds?

Another big YES. Life is easier with molds, isn’t it? I agree and disagree. While its easy, it lacks creativity. In this instance I am referring to the silicon molds that are available online and in brick and mortar stores. The result of why you probably see so many replicas of a single set. If you create a mold that’s strictly for yourself then that’s fine. But before you even know it, someone would take your design, dip it liquid silicon or POP and create a mold. Whats unique in that?? A kid can take some clay and stuff it into a mold and create a masterpiece.

I recently heard there are some of them willing to make only heavy temple style sets using molds at an exorbitant price and their reasoning is – it’s quick to create and its easy money. If that’s true, I wouldn’t know how to react to something like that. But I tell you this – they are smart because they are making money from it when there is a demand. But also short-sighted as this business model may not last long. Can you imagine – you are creating without actually creating!

• As a maker are you getting in the cycle of creating the same piece over and over again?

Yes absolutely! I have been there, done that. Each time it get easier, but it also gets monotonous. Monotonous to a degree that you want to stop making that piece FOREVER. Its a choice that we make. Ideal case scenario would be to never repeat our own designs beyond a point. You satiate and its a necessary step in my opinion to know when and where to put a full stop.

• Is it just a source of income, so it doesn’t matter what you create?

I agree that it’s a source of income for a lot of people. I appreciate the social cause aspect of this where people and their lives are benefited. But let that not mean that a customer is obliged to buy a compromised product because there is a cause associated with it. That probably increases the establishment’s value but goes on to reduce the product value. Wouldn’t it be great if the customer happily pays what you charge for a beautiful product that not only helps the person who created it but also uplifts the value of the product itself.  If you sell a bad or defective piece of terracotta jewellery, the worse that might happen is you might not get that customer back. But that customer might never buy another piece of terracotta jewellery from anyone else probably more deserving than you because of that one bad experience she or he has had.

‘What goes around comes around‘ – Business in general is getting dull. People don’t buy terracotta as much as they use to. When one customer has a bad experience, the word spreads. As much as we try educating people on what terracotta is and the fact that it needs to be handled with care, lets pay attention to the post product sale. Is your customer happy with the product? Was it delivered safe? If not, what can you as a maker or seller do to address that grievance.

Lets face it, this is a creative field and we all aim to keep it that way. If this is fading its only because of the way we treat it. Working with clay still gives me immense joy and I would continue sharing whatever little I know with the people out there. Instead of re-making other artist’s work, how about collaborating with them on some projects. Its a win-win for both plus you also get to learn something from each other.

Clay is a medium with a lot of creative possibilities. Lets tap that and continue to grow.

My best to all terracotta jewellery makers out there!

Neha Gopinath Pillai