How To Not Care | Amanda Fangue | Episode 832

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Amanda Fangue | Episode 832

If Amanda had known she would one day be a professional potter, she would have taken more than Introduction to Pottery in college! Amanda was re-introduced to ceramics while stationed in Germany (2008) on a US military instillation that had several recreational centers, one of which had pottery wheels and a kiln. Since then Amanda has primarily been self taught through through research, asking a lot of questions, and trial and error. Amanda’s work is 100% designed and handcrafted by herself. Her bubble designs are relatively new. Amanda uses a combination of underglazes, overglazes, and decals.

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Why are we attached to caring about what other people think about us and our work? Why is that such a bigger deal when we are younger?

Because you still care about what people think. I mean it’s a social acceptance-type deal and awhile back I kind of decided if you don’t live with me, love me, or sleep with me then your opinion of me probably doesn’t really matter that much. And even some people I’m related to, their opinions don’t matter as much but that kind of the category…it’s probably not that important in the long run, that person’s opinion.

You tied it to age. Does it have to be tied to age?

I think some people mature faster than others. I think age is important because there’s only certain things that you can gain knowledge-wise, experience-wise, through going through growing pains as a person, as a woman, as an artist, as a mother. It’s just life experiences that really kind of put things into perspective that you don’t get as a twenty year old.

How does giving up on caring what people think or people pleasing, how does giving up on that how does that make you feel internally?

It sets you free because you are no longer chained by those expectations of other people. And I try not to have expectations of other people because I tend to hold those people to my standards and that just leads to disappointment. So if you try to hold yourself to other people’s standards then you are going to disappoint someone and nine times out of ten it’s going to be you because you are not being true to yourself.

Do you think not caring is being selective about which people matter the most, I care about what those people think but the rest of them no?

I think it’s emotional boundaries because you are establishing those boundaries of the importance and the rankings of who you should really allow in to affect your life and work.

How does it impact your piece of mind then?

Oh, it’s freeing. It really is. Because you tend to get stuck in a loop of the negative thoughts and you stop that cycle and you get off that hamster wheel and you realize it’s not that bad. You know, it’s not that important.

How did releasing the thoughts of what other people think of your work or don’t think of your work, how has that made you a better artist?

How has that made me a better artist. Because I have become true to myself again. I have played with my work and I have done what makes me happy and not what’s expected of me or expected by other people. Now it’s all about, Do I like this piece? Does this piece make me happy? Yes, it does. And I truly believe when I am happy making my pieces happiness is passed on to the recipient of the piece. And I think that’s the biggest feedback I get from my customers is that they look at my pieces and they smile or they laugh.