Meet Tantri Mustika | Ceramic Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tantri Mustika and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tantri, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have ALWAYS been a hard worker, I watched my parents and their parents work really hard when I was growing up. I guess you could say it’s just in my bones. I always got way too invested in all of the jobs I had when I was younger, I gave too much of myself to work and one day it crossed my mind: WHY am I doing this? If I can work this hard for someone else.. Just imagine how much of an asset I could be to MYSELF!? But to be honest I didn’t really have anything I wanted to do as a business.. Until I found Ceramics!!!

I fell head over heels in love with making ceramics and despite the fact that it was purely for play to begin with, I eventually thought “UH HUH! Maybe I can start a little side business selling my ceramics”. At the time I was only 26 so I figured if there was ever a time to have a crack at creating a business out of my passion, it was while I didn’t have any big responsibilities like kids or a mortgage… My thoughts spiralled and soon after got to work to make my new dream come true.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
well, my works are probably most well recognised for their perfectly imperfect forms, my colour choices and use of intricately marbled clay. But I believe what actually sets my work apart is the essence of my creative process.

It all begins with a set of simple questions: What do I need? How do I envision it? Where would it live and what would it pair well with? How will this bring joy to my everyday? From there, I dive into crafting something I genuinely love (more often than not without a plan- the unplanned pieces always turn out the best because the clay gestures to me what the next move should be as I go). I just have to trust that others will resonate with my creations, sharing similar desires and tastes. Ultimately, my guiding principle is to create what I genuinely enjoy. If others appreciate it, that’s a bonus. If not, I still find fulfilment in the creating of things from my imagination. While unconventional as a “business plan” or “design method” this approach has proven so far successful for me. Whenever I’ve strayed from the mantra of “create what you love,” and leant on “create what you know” the results have fallen short. And I have gone in and out of this rut a couple of times over the years.

I am most proud of the fact that I have built my business over the years without any large sum loans or debts. I have always moved slowly and purchased things as I needed them and made do, putting all of my earnings straight back into the business so if I walked away from it all tomorrow, it owes me absolutely nothing.

My business has already had a few different iterations over the past 7 years, the most notable was when I landed a commercial lease on a large studio space with retail frontage at the end of 2019- At the time a shopfront with a studio at the back was my ultimate work dream. Fast forward a couple of months and it was early 2020, I was mid way through the shop fit out (mind you, I had been keeping the whole thing a total secret) and then Covid hit. All of a sudden I had a very big whoopsie on my hands.. No one knew about it and I didn’t know when I was going to get to finish the fit out, let alone open the shop. The three years that followed were DIFFICULT but I got through the tough times again and again.

After fighting the good fight to maintain my desire to create whilst wearing a few too many hats (retail, markets, wholesale, teaching, exhibiting work, comms, marketing all whilst making almost everything we were selling day in day out) for 3 tough years, I hit burnout. and I mean BURNOUT I could barely look at clay, I felt like by the time I was paying all of my overheads I had nothing left. And my desire to be creative? Non existent. I woke up one morning and decided I had to make a change and make a change QUICK before I fell out of love with my craft for good. It was then that I had to fully realise that what I thought was my dream- wasn’t after all. In fact it took me quite a long time to even mutter the words out loud and verbalise how unhappy I was.. I felt guilty, I felt shame and I felt like a failure. I am proud of myself for being able to make the extremely difficult decision to close up shop. It has been just over 1 years since I closed the door on my dream shop and in all honestly I don’t think I can say that I am over the burnout BUT I cant definitely reflect on what was and I can feel super proud. I now know it is not a ‘failure’ to make decisions towards positive change, I have learnt so much about the ways in which I can find and hold joy in my work, I have learnt how to exercise better boundaries to avoid falling into overworking myself and I have yet again proven to myself that I am resilient.

Nowadays I am taking my practice a lot slower. I am considering the way the process feels just as much as how the end product comes out. I am honouring my creativity by working a couple of part time jobs to make me money so my artworks can free flow from my fingertips without the burden of financial pressure killing the mood. I am re learning that good things take time and the best things exist in smaller quantities. I am still moving through changes and healing my relationship with my creativity and my practice. I am not 100% certain of where I am headed with my business next but I am trying to feel comfort in the discomfort and just enjoying the journey along the path of the uncertain and unknown.

I love making beautiful things out of clay, I love the way my brain melts into my hands when I am having a good day in the studio. That is what I am focusing on at the moment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ok So, I live in Melbourne Australia (not sure if I mentioned that already?) and to be honest I am still re learning my favourite things to do in my spare time because for YEARS I had none.. These days I am fairly boring and like doing pretty much anything self care related.. But self care also means going out for long lunches and a nice glass of wine or a massage..!

SO my hit list/ itinerary for if I was spending a few days with a bestie in Melbs would be as follows:

Monday vibes- We would go for a slow morning of hot soaking and sauna at Sense Of Self in Collingwood and then after that go around the corner to Cibi to get a delicious healthy lunch. After that we would hit up Goodbyes to search for some pre loved goodies and then stroll down to Carlton to Cinema Nova to catch a movie at half price Mondays. We would definitely have to get a snack and a wine afterwards at Sunhands.

Tuesday- OPPSHOP DAY! We would go roaming around from suburb to suburb scouring through the many good opshops in random Melbourne suburbs. This is one of my favourite activities- I live in an area surrounded by some wealthier suburbs and I love going to search for goodies in said suburbs.. Everyone donates good stuff but probably doesn’t have the eye of patience to go thrifting. I mean this day would probably involve a bit of a crafter-noon alterations/sewing/wine sesh so a night in with my favourite takeaway of chicken ribs and rice from Saigon Mama would be it.

Wednesday- We would be jumping on a train to the city with a coffee in hand to go to visit some galleries! We would go to NGV, The immigration museum and Craft Victoria before we head to Pellegrini’s for a delicious pasta lunch.

Thursday- We would put together our favourite outfits from Tuesday’s opp shopping spree and get FANCY for a long french lunch at Entrcoté. Champagne is a must of course! I mean who knows where the rest of the day takes us? It could end abruptly with a food coma or we could get inspired to go searching for more champerz??

-Friday we would jump in the car and go for a little roadtrip up to The peninsula and go for another self care hot soak day at alba spa, before my friend leaves we would have to double down and treat ourselves to a massage and a delicious lunch there too. Then we would drive home on cloud 9 while the sun sets on the most chill and lovely little staycation week ever!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This is going to read as pretty corny but I have to shoutout to my Mum for being there cheering me on from day one!

My mum is where I get my creative spirit from, she’s the arty black sheep of the family and she’s always been supportive of me expressing myself creatively. Not only has she cheered me on from the sidelines but she’s worked for me in official and not so official capacities and still to this day she’s happily on call for whenever I need a spare hand. During the time that I had a retail shop, Mum could sell my work like no other (probably because she is proud of me like no other), she’s well known at the markets because she simply won’t take no as an answer when it comes to her offering up her help looking after the stalls.

Most of all though I have to shoutout Mum because she has been the one who has taught me that you can turn something brilliant out of nothing if you work hard and give it a go. Thanks MUM!

There’s too many other amazing people in my life to mention here but I am so lucky to have a supportive partner and so many supportive friends who have always been willing to pitch in and lend a hand or give advice when I have really needed it. I am very lucky.

Website: https://www.tantrimustikaceramics.com

Instagram: @tantrimustikaceramics

Image Credits
(second image on top row) Bobby Corica