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Badass Books and F*cking Awesome Mugs: mugsandbooks.com

Time flies. It feels like just yesterday Steven Pressfield and I began emailing back and forth. His books shook me, specifically The War of Art, Turning Pro and The Artist’s Journey. I asked if I could mail him a mug, as a thanks for his inspiration.

Flash forward two years and hundreds of emails between us. Steve is more than just a pen pal. He is deeply curious about where inspiration comes from, and how it serves humanity in the real world.

Steve and I share this obsessive search for meaning, through art. Steve, through writing. Me, through pottery.

Our shared curiosities culminated in a new website that we’re testing:

mugsandbooks.com

Steve’s curiosity even led him to discover a mug design in ancient writing by Plutarch. Steve has written about ancient Spartan culture in his world renowned books Gates of Fire, The Warrior Ethos and more. Researching Spartan battle equipment for his writing, Steven became intrigued by one passage from Plutarch’s Life of Lycurgus. The passage is not about shields or swords or armor but about a common drinking mug.

“…the Spartan kothon or drinking cup…is especially valued for use on [military] campaigns. Visibly off-putting elements in [stream or river] water which had to be drunk were concealed by its color, while the dirt in the liquid was trapped in the lip, so that what reached the mouth for drinking was cleaner.”

That 2,000 year old quote, combined with Steve’s inspiration, resulted in a challenge. He challenged me to resurrect this idea, to recreate a modern day version of the ‘kothon’ mug.

If I had to sum up what I’ve learned from Steve’s writing, it’s that even though your source of inspiration must be pure and true, inspiration alone accomplishes nothing. It’s what you do with that inspiration that truly matters.

What are you doing in the real world? How are you contributing to society? How are you serving people?

mugsandbooks.com is our way of experimenting together. We’re testing how our work can serve people by inspiring them on their own artistic journeys.

Of course, it’s not for everyone, because it’s art, and all art is bound by constraints. I wish the mugs could be more affordable.

The art of handmade pottery is constrained by limited quantities. That’s why mugs must start at $100 each, because we chose to make everything here in the USA, in small batches.

Honestly, I’m surprised and happy we were able to get the price down to $100, thanks to a collaboration with Mayco Ceramics in Ohio for the, “CONQUER RESISTANCE” mug paired with Steve’s mega-best-seller (featured on Oprah’s Book Club and Joe Rogan’s podcast) THE WAR OF ART.

Most mugs are made in factories overseas, which is why you can get cheap mugs anywhere. You can get books anywhere too, and I highly recommend all of Steve’s books! You can get them on stevenpressfield.com and wherever books are sold.

But if you’re interested in something one of a kind, something handmade in the USA, something uniquely inspiring…

Then mugsandbooks.com might be for you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and to learn about our shared curiosities.

SHOP MUGSANDBOOKS.COM

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Master Your Morning Giveaway💪🏻☕️📚, Ends 9-25-21

Start your day with one of our most popular coffee mug styles. This month, we decided to do a second giveaway. Enter our “Master Your Morning Giveaway” for a chance to win one of our most popular mugs paired with a book.

Here at Cherrico Pottery, all the employees do a process called “Reading and Research”. Each employee is given books that Joel has read previously and believes will help us with our specific tasks. This process allows us to learn, understand the way Joel runs his business, and allows us to provide a different perspective.

If you’re interested in the books included in this months giveaway, here is a short quote or excerpt from each:

“It is far easier to talk of the way things should be. It takes toughness, humility, and will to accept them for what they actually are.” – The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday. This book is paired with an out of this world “Cosmic Mug.”

“Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity, but it can be a resource for creativity.” – Originals by Adam Grant. The lucky winner of this book will also win a “Cosmic Mug.”

“We want action. We seek to test ourselves. We want friends—real friends, who will put themselves on the line for us—and we want to do the same for them. We’re seeking some force that will hurl us out of our going-nowhere lives and into the real world, into genuine hazard and risk. We want to be part of something greater than ourselves, something we can be proud of. And we want to come out of the process as different (and better) people than we were when we went in. We want to be men, not boys. We want to be women, not girls.” – The Warrior Ethos by Steven Pressfield. The recipient of this book will also receive a “Kothon Spartan Warrior Mug.”

We hope that this giveaway will give you the chance to master your morning with a new coffee cup and an insightful book; what a perfect way to start the day. Enter now for a chance to win and good luck!

 

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Gratitude Giveaway✨, Ends 9-7-21

We are kicking off the new month with a giveaway! During the first week of September, enter our ‘Gratitude Giveaway’ for a chance to win three amazing pieces.

The past few months (with the exception of August), we have given away multiple pieces to multiple people in our pottery giveaways. We decided to switch it up for this time. During the first week of the month, we will be giving away 3 amazing lunar/cosmic inspired pieces to ONE person! Absolutely free.

Our Lunar/Cosmic inspired pieces are some of our most popular pieces. These pieces of pottery also take the most time and skill to complete to perfection. These amazing pots are a perfect way to show our gratitude for our ‘out of this world’ fans and supporters. 

No matter how you support Cherrico Pottery, whether it’s through Patreon subscriptions, purchasing from our online store, or liking and sharing our Facebook posts, we appreciate you. Without people like you, Cherrico Pottery wouldn’t be possible. We are eternally grateful. 

The 3 pieces we decided to give away this month are: 

1x “Lunar/Cosmic Dinner Plate” 

2x :”Moon Mugs”

The “Moon Mugs” were picked fresh from the kiln for this giveaway and have not been photographed for our online store. 

We hope that you all enjoy this month’s “Gratitude Giveaway”. Good luck!

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Limited Edition Giveaway✨, Ends 7-31-21

 

For years, we have given away beautiful pots in our monthly giveaways. This month, we took it a step further and decided to choose pieces that rarely are for sale, or have never been available for purchase.

One of three winners will receive a one of a kind “Experimental Mug” paired with the book “Originals” by Adam Grant. Joel’s Experimental Pottery are all unique and unpredictable pieces. From his splatter designs that seem to hide fun and interesting visuals, to his pieces that blend shades of Iron and cobalt for an interesting contrast.

A gorgeous “Cobalt Soup Mug” is another piece included in our giveaway. This larger sized mug is paired with a very educational book written by Ben Carter. Ben Carter is a studio potter, educator, and the author of “Mastering The Potter’s Wheel” . Ben also hosts a podcast that features weekly interviews with other ceramic artists from around the globe. Cherrico Pottery supports the Tales of a Red Clay Ramblers Patreon and hopes to see this insightful podcast continue to flourish.

The third and final winner will receive a custom made “Lunar Cup” paired with a copy of “Cosmic Queries” by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The book ,Cosmic Queries, was sent to Joel personally from the author himself. Inside you will find, scribbled within the first few pages, Neil’s autograph in vibrant purple ink.

If you have been following Cherrico Pottery for a while, you may have seen Joel’s blog post he wrote for StarTalk, or the short interview clips from StarTalk Radio we like to share with our fans. Truth is, Cherrico Pottery has supported StarTalk Radio’s Patreon for years. By continuing to support, Joel is able to draw more inspiration from the cosmos, and then filter it into art.

This custom made “Lunar Cup” was designed for Star Talk Radio. Unlike the other two pieces in this giveaway, this cup is limited edition, and no cups like it are available for purchase. This fun piece has the classic shape and texture of Joel’s other Lunar Cups, but has “Keep Looking Up” scribed on with black glaze. If you listen to StarTalk, you’ll know that this uplifting reminder is how Neil deGrasse Tyson ends every episode.

The team here at Cherrico Pottery hopes you all have an amazing summer and that you’ll enjoy this month’s giveaway.

 

 

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June Pottery Giveaway, Ends 6-30-21

This month, 3 winners will receive a beautiful pot paired with one of our favorite books. These books have guided the work of Joel as an artist, business owner, and individual, as well as the members of our team. Each of these pieces were hand picked by Joel.

Here’s what he had to say about the books we are giving away this month:

In regards to “Practical Pottery” by Jon Schmidt, “Jon‘s perspective on making beautiful, useful pottery is helpful for anyone who is curious about how to make pottery themselves.”

“Steven Pressfield’s writing is so powerful that the city of Sparta in Greece declared him an honorary citizen. He reveals truths about how all of us struggle in our own lives, but we all share the power to conquer those struggles with dignity and honor.” These are Joel’s thoughts on Steven Pressfield‘s work, including “The Warrior Ethos” and “A Man At Arms.”

Finally, the last book we are giving away this month, “Mastery” by Robert Greene. “I reread this book every year. There’s this idea that 10,000 hours spent on any task will make you a master. But after you spent 20,000 hours, that’s when magic really happens. Robert Greene gives you steps on exactly what’s necessary to create something worthy of being truly original.”

We hope you enjoy this giveaway!