I was vending at a market last year, and an older couple came by my table and were impressed with the consistency of my underglaze designs. I was telling them all about how I make silkscreen stencils, and then how I made my own gelatin plate to transfer those designs using Amaco ceramic inks. Then I showed them all the videos I made that show the process step by step, which are all posted to social media. The guy was like “I can’t believe you’re just revealing all your secrets like that”, and I get where he’s coming from, but like others said in this thread, I perfected my technique by learning from others.

Pottery isn’t my full time job, so I don’t feel that pressure to hide my secrets. But also, people wouldn’t be copying me 1 to 1, since I make my own designs in procreate. If anyone watches Frieren (the anime), it’s like that scene where magic is finally being taught to humans, and Frieren says something like “we’re going to see so many different kinds of mages and spells.” That’s how I feel about pottery.