The Pottery Poop Emoji Explained

I make Poop Emoji pottery. And not everyone is a fan: some find it crass; some find it juvenile; some find it denigrates the art; and I’m sure there are other reasons people don’t like it. And if you don’t like it, that’s okay. I make it because it makes my family laugh, and it continues to be a source of joy in lots of ways. Let me explain.

When I first started making pottery a few years ago, I tried both wheel and hand building classes. I really wanted to make things on the wheel. And, I enjoy the wheel, but I’m too tired at the end to clean up my mess. I learned this lesson really early on. Luckily I had also signed up for a handbuilding course where we build hollow forms and items from slabs. There was some coiling, but we didn’t do anything focused specifically on using coils to build. With handbuilding I could do lots of different things, and I didn’t feel confined to making a cylinder. (Yes, I realize that is reductive, but this is at the beginning.)

The first pottery poop emoji

In talking about what I was doing with my husband and kids, we started joking about the clay I was using (brown in color) and what I could make. And what better silly and juvenile way to think about brown clay stacked up than picturing a poop emoji. It sent the family into fits of laughter, my husband especially. So, for the first holiday after starting pottery, I made him a poop emoji. It wasn’t made from coils. I still haven’t mastered that skill. Instead I cut strips of clay and created circles that I attached on top of each other. And then I added some eyes and a mouth and voila, a poop emoji holiday gift. He found this immensely entertaining and started showing it off to his colleagues and friends.

As I continued my pottery journey taking classes in creatures and sculpture and carving and glazing as well as continuing classes, I realized that I needed to make something consistently to see how I’ve grown as a potter, the different techniques I can pull into my making, and how they impact my work. So, I made another poop emoji the following holiday because it allowed me to see how my work had changed and grown while continuing to bring my husband and family laughter and joy. After that, making a poop emoji for a holiday present for my husband became a thing. This past year I gave it lips, eye lashes and a Santa hat. I didn’t like it as much as the year before, but that’s part of the learning experience.

And that brings us to the present and the proliferation of poop emoji related pottery that I make and think about. Along my journey, a friend looked at the clay emoji and told me her son would love to have something like that. Then I got laid off from my job, and I had all this time on my hands. And my husband was actively encouraging me to take some time for myself. Do things I enjoy. So, I started thinking about what I could make. And rather than just building plain poop emojis for kids, I considered if it could be functional. That was when the Poopie Bank idea was born. A kid’s piggy bank made out of a poop emoji. 

But not only did the poop emoji appeal to kids, I had adults express interest as well, especially as I shared different puns and ways of thinking about it. The Poopie Bank could be the foul mouth fund. Or, you can break it open if you have a crappy day. All of this coincided with exploring different clay types and glazing techniques. I was also driving kids around a lot more, and they started throwing out different ideas that are still in ideation mode, like a Supa Poopa Koopa Trooopa emoji. 

Laughing at the tiny Santa Hat on the most recent Christmas Poop Emoji

All of these conversations were filled with joy and laughter. And that’s why I continue to make them and think about them. Because they bring joy to my favorite people. And I continue to grow and develop how I make them. At this point, I have a basic template (a blog post for another day), and I’m signed up for a coiling class in the late fall. As a result, the poop emoji will continue to evolve as I learn new techniques and take time in my craft.