Photo courtesy of Dax Newman.
SHEESH! had the pleasure of chatting with Dax Newman, an 18 year old pottery connoisseur who has gained over 4 million followers on TikTok. Dax first started posting on TikTok less than a year ago, after his friend encouraged him to download the app. He mentioned he was never really into social media before, although he did “enjoy the occasional vine compilation”. Like most teens, he started using TikTok to make light-hearted dance videos, which he would occasionally post. But it wasn’t until Dax uploaded videos of himself making pottery that he began to gain a following. He noticed people really liked the videos that showcased the process of shaping a lump of clay into a finished product. In fact, people liked these videos so much that Dax has earned over 70 million total likes on the app, including 10 million likes and 45 million views on a single video.
Despite his current passion for pottery, Dax actually started practicing it by accident when he took a 3D Design class in high school. “My parents wanted me to take 3D Design because they thought it involved computers, and they were all like ‘computers are the future’, but it turns out it was actually a pottery class… so no computers there.” This high school class was Dax’s first introduction to pottery making, which quickly became a hobby he fell in love with. And with a little help from his family and his fans, Dax was able to turn this hobby into a business. Dax sells a variety of ceramic goods, including mugs, bowls, and vases, which are all hand-made and available for purchase on his website. Throughout our conversation, he expressed gratitude for his parents, who run their own business, and greatly assisted him with starting his own. Before blowing up on TikTok, Dax mostly sold pots to his family, friends, and local community. But since accruing millions of supportive followers, the number of people and places he sends his pots to has increased considerably.
Q: What do you specifically like about pottery? Why are you drawn to this more than other art forms?
“I really like how with pottery I can create something that people use everyday. Now don’t get me wrong, I also love paintings and other art that is for display only, but there is something special about creating something for use that I really enjoy.”
Q: How many total pots have you made and sold?
“I don’t know… I aim to make about 40 every two weeks so that adds up fast. I’m not exactly sure how many I’ve made but when you spend all day everyday making them it is a lot.”
Q: What do you see for yourself in the future?
“I have never really been a school person so I’d like to continue focusing on being creative and making things. I am in junior college, but I only take ceramics classes. It’s kind of a scary thing being an artist and going all in, like I don’t really have a backup plan, but I’m young so I don’t expect myself to have it all figured out right now.”
Dax Newman is part of a larger wave of young artists successfully using social media to exhibit their work. Whether its potters on TikTok, singers on Youtube, or makeup artists on Instagram, young creatives are reaping the benefits of having millions of people at their fingertips. With his newfound internet fame, Dax can share his art with a greater audience than is otherwise physically possible, and he can connect with people around the world who want to be patrons of his art (he ships to 38 countries, and particularly a lot to France). While many people may be drawn to the bright flame that is social media, Dax recognizes it’s a tool that can burn if used improperly. When asked what advice he has for people who want to pursue a similar path, Dax contends the key to success is maintaining authenticity and only doing things you truly have a passion for. This is something Dax strives to preserve within himself, and never wants to think of himself as “famous” regardless of how many followers he has. He also shows sincere gratitude for his fans, whom he loves for being so positive and funny, although he jokingly said they could “cool it with the weed jokes”.
Keep up with Dax Newman on Instagram and Tiktok.
Want to read about more Tiktok success stories? Check out How Tiktok Fame Gave Monette K-D Her Dream Career and How Katelynn Nolan Teaches Us to Love and Fuel our Bodies Right.
