Now, why does this person being out of work a full year not surprise me?
An out of work "ceramicist"? I am shocked, after all the market for ceramic objet's de arte must be booming somewhere. After all. it's not like art pottery factories are being bought out and closed by Bain Capital and the jobs sent to Chinese "potters".
Of course, a spin-off occupation for a potter would be a mud slinger, seems to be a reasonable transition. Or make decorative ashtrays and stash boxes for the growing medical marijuana field (wait a minute, that is a fairly good idea).