Extraordinary Creatives

What can art do about climate change that science, facts, and frightening headlines can’t? That question has driven curator Alice Sharp for more than fifteen years. As Artistic Director of Invisible Dust, she brings leading artists and scientists together to create something neither could have arrived at alone. Her latest project, Climate Clock, created for Oulu’s year as European Capital of Culture in Finland, brings together seven permanent public artworks exploring climate change through our relationship with nature and time. Each artist was paired with a scientist, with Alice creating the conditions for those conversations to become something genuinely new. One of those artists is Rana Begum, whose collaboration with glaciologist Alan Hubbard transformed footage of glaciers breaking apart into a monumental work made from locally sourced stone, evoking both the weight and fragility of ice. In this conversation, Alice talks about trust, risk, fundraising, scientists, communities and the invisible infrastructure behind ambitious public art. Rana takes us inside the artist’s process: what happens when new knowledge enters your imagination, how work changes as it meets a place, and why the best collaborations leave room for surprise. And we ask: if information alone isn’t changing our behaviour, can artists help us feel our way towards a different future? KEY TAKEAWAYS Art can help us imagine climate futures in ways that facts and science alone cannot. Bringing artists and scientists together creates space for new perspectives, questions, thought provoking work and unexpected outcomes.  Art doesn’t have to turn climate science into a neat lesson. It can hold beauty and fear together, creating a pause where people can feel, notice and ask questions. Public art doesn’t need to be removed from everyday life to have impact — placing challenging work where people encounter it unexpectedly can start conversations and change how communities see themselves. Artists help shape the futures we can imagine. BEST MOMENTS “Who can imagine the future? It’s artists because you know it’s impossible to do anything about the future without imagining.” “If you can bring in a new perspective that someone hasn’t heard before, I think you’re going to have people more interested in future thinking.” “Rather than becoming paralysed by the scale of what is happening,  ask what agency we have through the choices we make, the relationships we build and the work we put into the world.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.ranabegum.com/ https://invisibledust.com/ https://www.instagram.com/invisible_dust https://www.instagram.com/ranabegumstudio HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career?  https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at [email protected] This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

At a recent exhibition opening, I was talking with an artist whose work I admire. We were looking at work that was beautifully made and meticulously researched, yet somehow, I wasn’t moved.  The artist described it as research that hadn't become art yet. I thought that was such an interesting observation, because it describes something I've encountered many times over the years A fascinating subject, impeccable research and extraordinary skill don’t always add up to an artwork that feels fully alive. Over the next three episodes, I’m exploring how you develop your own artistic point of view: how research becomes art; what the works that make you feel glad to be alive can teach you about what you want to make; and how that understanding can help you find people who connect with and champion your work. It’s easy to get caught up in producing, explaining, and promoting work without asking what you want it to do. So today, let’s start with research: when does it stop being information you’ve gathered and become something only you could make? KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes a work can feel like a presentation of research rather than artwork. Often, because the artist hasn’t yet made the personal choices that transform it into work that moves them and others. Don’t let research postpone creating. There will always be another book to read or person to interview. Sometimes the next discovery comes from trying something, getting it wrong, and seeing where the experiment takes you. The transformation doesn't have to be dramatic, but there's a difference between representing something you found and making a decision about it that opens up a new experience for somebody else. Give the viewer a chance to meet the work before they meet the backstory. Notice what they’re curious about, where they linger, and what surprises them. Their response can show you what’s already alive in the work and where to take it next. BEST MOMENTS “Sometimes, when an artist tells me about a new project, they can talk for twenty minutes about the research before we get anywhere near the artwork.” “Then I look at the artwork and find myself wondering where the artist has gone.” “Take a look at what you've actually made so far. Try to separate it just temporarily from everything you know about the subject.” “You might begin to recognize the difference between the things you know about your subject and the things you're discovering through making the work.” PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at [email protected] ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

How does a sixteen-year-old looking for beer money become one of the world’s leading dealers in rare maps, selling extraordinary objects for millions and occasionally outbidding the Library of Congress? Today I’m talking to Daniel Crouch, founder of Daniel Crouch Rare Books, because I’ve always been fascinated by maps. They might look like records of the world, but they’re also records of how somebody wanted us to see it: who owns what, where borders lie, what gets included and what disappears. Daniel has spent his entire working life learning how to look. We talk about a magnificent sixteenth-century world map that may have been made for political negotiations between kings; a 5,000-year-old clay map bearing its maker’s thumbprint; and the nineteenth-century map he bought for £100 at a car boot sale, only to discover his own house sitting right in the middle of it. But beneath these extraordinary objects is a much bigger conversation about curiosity, storytelling, value, collecting and what happens when you spend a lifetime paying very close attention. I loved this one. I think you will too. KEY TAKEAWAYS Work that feels topical, disposable or culturally specific today can become an important historical record tomorrow. The fact that something was made quickly or for a short-lived audience doesn't make it artistically or historically insignificant. Go and look again at something you think you already know. Stay with it a little longer. Ask who made it, why they made it and what you can see that somebody else might miss - sometimes the extraordinary thing isn’t hidden at all. We just haven’t learned how to look yet. Looking is never neutral. Somebody has made a choice about what to include, what to leave out, where to place the centre, where to draw a boundary. Every creative work is also a way of deciding what the world looks like. Expertise doesn't arrive all at once. Daniel built his eye slowly  by looking, touching, researching, talking, making mistakes and staying curious. BEST MOMENTS “Value doesn’t live in price alone. It grows when somebody can help us understand the history, labour, imagination, craft and human experience held inside an object.” “That thing that you think actually is just a throwaway thing could go on to inspire generations to come.” “As art dealers, particularly as rare map dealers, we don't sell objects and we don't sell beauty. We sell a story.” ABOUT THE GUEST https://crouchrarebooks.com/ HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at [email protected] ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

What if the thing that you keep calling procrastination, lack of confidence or self-sabotage isn’t quite what you think it is? What if one part of you desperately wants the exhibition, the opportunity, or success, while another part is trying just as hard to keep you safe? And what happens to our creativity when we’re also carrying grief, uncertainty, difficult relationships, and everything that’s happened to us before, as well as everything happening in the world around us right now? I recently spent four days in Oxford thinking exactly about these questions at a conference on trauma, healing the mind, the body, and the spirit. I came home thinking how much of this connects to the challenges that I see creatives wrestling with every single day.  So, in this episode, I want to talk about agency - the different parts of ourselves that can want completely contradictory things; grief and trust; how we protect our attention without turning away from the world; why spirituality is still a dirty word in the art world; and why the problem that you think you might need to solve might only be the visible part of something much bigger. KEY TAKEAWAYS If you’re procrastinating, stuck on pricing, or avoiding galleries, it may not be a simple confidence problem. The visible snag could be connected to exhaustion, grief, old hurts, or the conditions you’re working in. Your creative block may be tied to loss, not just bereavement. Maybe losing a community, security, or the person you thought you’d become. Naming what you’re grieving can help make sense of what feels stuck. You can care about what’s happening in the world without taking in every update. Managing your inputs isn't indifference - it enables you to remain present and useful for longer. Agency doesn’t mean carrying the whole art world on your shoulders. Agency is saying this isn't all within your control, so let's identify what is. You don’t have to become fearless to make work or put yourself out there. Confidence can mean taking a step without knowing how it’ll go and trusting yourself to meet what comes next. BEST MOMENTS "The bit of you that's frightened doesn't disappear because you tell it to be quiet. It just keeps tapping you on the shoulder, and sometimes it gets even louder.” “Sometimes, what we're grieving is a version of ourselves.” “Maybe confidence is I don't know what's going to happen, but I trust myself enough to find out.” HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at [email protected] ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

What do you do when an artwork you’ve been quietly developing for years suddenly goes stratospheric? And how do you turn a hit into a career-changing opportunity without sacrificing your health, your family, or the work itself? My guest today is extraordinary artist Freddie Yauner, whose work explores how our drive for continual growth impacts people and the planet. Held in MoMA’s permanent collection, his projects range from world-record-breaking toasters to portraits of CEOs painted with pollen. Years ago, I invited Freddie to make a film using his Mirror Mask, an ingenious piece reflecting the viewer rather than the wearer. Newly edited and reposted, the film exploded - racking up millions of views, reaching fans like Dawn French, and sending thousands of masks around the world. We discuss the mechanisms of success: how great ideas are mobilised, navigating health issues and imposter syndrome when things take off, and how to reinvest a hit to protect your creative life. Freddie also shares what shifted for him when he joined my six-month Artist Mastermind Circle. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes a number one hit arrives years after you first made the work. Your job is to be ready for it. Treat virality not as a fluke but as the moment when preparation meets opportunity. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Investing in help with admin, social media or production isn’t indulgent, it’s how you create the capacity to stay creative, resilient and available to new opportunities. Doing less, better, is a radical act. When health or life reduces your capacity, it can also sharpen your priorities. Limitation can become a lens that clarifies what really matters in your practice. BEST MOMENTS “Luck favours the prepared mind.” “Treat a successful artwork like a number one hit… don’t abandon it because you’re already thinking about the next thing… stay curious about how far it can travel, who else it might reach and what doors it might open.” “You put all this energy into making the work, and then actually it's not complete until you work out how to share it as well.” If you’re an experienced artist who’s already had some success through exhibitions, but you know there are areas where you’re ready to level up, applications are now open for my next Artist Mastermind Circle. It runs for six months, from November 2026 to May 2027, with twenty-five artists from around the world. A carefully curated group, so places are by application, and the deadline is Monday 28 September. Apply here: cerihand.com/artist-mastermind-circle. EPISODE RESOURCES https://freddieyauner.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/freddieyauner HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals - https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at [email protected] This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/