Extraordinary Creatives

If you’ve been listening to this festive-season mini-series, you’ll know that in Episode 1 Ceri laid the foundations. The why. The what. The who. The purpose of staging your own event. And in Episode 2 we stepped into the how. The planning. The invitations. The rehearsal. The feedback. The choreography of the night itself. Today, we’re entering the part artists often ignore. The after. Because what happens after your event is often far more important than the event itself. The room empties. The fairy lights cool. The paint smell settles. The cushions slump. The adrenaline fades. And there you are, standing in your studio, wondering what it all meant. Did it work? Did it matter? Was it worth it? What comes next? This is the moment artists often mis-handle. They either spring into frantic action or retreat into silence. But the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Slow, steady, intentional follow up. Gentle momentum. Small moves done consistently. -- Most artists are guessing their way through and staying stuck far longer than they need to. Inside Ceri Hand´s Coaching Membership, you get straight answers and real support through live sessions, portfolio reviews, virtual studio visits, monthly art world experts, and community to help you cut through fast. Ceri covers everything. Right now, you can join or gift a full year for £99 - our only discount of the year, available until the first of January. Please join here - http://cerihand.com/membership/ KEY TAKEAWAYS The after is where 90% of the opportunity sits. The event is only the beginning. The reflection and follow up is the bridge to your future. Hosting your own event is not about grandeur, it's not about numbers. Is not about applause. It's about agency, clarity, community, practice, becoming the artist who leads rather than waits. Plan with intention. Invite with care, host with presence. Follow up with warmth, reflect with honesty, and build with steadiness, and in time, your work will move outward into the world with a stronger pulse. Use your event as a catalyst not a climax. BEST MOMENTS “The first hour after everyone leaves is emotional. Everything feels tender. Your self-worth is loud, your exhaustion is louder.” “She tracks which price points people reached for, she jots down which pieces felt alive in the space and which pieces she'd not show next time.” “This is the moment that artists begin to think like both makers and professionals, where they have agency, where they take control of their own creative careers.” 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 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. ** 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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/

Welcome to the second part in Ceri¨s three part miniseries on planning an artist led event. This one's called planning the how turning intention into a structured, soulful artist led event. If you listened to Episode 1, you will remember that everything begins with clarity. The why. The what. Who it is for. What you want to learn. What you want to feel. That foundation changes everything. Without it, an artist-led event becomes a swirl of worry and last-minute decisions. With it, the whole thing becomes a living part of your practice. Today, we are stepping into the how. How to plan. How to prepare. How to build momentum. How to invite people. How to rehearse the event. How to gather feedback. How to set yourself up for sales if that is part of your goal. How to hold the energy of the night. We will continue following our two artists, Maya and Eli, because between them they cover so many of the scenarios that artists face. Performance plus sculpture. Painting plus small works on paper. Feedback plus sales. Ambition plus nerves. Limited budgets. Shared studios. Bigger dreams. -- Most artists are guessing their way through and staying stuck far longer than they need to. Inside Ceri Hand´s Coaching Membership, you get straight answers and real support through live sessions, portfolio reviews, virtual studio visits, monthly art world experts, and community to help you cut through fast. Ceri covers everything. Right now, you can join or gift a full year for £99 - our only discount of the year, available until the first of January. Please join here - http://cerihand.com/membership/ KEY TAKEAWAYS You can´t roll straight from the studio into the event. Your work needs a staging environment, a context, a point of view. When planning and preparing an event you need to protect your energy. Block out time to relax as well as time for the event. These blocks create momentum. Holding a room is not about performance. It's about hospitality, and hospitality is an art in itself. BEST MOMENTS “Artists underestimate the mental load of planning. Something I teach all of my artist clients, to create a planning container.” “The order in which you invite people matters. So, step one, warm your warmest people. These are the people who are most likely to say yes.” “For Ellie, her feedback comes in the form of behaviour, which paintings people stand longest in front of which works on paper people touch which price points get interest.” 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 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. **** 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, email us at hello@cerihand.com **** 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/

For those of you who are new to the podcast, and for those of you who’ve been listening for a while, thank you for being here. As we reach the edge of the festive season, I wanted to offer you something special. A small gift to carry into the new year. A mini-series on hosting your own events as an artist. Not because the world is begging you to. Not because someone has given you the green light. But because your practice deserves oxygen. Visibility. Conversation. Agency. And because too many artists are waiting for someone else to make the first move. If you’ve worked with me, you’ll know I’m a firm believer in not waiting for permission. And I’ve seen too many artists twist themselves into knots wondering whether it’s worth doing something self-initiated. Whether it looks desperate. Whether it’s allowed. Whether someone else might quietly judge them. Whether it’s pointless unless it’s blessed by an institution. But in reality, artists at every stage host their own events. The big names do it with teams and budgets. The early career artists do it with hustle, charm and borrowed gear. Everyone else sits somewhere in the middle. Today’s episode is all about the foundation. The why and the what. Why host your own event. What to show. What you’re trying to learn. What you’re trying to provoke. What you’re building toward. -- Most artists are guessing their way through and staying stuck far longer than they need to. Inside Ceri Hand´s Coaching Membership, you get straight answers and real support through live sessions, portfolio reviews, virtual studio visits, monthly art world experts and community to help you cut through fast. Ceri covers everything. Right now, you can join or gift a full year for £99 - our only discount of the year, available until the first of January. Please join here - http://cerihand.com/membership/ KEY TAKEAWAYS Start planning ideally, six months out, at minimum. Why six months? - because momentum in the art world drips rather than gushes. Every decision you make when building your event must flow from a high level of clarity. Otherwise, the event becomes a blur. Too much labour, not enough purpose. Too many hopes, not enough design. When you’re clear on why you’re holding your event, you’re not just “putting on something,” you’re designing an experience that has a job to do. BEST MOMENTS “I’ve seen too many artists twist themselves into knots, wondering whether it's worth doing something self-initiated.” “The three-month window is your sweet spot. Enough time for people to make space in their diaries, but not so far in advance that they forget.” “Both events are small, both events are intentional, and both events are entirely designed around their aims.” 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 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. ** 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 To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, email us at hello@cerihand.com This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

This is the time of year when the studio hopefully gets a little quieter, inboxes slow down, and we start to take stock. For many artists, that pause comes with a mix of reflection and panic. The question that hangs in the air is: what will next year look like? How will I make it work — not just creatively, but financially? If that thought makes your stomach tighten, you’re not alone. Most artists were never taught how to plan income. We were taught to plan projects. But the truth is, when you take charge of your numbers, you take charge of your freedom. So, today I want to walk you through a simple way to design your own £40K year — not as a fantasy figure, but as a structure you can actually build towards. It’s not about making 40K exactly, if you need to earn more or less; it’s about giving yourself a clear base to make informed choices and stop relying on luck or last-minute opportunities. KEY TAKEAWAYS You can design your own £40K year by mapping your current income streams, sketching your "ideal" income wheel, and using the gap between them as your roadmap for the year ahead. Ceri shares exactly how to do this. Clarity beats hustle. When you identify and break your goals into quarterly, monthly, and even daily targets, and choose one 90-day focus with specific actions, you create momentum without burning out. When Ceri's student Jenny stopped trying to do everything and instead doubled down on two key levers—direct collector sales and small group workshops—she didn’t double her workload, she doubled her clarity, and that’s what took her from £22K to £40K in a year. BEST MOMENTS “We're working on compounding your actions over time, not going all in, then having to lie down for a month because you've exhausted yourself.” “This isn't just an exercise. It's an act of self-leadership, because the truth is, no one is coming to plan your career for you.” “£40k might sound big, but when you break it into four quarters or 10 collectors or 15 commissions, it's suddenly human sized.” For support with creating and delivering your own £40k+ year, get on the waitlist for Ceri Hand´s Artist Mastermind Circle. Join here - https://cerihand.com/artist-mastermind-circle/ 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 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 cand 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 hello@cerihand.com ** 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/

It's that time of year again when we start reflecting on what we've achieved in the year and start thinking and planning for the year ahead. So, I wanted to record something for you on how to set goals that actually work for you. Most artists I know aren’t short on ideas — they’re short on direction. It’s not about working harder; it’s about knowing where your effort will actually count. Every January, or halfway through the year when things start to slide, I hear the same refrain: “I just need to be more disciplined.” But discipline isn’t the issue. The problem is that most of us set goals that belong to someone else’s version of success. We look at what others are achieving — the residencies, the launches, the awards — and think, I should be doing that too. But if your goals don’t match your values, energy, and current reality, they’ll drain you before they ever develop you. Today, I want to help you create goals that work for you — goals that are practical, measurable, and motivating, not punishing, that won´t slip away. KEY TAKEAWAYS Make your goals specific, time-bound and identify the benefits of achieving those goals. Establish where you are now, work out what could derail you and how you will handle that. Visualise success - Picture the outcome. What does the room look like when those works hang together? The overview of the Seven Essential Steps to Achieving Your Goals framework shared here is the same one Ceri teaches in her Artist Mastermind Circle - a tried, tested and highly effective way to turn vague hopes into a clear creative plan. BEST MOMENTS “Goal setting isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most.” “Chaos says, “I must do everything.,” Momentum says, “I’ll focus on what creates real movement.” “Commit to the process. Not perfection — persistence. Progress happens through consistent, imperfect action.” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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/

Today, Ceri speaks the extraordinary Memo Akten — artist, researcher, computer scientist. For more than a decade, he has worked with emerging technologies, AI, Big Data, and our Collective Consciousness as scraped and shaped by the internet, to explore consciousness, perception, ecology and the politics of our techno-lifestyles. He won the Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica, became Google’s first artist-in-residence in their Artists & Machine Intelligence programme, and has exhibited at the Venice Biennale, Tribeca, the Barbican, ACMI, Mori Art Museum, and the Academy Museum in LA. His collaborations span U2, Lenny Kravitz, Depeche Mode, Max Cooper, Richard Dawkins, Google, Apple and McLaren. KEY TAKEAWAYS Technology is never neutral. It shapes us as much as we shape it. Memo reminds us that behind every dataset is a culture, behind every model is a worldview, and behind every technological leap is a chain of ecological, political and emotional consequences. The world can only meet your ideas if you let them out of hiding. Memo’s story is a masterclass in releasing the work before you feel ready. If you are wrestling your way through a project remember - the destination is just the documentary still. Gathering the threads that eventually become something whole is where the real art is. BEST MOMENTS “We can use technology to understand ourselves more deeply, to pay attention to the world more carefully, and to ask bigger, braver questions.” “I very rarely begin a project with an end goal of this is what it should look like, in mind. I usually begin with this is how I want it to behave.” AN UNMISSABLE OFFER If the art world feels confusing, you’re not imagining it. Most artists are guessing their way through it and staying stuck far longer than they need to. Inside the Ceri Hand Coaching Membership, you get straight answers and real support. Each week, I run live sessions where you can bring any problem and I’ll help you cut through it fast — creative blocks, pitches, pricing, all of it. You’ll get coaching with me, the chance to host or attend a virtual studio visit, portfolio reviews, monthly art world experts, and a community who genuinely get it. It’s the kind of guidance most artists wish they’d had years ago. Right now, you can join or gift a full year for £99, our only discount of the year, available until the first of January. Join the Membership, or gift it to someone who needs it. We’ll get there faster together. Just click here: cerihand.com/membership. EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.memo.tv https://www.instagram.com/memo_akten 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 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. ** 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 To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Some artists wait for the perfect show to appear, as if the universe will tap them on the shoulder and whisper that it is finally time to finish the work. But the longer you wait, the further away it drifts. Because unfinished work is safe. It stays in potential, where nothing is at risk and everything is still possible. And waiting feels easier than deciding. But waiting is not how shows happen. Finishing is. Ceri explains how to get unstuck, finish your work and finally show it. -- Most artists are guessing their way through and staying stuck far longer than they need to. Inside Ceri Hand´s Coaching Membership, you get straight answers and real support through live sessions, portfolio reviews, virtual studio visits, monthly art world experts and community to help you cut through fast. Ceri covers everything. Right now, you can join or gift a full year for £99 - our only discount of the year, available until the first of January. Please join here - http://cerihand.com/membership/ KEY TAKEAWAYS There is the quiet belief that if you never finish, you never fail, but you also never get seen. You can't wait for a show to begin. You have to build the show from where you are. Finish the work. Completion builds confidence. Confidence builds momentum. Momentum builds opportunity. If you want to show, you have to practice building one in your studio. Now, regularly. BEST MOMENTS “The shift comes when you decide that a work is the best you can make for this particular moment in your life, that this alone is enough reason to finish it.” “When you don't trust your authority, you fill the space with quantity. You make more instead of choosing better. You wait for a show instead of becoming the person a show makes sense for - opportunities come when you behave as if they already exist.” “Photograph it, sit with it, invite someone you trust to see it, but only after you've formed your own view. If you ask too early, you lose the chance to hear your own voice.” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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/

Today I’m speaking with artist Lakwena Maciver, whose glorious work has wrapped electrical substations, transformed the Bowery Wall, brought hope into a juvenile detention centre in Arkansas, transformed Tate Modern and handbags for Dior. All of this stemmed from a child drawing her own name to anchor a shifting sense of identity. Those early gestures became a life’s work centred on hope, connection and the courage to speak into public space without dilution.  If you’ve ever felt torn between ambition and intuition, visibility and vulnerability, or the expectation to deliver versus the instinct to stay true to yourself, this one’s for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Embrace your unique journey. Use what you have, stay true to your path and don´t worry about what others are doing or have. Art in public spaces can have a transformative impact - fostering hope, connection, and a sense of belonging. Balancing ambition versus intuition, visibility versus vulnerability, and expectation versus authenticity is ongoing for any creative person. Moving beyond “solo” creation into collaborative and community-focused work renews your creative energy and deepens your impact. BEST MOMENTS “I think I started making work from a place of displacement. So, I started drawing and making artwork as a way of trying to empower myself and speak hope to myself.” “What we protect ourselves from is often exactly where the breakthrough waits - letting something in is sometimes the bravest part of creative life.” “Try and stay in your lane. Use what you have in your hand. Don't worry about what you haven't got and what other people have.” AN UNMISSABLE OFFER If the art world feels confusing, you’re not imagining it. Most artists are guessing their way through it and staying stuck far longer than they need to. Inside the Ceri Hand Coaching Membership, you get straight answers and real support. Each week, I run live sessions where you can bring any problem and I’ll help you cut through it fast. You’ll get coaching with me, the chance to host or attend a virtual studio visit, portfolio reviews, monthly art world experts, and a community who genuinely get it. Right now, you can join or gift a full year for £99, our only discount of the year, available until the first of January. Join the Membership, or gift it to someone who needs it. Just click here: cerihand.com/membership. EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.lakwena.com https://www.instagram.com/lakwena Lakwena´s newsletter: https://shop.lakwena.com 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 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. **** 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 hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative.

You can’t build a big, brave, creative life if you’re still waiting for permission. In this episode, Ceri talks about the quiet poison of approval seeking, which keeps you performing instead of creating, editing yourself to fit in and please people who might never have seen your work. Or if they do, are too entangled in their own insecurities to applaud it anyway. Ceri explains why so many artists fall into the approval trap and how to get out of it should you be stuck there. KEY TAKEAWAYS Most of the artists you’re trying to impress are doing the exact same thing —comparing themselves to someone else, chasing a nod from their own invisible panel of gatekeepers.  You don’t need to earn respect. You’re already part of a living, breathing ecosystem of creativity. The system only works because each of us contributes our vision, our labour, our risk, our weirdness. If you’ve caught yourself editing your words or watering down your wins to fit in – use the simple exercise Ceri shares to reset how you view yourself, your work and how it is received, so you can stop seeking validation. BEST MOMENTS “In rooms full of artists, she admired, she shrank. She apologised for her success. She made her language more intellectual to prove she belonged. ” “It’s a pyramid scheme of validation. Nobody ever feels they’ve reached the top.” “Respect isn’t a prize handed down; it’s a by-product of contribution and participation.” “Respect flows horizontally, not hierarchically. And the moment you stop trying to earn it, you start embodying it.” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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 happens when two sculptors build not just a life together, but a living artwork? In this week’s episode of Extraordinary Creatives, I’m joined by Laura Ford and Andrew Sabin—partners in art and in life—whose decades-long dialogue between material, imagination, and place has produced some of the most distinctive sculpture in Britain today. Their story is one of instinct, invention, and fearless making. Laura’s work teems with humour, vulnerability, and human emotion—anthropomorphic creatures who hold a mirror to our tenderness and absurdity—while Andrew’s practice has moved from experimental casting to vast public works and the immersive environments of Matt Black Barn, the art-education complex they built from scratch in rural England. Together, they’ve navigated family, teaching, commissions, resistance, renewal, and the long game of sustaining creative momentum. This conversation is a love letter to material thinking, to risk-taking, and to building a world big enough to hold it all. KEY TAKEAWAYS The art doesn’t stop at the sculpture. It continues in the structures Laura and Andrew build, the people they invite in, and the courage to keep creating a life on their own terms. When you make bold or controversial work, the reception is unpredictable, so you have to accept that staying true to your convictions may sometimes cost you opportunities. For Andrew and Laura, sharing their work, through open studios, educational initiatives, and public engagements is central to their philosophy. They believe feedback and interpretation from others are vital for growth, even when it surprises or challenges them BEST MOMENTS “I remember Jenny Lomax coming in and saying, ‘Laura, I love this work, but I’d lose all my funding if I ever showed it’ - which was fair.” “The monthly fee from the gallery was nice, but it sort of ate into me…I'd find myself making decisions that I just hated myself for.” “Art and life are never separate—they’re intertwined, negotiated, rebuilt, and reimagined daily.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.mattblackbarn.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/mattblackbarn https://www.instagram.com/laura_ford_sculpture https://www.instagram.com/andrewsabinsculpture 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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/

Today, Ceri answers a question from one of her members that is likely to benefit every artist that sends their work to or attends art fairs. The question is - how to make the most of participating in an art fair? Some of the tips Ceri shares may surprise you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Prepare your work – it needs to be robust, stable, easy to handle, pack and ship. Fragile works, sharp edges, or delicate surfaces are not your friend in an art fair environment. When you’re choosing what to show, think about what will hold attention. Large or bold works might attract people in, but quiet, subtle works can still hold them, if there’s something intriguing that rewards a second look. Collectors love stories, they don’t just buy what they see. They buy what they understand and feel. Give your gallerist what they need to do their job well. A short blurb about the work - the inspiration, the materials, why it matters.  Art fairs aren’t just about shifting work; they're about building community and champions for your practice. BEST MOMENTS “People at art fairs can be unpredictable. They touch things they shouldn’t. They bring buggies into booths. They lean in close and forget their elbows exist.. make sure it is fair-ready.”  “Follow up within 24 hours, send PDF images or thank yous while the spark is still warm, people make decisions emotionally and quickly.” “Don’t just post “Delighted to show at X Fair.” Share the journey. The packing. The travel. The install. The booth. The moment the work goes up. Invite people into the process.” “If you're celebrating, maybe stop at one glass of Prosecco instead of three. I've done plenty of hungover fares, and it's not my top recommendation.” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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 happens when two people with very different beginnings—one raised in an artist family, the other hairdressing and DJing before turning to curating—come together to build a gallery that’s now shaping the future of contemporary art in London? Today, I speak with Oswaldo Nicoletti and Camille Houzé, the duo behind NıCOLETTı. Founded as a curatorial project in 2018, the gallery has grown into a permanent space in Shoreditch, recently redesigned by JAM, the architecture collective formed out of Turner Prize winning studio Assemble. Over the years, NıCOLETTı has become known for offering emerging artists their first UK solo shows, many of whom have gone on to biennials and major institutions. We trace their origin stories—from philosophy books and family studios to hair salons and record labels—and how those threads wove into a shared vision of a gallery that privileges singular practices, conceptual rigour, and a deep belief in collaboration. We talk about what it really means to support artists over the long term, how to think about selling without selling out, and the lessons learned from fairs and friendships along the way. If you’ve ever wondered how a gallery decides who to represent, what makes work “resonate,” or how you actually sustain trust between artists, collectors, and audiences, this conversation pulls back the curtain. KEY TAKEAWAYS The galleries that thrive are those who stand beside artists they truly believe in. Artwork resonates when it’s singular, honest, and sparks a visceral connection. Sometimes it’s the story, sometimes it’s the mystery, but it’s always about care, context, and the courage to champion new perspectives. Trust in the art world is built on open dialogue, collaboration and commitment. When gallerists, artists, and audiences show up for each other, the ecosystem flourishes. BEST MOMENTS “A gallery is not only a space with walls, it’s a relationship. Between gallerist and artist, between artwork and audience, between risk and resilience.” “We are still trying to be a gallery that operates as little as possible as a gallery. So, always artistic quality and exhibitions first, then, business unfolds from that.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://nicoletticontemporary.com https://www.instagram.com/nicoletticontemporary 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 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 hello@cerihand.com ** 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/

Artists spend so much time worrying about being consistent. But what if that’s not the point? What if your inconsistency is proof that you’re alive in your practice? I know you look at other artists — the ones who seem to stay in one lane — and you think, maybe I’m doing it wrong. Maybe people won’t get it. Maybe the market only rewards repetition. And yet, deep down, you know that sameness suffocates you. You didn’t become an artist to repeat yourself. You became an artist to explore. To experiment. To see what else is possible. We humans like certainty — patterns, predictability, knowing what’s what. But artists are wired for curiosity. You thrive on the unknown, the risk, the mess of it all. You love the feeling of falling forward. So when you see others who appear to be consistent, remember you might just be comparing your evolution to their edit. It´s time to make peace with being consistently inconsistent – listen in and let Ceri show you how. KEY TAKEAWAYS Consistency isn’t sameness. Consistency is commitment. It’s showing up for the work, again and again, in whatever form it needs. Most successful artists Ceri has met aren’t driven by style — they’re driven by a question. One that won’t leave them alone. Louise Bourgeois had it, Tracey Emin, Frida Kahlo - their forms changed, but the question stayed. They kept circling the same core. Stop trying to make your work look the same. Start making it feel true to the same enquiry. Ask yourself: what do I keep coming back to? What keeps tugging at my sleeve? What am I still trying to understand? That´s your North Star, follow it. BEST MOMENTS “The market might appear to love sameness, but the artists who last are those who stay faithful to their inquiry. They don't bend to the zeitgeist, they don't make to order, they don't chase trends.” “ Some people won't get it, some people won't like it, but you can't be a brilliant artist and a people pleaser.” “Authenticity is showing up for what matters, even when it's unfashionable.” “Avoiding your true voice by copying others or chasing what sells keeps you stuck.” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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 happens when you treat each artwork as a proposition of a world—when exhibitions become acts of empathy, and books become vessels for collective memory? This week, Ceri welcomes back the brilliant Ekow Eshun—writer, curator, and cultural polymath—who has just been appointed curator of the British Art Show 10, opening in September 2026. Ekow’s trajectory is extraordinary. The first Black editor of Arena magazine, the first Black director of London’s ICA, now Chair of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group—and a curator whose exhibitions, from In the Black Fantastic to Black Earth Rising, have redefined how we think about identity, myth, and belonging. His recent books, The Strangers and Black Earth Rising, extend that work on the page, blending rigorous history with poetic imagination. In this conversation, they celebrate his new chapter and explore what Ekow hopes to achieve with BAS10: creating space for artists who can bring us closer—to ourselves, to one another, and to the mystery of the world we inhabit. They discuss the “strangeness” that fuels his research, the empathy at the heart of his practice, and what it means to keep going deeper as a writer and curator. KEY TAKEAWAYS Ekow shows us how strangeness and curiosity open up new spaces for discovery, empathy, and connection. Art is a powerful force for reshaping collective memory. Artists use memory not just to preserve the past, but to rewrite the maps of the present. Exhibitions aren’t about neat lessons they are about fostering real encounters, the courage to go deeper and see the world from multiple perspectives. BEST MOMENTS “The role of the curator isn’t to dictate meaning but to create space for discovery, and that the real power of art lies in shifting how we see, each other, ourselves, and the fragile world we share.” “I just try and set myself as a goal, with everything, with writing, putting together an exhibition - Let's go deeper, there's always another layer.” “If you start a project, you have to start from a radical unknown, where everything is up for discovery.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.ekoweshun.co.uk 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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 you share your work with others does a lot of heavy lifting for you. Despite the myriad ways you can show what you make—through social media, websites, private viewing links, or even WhatsApp screenshots—curators, collectors, commissioners, and gallerists still rely on one timeless format - the curated artist portfolio. So, in today’s episode, Ceri walks you through how to create an artist PDF catalogue—a portable, compelling visual story that does justice to your work. She looks at what it is, why it matters, what to include, and how to make it feel unmistakably you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Think of your PDF as your practice in portable form. It should do three things - show what you make - show why it matters and make it easy to connect with you and your work. Your portfolio should feel like an extension of your practice. But don´t try and shove everything in like an overstuffed sofa. Instead, curate your best pieces. Start with a hero image, and choose others that help you to tell your story. PDFs can circulate offline, be printed or saved to desktops. They travel further than you can. Sometimes landing in rooms you didn't even know you were being discussed in Your portfolio isn't a tombstone it's a living document. It should evolve as you do and should flow like a story. During the episode, Ceri shares full details of her recommended order and formatting, for each page. BEST MOMENTS “How you share your work with others does a lot of heavy lifting for you.” “Your PDF is your story distilled. It's your visual CV, artist statement and show reel all in one.” “Your portfolio should feel like an extension of your practice, whether your work is bold, tender, chaotic or refined, let that inform your visual choices, typeface, colour, accents, pacing, even a handwritten note or sketch can help communicate tone.” “Think art magazine, not PowerPoint. Let the work lead. Minimal doesn't mean boring. It means confident.” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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 happens when anger becomes fuel, and one woman’s story grows into a movement that changes the law? Cei is joined by Joeli Brearley—activist, author, speaker, podcast host and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed. Before stepping into the spotlight as one of the UK’s most influential campaigners, Joeli worked in the arts, producing digital festivals and cultural projects that honed her gift for turning complex ideas into relatable language. A skill that helped her stand in front of Parliament and win. Over the past decade, she’s supported over a million women experiencing pregnancy and maternity discrimination, driven a £5.2 billion investment in childcare, and helped secure reforms to flexible working and redundancy protections. She was named one of British Vogue’s 25 Most Influential Women and awarded an MBE in 2025. She co-hosts the podcast To Be A Boy, exploring how to raise happy, kind, and healthy boys in today´s society. Joeli shares how being sacked by voicemail while pregnant became the catalyst for a national movement, what it really takes to withstand the haters, and why campaigning is less about perfection and more about persistence, community, and clarity. She also reflects on the cost of leadership, the lessons she’s carrying into her new venture GrowthSpurt, and why she believes rest and presence—not relentless graft—are the real markers of success. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lasting change is less about perfection and more about persistence, clarity, and community. True progress comes when we support each other, challenge the status quo, and redefine success not by relentless hustle, but by our ability to be present and lift others along the way. The importance of rest and self-care is universal and vital for artists who often pour themselves into their craft. BEST MOMENTS “I was sacked by voicemail when I told my boss I was pregnant.” “Perfection is the enemy of the good. Sometimes you’ve just got to throw shit at a wall and see what sticks.” “It’s a reminder to all of us working in creative fields that our ability to communicate, to reframe, to connect—is political power too.” RESOURCES https://growth-spurt.uk https://www.joelibrearley.com To Be a Boy Podcast Instagram LinkedIn 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 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 hello@cerihand.com ** 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/

Have you ever sat in front of a blank screen, trying to describe your work, and felt like every word made it sound flatter? Or worse—like it belonged to someone else entirely? You’re not alone. Writing about your art can feel like trying to bottle smoke. You know what you mean when you make it—you can feel it in your hands, your gut, your bones—but the minute you try to put it into words, something vanishes. Maybe you start to overthink it. Maybe you feel the pressure to sound impressive. Or maybe you freeze, because the idea of summing up everything you’ve ever made in a paragraph feels impossible. In this episode, we’re going to change that. We’ll explore what a good artist statement actually does, why most of them fall flat, and how to write one that sounds like you—clear, alive, and true. By the end, you’ll have a simple framework to follow, some real-world examples to learn from, and practical steps to help you write a statement that connects your work to the people who encounter it. KEY TAKEAWAYS Most artists were never taught to talk about their work, so it feels like “trying to bottle smoke”. Fear and jargon tend to take over. Think of your artist statement as a key rather than a summary; it gives your viewer something to hold on to, or an entry point into your work. It offers vivid clues, images, textures, emotions that invite curiosity. It says, Come on in there's something here for you." Ceri´s CLEAR method will help you to write an artist statement that actually sounds like you. It's all laid out in the episode. BEST MOMENTS “Writing about your work can feel like trying to bottle smoke. You know what you mean when you make it of course, you can feel it in your hands, your gut, your bones. But the minute you try to put it into words, something vanishes.” “Your artist statement isn't about proving you're clever. It's about helping people see what's already there.” “The goal isn't perfection, it's connection. When you can articulate your practice clearly, you can stop apologising for it” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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 do two students experimenting with clocks in Gothenburg end up creating million-euro artworks collected by celebrities and installed in airports and institutions across the world? This week, Ceri is joined by Bastian Bischoff and Per Emanuelson, the co-founders of Humans Since 1982 a Stockholm based studio where art, design and technology collide. Together with engineer David Cox and a team of international specialists, they've built a practice that re-imagines the simplest of objects, transforming time itself into spectacle. Their kinetic sculptures, ClockClock and A Million Times are now icons of contemporary design and art, hypnotic systems that mesmerise audiences while commanding extraordinary markets. Behind the headlines lies a story of risk, resilience, and relentless curiosity. Bastion and Per share the discipline of editing ideas down to their purest form, the challenges of building a collective, and the balance between entrepreneurial drive and artistic freedom. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did. KEY TAKEAWAYS Bastian and Per seamlessly combine conceptual rigour with entrepreneurial ambition. Humans since 1982 didn’t wait for permission. A prototype posted online caught the attention of galleries, collectors, and the press, catapulting them into the global design-art market almost overnight. Humans Since 1982 built a studio where precision and play coexist, a place to break the rules. Complex engineering is distilled into simplicity, and each piece is designed to outlive its makers, cared for across generations. Surround yourself with people who share your drive and values. But don´t shy away from a multi-disciplinary approach. That is where the magic happens. BEST MOMENTS “Within two years, we’d gone from students to selling work to celebrities.” “You don't have to choose between being commercially powerful and creatively uncompromising.” “We always talk about people having to bring some sort of entrepreneurial thinking and drive - the spirit to create something, to move forward and bring something to the market.” “Beauty, intellect and business can thrive together” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.humanssince1982.com https://www.instagram.com/humanssince1982 You can subscribe to their newsletter from there. 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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/

Today´s episode is about developing a sense of authority not just in the work you make, but also in all the other moving parts of being an artist. Including writing that dreaded artist statement, submitting for an exhibition you’re not sure you’re ready for, grant applications, open calls, sitting across from a curator and talking about your work. All vital tasks that fill many artists with dread. The feeling of authority doesn’t just appear one day in the studio and spread everywhere else. It has to be practised, over and over, in different contexts to be fully acquired. In the same way you build confidence in making—through trial, error, repetition, embodiment—you can build confidence in applying, pitching, choosing, and communicating. It’s not a different skill set. It’s the same muscle, exercised in a new way. Ceri shares how. KEY TAKEAWAYS Choose one hard thing to practice on purpose. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity. Maybe it’s submitting to one open call a month. Maybe it’s rewriting your bio every quarter. The point isn’t the outcome; it’s the repetition and the practice. Reframe mistakes as rehearsal. Nobody expects your first sculpture to be perfect. So why expect your first application to be flawless? Apply your creative strengths to tasks you struggle with. Use qualities you embody in the studio, such as persistence, playfulness, and problem-solving. BEST MOMENTS “Practice being the kind of person who can handle things, who can figure things out, who can do hard things, because authority isn't just about making extraordinary work, it's about trusting yourself to carry that work into the world.” “Each attempt is a sketch, a draft, a rehearsal. Over time, those rehearsals create flow.” “If there's a genuine learning opportunity and the only thing holding you back is, I don't know how, try saying yes. Authority grows through doing, not waiting.” 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 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 hello@cerihand.com **** 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 happens when you follow your instincts all the way from a boat-building town in New England to Alexander McQueen’s studio, through the forests of Oregon, to a sunlit gallery in LA? This week, Ceri is joined by the remarkable Ryan Noon—creative director, curator, gallerist, and founder of NOON Projects. His journey weaves together fashion, art, and everyday alchemy that turns felt experience into form. They talk about sewing shells onto garments in a childhood basement, launching a label at fifteen, and building Nike’s Blue Ribbon Studio from scratch—a space that redefined how over 1,200 creatives found their flow. Ryan doesn’t protect his creativity—he gives it away, trusting that the more he pours into others, the more returns through collaboration and care. They explore burnout, beauty, the lure of shoulds and what happens when you build a garden by the sea instead of chasing the next launch. This is for anyone who’s ever tried to bottle the magic before it vanished—or better yet, learned to stay still and let it bloom. KEY TAKEAWAYS While some guard their creativity like a secret recipe, Ryan pours his out, he doesn´t hoard. Generosity isn’t weakness—it’s a creative strategy. But you can´t be so generous that you don´t look after your wellbeing too. Ryan curates atmosphere as much as art—inviting guests to experience his multisensory gallery like a sauna, where scent, texture, and care guide them slowly into creativity. The best kind of art world is a place where the alchemy is less about gold and more about grounding and discovery, where artists are encouraged to stop, stretch and stay curious together. BEST MOMENTS “I think of creativity as like an endless spring. I purposely try to give as much away, to make room for new.” “Ryan measures success by whether an artist or a student felt seen, whether the gallery smelt right, whether the artist grew. That kind of bar setting isn't glamorous, but it's holy.” “Having a quarter acre garden of vegetables was really like my pivotal shift to be able to listen to myself and work from a different source.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://noon-projects.com/About 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 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 hello@cerihand.com ** 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