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 [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/

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 [email protected]

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 [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/

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 [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/

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 [email protected]

**

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 [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/

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 [email protected]

****

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 [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 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 [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/

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 [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/