Extraordinary Creatives

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 [email protected]

****

Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity

Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

How 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 [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 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 [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/

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 [email protected]

****

Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity

Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative.

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

How 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 [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´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 [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 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 [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

In today´s episode, Ceri explores how to deal with unfavourable feedback, something that every artist she has ever worked with has experienced. No doubt you too have felt that same sting, at some point. That moment when unfavourable feedback cuts closer than you’d like. And while it’s incredibly common, that doesn’t make it feel any less raw when it happens to you.

Yet, feedback is fuel. Even when it stings, there’s often a nugget of insight there if we choose to use it. Ceri explains how to deal with feedback in a way that builds resilience rather than shutting you down.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Part of our job as artists is putting ourselves in the best possible state to share work and hear feedback. Not just from people who love us, but from strangers, panellists, curators, critics—people with their own stories and filters.

You´re human, you are sensitive. Build resilience by inviting feedback in low-stakes situations, with people you feel safe with. In that process, you’re training your brain. You’re getting used to hearing other perspectives without spiralling.

Be curious. When someone offers feedback, instead of hearing it as a verdict, you can lean in and ask, “Tell me more”.

BEST MOMENTS

“Here’s the trap: we prepare for the logistics—the suitcase, the schedule, the people we need to call—but we forget to prepare our brains.”

“I’ll practice on my partner, Roger, who has a very analytical brain—totally different from mine. I’ve learned that if I want his feedback to be useful, I need to give him a clear invitation.”

“Sometimes, let’s be real, their opinion just doesn’t matter. Not every comment deserves equal weight.”

“Practice asking for feedback on purpose. Frame it so it’s useful. Prepare your brain and body—eat, sleep, breathe and journal before you go into high-stakes settings.”

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 a building unzips or a canal boat loops the loop mid-air? This week, Ceri is joined by the extraordinary Alex Chinneck, the British artist known for bending reality one brick at a time, dubbed arts master illusionist by The Guardian, Alex has carved out a global reputation for his large-scale public artworks that melt, slide, hover and ripple through the urban landscape.

They discuss how a childhood love of painting and a no-nonsense art teacher set him on a path to sculpting the surreal from cross-country running to cross-disciplinary collaboration, Alex shares how stamina, curiosity and sheer force of will underpin his most ambitious illusions. He reveals how a derelict Hackney warehouse became the site of his first major breakthrough, how he persuaded a wax factory to donate 11 tonnes of leg wax, and how he ended up installing a twisted phone box just metres from number 10. This episode is about ambition without arrogance, spectacle with substance and the messy, exhilarating art of pulling it off.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Ambition isn’t about ego or spectacle; it’s about the courage to bring big ideas to life, to invite others in, and to create work that resonates far beyond the art world.

Bold ideas come to life through grit, creative problem-solving, relentless negotiation, and the courage to turn resistance into opportunity; real innovation is forged in the face of challenge.

When you put your work out into the public, you never know how it will be received. Often, the courage to share your true vision sparks excitement far beyond your expectations.

BEST MOMENTS

“You don't have to wait for permission to make ambitious work. Start with the idea, then learn how to pull it off. One door, one brick, one yes at a time.”

“Sometimes the most radical thing an artist can do is make people smile.”

“Public art isn't just about scale, it’s about context, community and commitment.”

“Coaching clears out the noise so that people have better thoughts in which to help them do better work, while building up their tools of resilience.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.alexchinneck.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. 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/

Have you been circling something in your practice for years? Maybe you know there’s more to say, a seam you haven’t mined, a truth you keep sidestepping. The work is there, waiting. But you’re afraid. Today, Ceri talks about the fear of making the work you’re supposed to be making—and what it takes to finally face it, explaining, how to name it, drag it into the daylight, re-address it, and then turn it into creative fuel.

From Ceri´s experience of working with 1000s of artists over 35 years, every great work, whether tightly conceptual, minimal or wildly expressive, begins with an artist willing to face themselves. The question isn't only what you make, but whether you're able to be with yourself long enough sitting in the uncomfortable valley of knowing and not knowing to let the work be born.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Fear is the border guard of your best work. But fear is also data, and for the artists who dare to name it, fear often points directly to where the gold is buried.

Sidestepping your fears is counter-productive. The very strategies you use to survive are the ones that eventually hold you back.

Real creative freedom comes thru facing your fears head on by using honest self-reflection, safe support and creative rituals to process difficult experiences through your art. Ceri shares several practical examples of how she has helped artists work with their fears to create stunning work.

BEST MOMENTS

“What if the work you’re meant to be making is the work you’re most afraid of?”

“By first drawing, then making with bits of shite left around the studio, as if he were responding directly to that moment, he shifted the power dynamic. The work gained a bite.”

“Sit with your journal, sketchbook, or a voice memo and finish this sentence three times: “When I think of fear, I remember…” Don’t censor. Let it pour out. ”

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.

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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

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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/

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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]

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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/