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/

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 [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/

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 [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 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.

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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/