new PLAN FOR WORLD DOMINATION

Part of the joy of being an artist (at least until you hit the big time) is the neccessity of having a ‘portfolio career’.

Circumstantially, I wear a lot of hats and one of these is as Sudborough Green Lodge co-ordinator for Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, an amazingly rural location for artists to undertake residencies, workshops and a myriad of other artistic pursuits I won’t even begin to go into now (see our website: http://www.fermynwoods.co.uk )

At an event there today I was unexpectedly asked to introduce myself. This simple request never fails to make every coherent brain cell in my head fall instantly out of my ears, leaving me a babbling wreck. And as always happens, under pressure, I forgot to mention the two most important things to say when meeting an important group of people

a) my surname (there are 50 billion Sophies out there these days)

b) that I am an artist.

Number one rule to get people to remember your name – tell them what it is.

This, following on from my previous post revelation made me realise that not only is my life filled with too much overcommitment but that I also have too much variety within what I do.

To be successful it seems best to be known (at least initially) for ONE THING.

William Shakespeare wasn’t famous for writing plays, knitting really nice jumpers and being a dab hand at watercolour (although all may be true) we know him for ONE thing.

My dear father (and trusty studio hand) maintains that his own career was hampered by trying to be good at too many things instead of just being REALLY REALLY good at just one thing – he could, and did, turn his hand to one hundred and one, varied, creative problems in a brilliant way, which left little time for him to become the cartoonist he should have been.

Is it good to be a ‘jack of all trades’ in this day and age when versatility really should be an assset? I can always see a strand of myself in everything I do, running through the middle, and it makes perfect sense – to me – but is it joined up thinking, showing one clear image for everyone else?

My name is SOPHIE CULLINAN and along with my many talents at firebuilding, toilet cleaning, workshop devising, sewing on buttons, pie making and getting reluctant children out of bed at 6.30 in the morning, I am an ARTIST.

*ALARM BELLS * *SIREN* *WAILING*

I am in danger zone

I can feel it…… it is creeping up on me… the temptation to start something new… – to abandon a half finished project for sake of new

SHINEY NEW IDEA!!!

look at it ….glittering there in the sun….

the possiblities….. (are endless)

the new materials….. (textures! colours! Lights!)

the new techniques….. (I’ve had a taste and now I WANT MORE!)

No No NO.

PLEASE ADMINISTER SOME SELF DISCIPLINE NOW.

It is a trap – a very common and all too familiar trap that I fall into again and again – I am a serial flirter – with new projects.

I am a starter – but not a finisher – yet.

The danger zone is not the first hurdle of difficulty – no that would be a total cop out. And it’s not that I don’t like solving problems – that is probably the bit I like most (reinventing the wheel every day is the reason I get out of bed)…..but I just get a little bit bored.

The excitement and thrill of a new idea has waned – it’s old new (to me at any rate) – been there done that – and (nearly) got the t-shirt. EXCEPT that it is another unfinished – I don’t have anything concrete to show for all my time and trouble – I have litterally wasted my time. and filled my storeroom with yet another COULD HAVE BEEN.

So

With this knowledge I need to get a grip now before it is too late (and yes I probably said all this in Old PLAN FOR WORLD DOMMINATION) but somehow, someday perhaps I WILL take my own advice and finish something without being time-managed by a scary deadline.

Self knowledge is a wonderful thing yet knowing something and acting upon it are two VERY different fish.

Before Christmas I was running around like a headless chicken – literally running in my own house, frantically trying to get everything done. I had drastically overcommitted myself, completely by accident.

So now is a small lull – a delightful, quiet time. So what am I doing? What should I be doing? NOT applying for one hundred opportunities and trying to shoehorn my work into opportunities that just won’t fit – that’s what.

This time I will learn.

So, I have realised that excessivity is my affliction. It is everywhere in my life. Too much noise, too much stuff, to much to do, too much to MAKE MAKE MAKE……. TOO MUCH TOO MUCH TOO MUCH TOO MUCH!! (no time, no time)

There is no space for reflection as my dear father (and studio assistant) remarked recently – no – I can’t even locate the mirror.

Why, I wonder am I in such a rush? I haven’t just been given 15 minutes to live, so why am I in such a hurry?

Why does it feel that anything less than SUPERWOMAN is just not good enough?

Answers on a postcard please.

Refocus. Rename. Rewrite.

What implications do words have? My last blog was called into the VOiD and I think I literally FELL into a void within it – I never quite managed to post anything very much.

So.

Return to basics….. with renewed insight knowledge and purpose (I hope).

One of the main tenets emerging from my REview bursary has been to change the way I talk about my work: probably due to the British way of ‘not blowing your own trumpet’ this is a hard thing to do, something which, I have read, is compounded by being a woman.

It is true that if you place a label onto something, by some obscure process of word osmosis, that word becomes a self fulfulling prophecy. It is a prime example of good/bad karma in action.

So feeling confident in my abilities, work and powers of omnipotence…… here goes……..