Validation As An Artist

I'm thrilled to be included in the Feminist Library London's summer exhibition, Archiving the Feminist Experience, which is currently taking place at 310 New Cross Road, London.

This is an important exhibition for me as it's the first "call for entry" that I've entered and been successful with, despite the amount of competitions and calls I've submitted to.

As an artist it's imperative to get your work noticed, but how when the word is saturated with art? For me, it's continuously submitting my work in the hopes that it's good enough to be selected which can be extremely demoralising when you receive high volumes of rejections however, on this occasion, I got to be included along side some incredible and highly successful artists.

Unfortunately, on the journey down to London, my frames got smashed to pieces (thanks courier!) but thankfully the work was fine so it's being displayed without frames. This is disappointing as it's not how they're meant to be seen but hey ho, what can you do? And at least the work is getting seen, right?

Sadly, I can't get down to London this week to see it but as it happens my model for this series is in the area and is planning to visit on my behalf.

And like all good things you wait an eternity for, this post isn't about just one achievement, oh no, a second came along a week or so ago in response to a competition I entered. Whilst I didn't grab the solo exhibition on offer, my work did come within the top 100 entries and so will be on display on a showreel at the opening festival party for the Brighton Photo Fringe.

These little victories are what keep me going when I doubt my ability to succeed in this industry. It can be very hard to keep the faith after the tenth rejection in a row and even harder still to push forward with new projects when your old ones seem to be falling flat. However, I keep thinking back to what Paul Floyd-Blake (Tayor Wessing prize winner no less!) once told me - just because it seems like you're getting nowhere doesn't mean this is the case, entering these call for entries gets your work in front of the eyes that need to see it, and whilst you might not 'win' you can get yourself on the radar, and that's the most important thing.

So I'll celebrate the victories when they come and keep digging deep when the rejections land.