Episode 61
Christabel Blackburn || Building On Success
Welcome to Episode 61 and a topic I am delighted to be discussing - how to build on success. Too often preoccupied with what could go wrong, we rarely openly discuss “what could go right?”. How does success impact us? Does it offer freedom or pressure? How do we sustain it?
Far from an air of arrogance, for me building on success is the antidote to a burnout culture that celebrates one hit wonders and unsustainable creative and business practices. Taking the long view, building something that lasts, shifting away from feast and famine, fads and fashion makes sense to me.
Image Credit: Philip Hewitt
Stairway to Saatchi, Christabel Blackburn
You, Me and Peter Doig, Christabel Blackburn
To explore this I am delighted to be joined by artist Christabel Blackburn. She is a London-based painter whose work and process I have admired from a distance. We find out about her work, winning Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, how her sense of success has changed and developed, how she has built on that accolade, her latest exhibition at Alex Eagle and what the future holds.
“It’s like a kind of quest for beauty. And I don’t think that is something that can be taught...And success only really comes from failure and from having great people around you. ”
Perhaps you are someone who has seen glimmers and shimmers of success. It may be that a particular product, collaboration, story or idea has been a ‘hit’. Or maybe you feel that you have found a rhythm, a pace, a groove. Whatever the reason for that chink of light, this conversation will help you to face the pressure and embrace the freedom of the next step.
