What You’ll Find in This Issue

1. Support ARTiculate

2. The Work That Takes Time

Support ARTiculate

If you'd like to support the newsletter through a donation, you can donate as little as the price of a cup of coffee via Ko-fi or PayPal. Donations are entirely optional, and this newsletter will remain free to access for as long as possible.

The Work That Takes Time

Right now, it might feel like everyone else is flying ahead. You see other artists sharing big exhibitions, gallery representation, major sales, sold-out prints, international residencies… and meanwhile, you're in the studio quietly chipping away at something that feels important, but not very visible.

However, it is important to be conscious that the artists whose careers seem to have taken off “overnight” have often spent years—sometimes a decade or more—laying the groundwork. Developing bodies of work. Having studio visits. Building relationships with curators. Writing, editing, refining. Waiting. From my own time working in and with galleries—most exhibitions took least 18 months from initial commission to presentation. And that doesn’t count the years beforehand of conversations, trust-building—the invisible investment that come before that.

So if it feels slow… that doesn’t mean it’s not working. You just need to keep going.

A Reminder From DJ AG

This week I came across a post by DJ AG, one of the most recognisable and exciting DJs in the UK right now. You may know him from his fun outdoor sets and collaborations with major artists and impactful engagement in care and nursing homes. But in the post, DJ AG shared footage from one of his first street sets. There was no crowd. Not a single person clapping or filming. Just him, his decks, and a vision. In the caption, he wrote that people even even made fun of him.

Still, he kept going.

So, even when it feels like nothing is happening. Even when others do’t yet understand what you’re building.

If you’re doing something different, personal, or experimental, it might take time for others to catch up. Don’t rush to change your work just because it hasn’t “landed” yet. Don’t water it down just to fit a trend. If the work is true to you, and you know it comes from a real place—keep going. Back in 2018 I had the wonderful privilege of hosting an in conversation with painter Joy Labinjo. She spoke about how, when at university, she found herself at a point where she thought about whether painting was right, as not many of her peers were doing it. I’m glad she stuck to painting though, because she is without a doubt one of the country’s highly sought after, and most successful young contemporary painters, through her unique style and the themes she addresses through her work. 

If you're feeling stuck, unsure, or tired of waiting, here are a few reminders for the season you're in:

• The quiet work matters. The pieces no one sees yet, the experiments that don’t quite land, the pages of notes—this is the groundwork.

• Consistency compounds. Keep showing up. It adds up.

• Patience is part of your practice. You’re not behind. You’re in process.

Here are also some previous editions of the newsletter that may be of help to get you through when you feel stuck, or when it feels tough:

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading. If you know anyone who you think would benefit form these newsletters, forward this to them, and encourage them to subscribe.