ArtKeeper and preparing for a BIG interview
Fletcher Babb, Norton Fredericks, Nadia Milford and Nicholas Tossman - 2022/23 ArtKeepers at HoTA
Hi there, thanks for visiting! As you might know I have recently begun my new role as one of the new ArtKeeper’s at HoTA (Home of the Arts, Gold Coast). This role is one of a kind and not offered in any other institution in Australia! I am employed as a part-time artist 3 days a week for the next 8 months at the gallery to create.
A little about my project:
I am looking at micro and macro aspects of Australian native plants that grow around the Gold Coast and will be creating fibre sculptures that will also be naturally dyed using the plants they represent. I will be utilizing microscopy in this work to look at plant cell structures and will be asking community to collaborate with me by sharing their knowledge. This shared information will be recorded and displayed alongside the body of work.
Now that we have that out of the way I want to talk a little bit deeper about how I got here..
In 2020 when Covid hit I was a recipient of the Rage Against the (V)irus artist fund. This was my first time ever receiving any kind of funding for my art and it really gave me a confidence boost. I created an online tutorial on how to easily create botanical prints utilising plants from your backyard or neighborhood.
In 2021 I applied to be in the Solid Gold group exhibition at HoTA, I was long-listed but unfortunately didn’t make the cut. At the time I was a little disappointed but also acknowledged that it was still really early days in my arts career and practice.
Last year, 2022, I met Chris Jordan (Three Little Birds) on the First Nations Artist Camp and shortly after we collaborated with executive chef Dayan Hartill-Law at Palette Restaurant, HoTA, on our Deadly Feast - a degustation menu featuring Australian native ingredients.
Last year when the ArtKeeper program was launched I really wanted to apply but had a lot of self doubt that stopped me and I really regretted not having the confidence so this year when applications opened I just went for it.
Then I heard back to say I had made it through to the interview round, that’s when it got real!
I am an extremely anxious person and not a confident speaker at times… and it was a panel interview!
I knew the project I wanted to do but how was I going to present it confidently? I had a week to prepare and really wanted to dedicate time and energy to making sure I was successful.
I asked my friends and followers on facebook/ instagram for tips!
I’d love to share with you what I found helpful.
Preparation:
First of all I went out and got my favourite adaptogen tea, tulsi. I also made sure I was taking reishi mushroom tincture for the entire week leading up to the interview.
I wrote down my project idea highlighting key points and also did some background research on HoTA looking at their mission statement making sure I addressed their key values. I also thought about 3 clear messages that I wanted to convey in my project and how they related to my values.
I set plenty of intentions, aiming to get this amazing role to grow and succeed.
I made sure that I studied my notes and revisited my intentions every day. I used fresh rosemary from the garden each time as it’s a strong mnemonic. I wore rings and mentally attached certain key points to each ring so when I got stuck I could fidget with them to jog my memory. I made sure to spend some time each day meditating to get into a calmer headspace.
A great tip someone suggested was to visualise yourself speaking clear and delivering a perfect pitch and to visualise walking away from the interview happier than expected. I found this really useful.
I created a sigil for ‘growth and success’ that I kept on me during the week, in my pillowcase at night and had in my pocket during the interview. I like creating sigils as a manifestation tool to embed goals into your subconscious.
On the day:
I meditated the morning before leaving the house to bring in calming energy. I knew what I wanted to say and needed my brain and body to be steady.
Yvonne told me to not wear new clothes but to wear clothes that you are comfortable in. I really liked this tip, I find there’s nothing worse than brand new fabrics that haven’t softened up yet. This allowed me to relax and be comfortable during the interview.
When I arrived I caught up with my friend Tal at the cafe and had a blend of peppermint and chamomile tea. I had already had my morning coffee so didn’t want to be over stimulated.
I made sure to have my notes printed out and my diary open just in case I got really anxious and stuck during the interview - luckily I didn’t need them. I also made sure to have a question or two prepared about the project to situate myself in the role.
I felt pretty confident at the end but you never quite know because there was only 4 positions available and I believe 9 people were interviewed. Then we had to wait a week to hear back. On the day I got the call I received the most amount of wrong number and telemarketer phone calls I’ve ever received in my life! Everytime the phone rung it was an emotional ordeal. But at the end of the day Ash called and let me know that I had been successful and would be one of the 2022/23 ArtKeepers!
I hope this blog has given you some insight on how I got to be part of this amazing program. One last tip I have is to not let yourself get in your own way, just apply because you never know where you’ll go!
Norton
More about ArtKeeper and my fellow ArtKeeper bios below:
https://www.hota.com.au/news/hotas-2022-artkeeper-artists-revealed
If you wanted to find out more about Indigenous catering by Three Little Birds:
https://3littlebirdsevents.com/catering/
