Tell us a little about yourselves. Who are you, and what do you do?
We are an artist duo based in the rural town of Lewes in the South of England; we've been working together as 'Liv & Dom' for about seven years. We are primarily ceramicists but also paint and take on design commissions from other brands and clients. We have become known for incorporating the female form into most of our work and applying vintage-style decorative surface design. Last year we started leasing our first studio space, which is now open to the public.
What does an average day look like?
At the moment, because of the winter dragging on, we're often getting going later than we'd like, but we're trying to be kind to ourselves! We usually make breakfast in our little studio kitchenette while doing various admin tasks. Sometimes admin can take us until lunchtime when there are lots of emails and studio management (buying materials) to be done; it can be frustrating when really all you want to do is create! We try to spend every afternoon making or painting, sometimes we listen to music while working but if boredom sets in, we'll watch our old favourite TV shows. We often don't finish work until 7 pm partly because of our sleepy winter start but also because since we've got our new studio space we have to work extra hours to pay for it!
What advice do you have for striking a work/life balance?
Trying to physically separate your workspace from your house is easier said than done; it took us years to manage it, but it's really worth it. When we were working from home, we were lucky enough to work in a spare room, but if you don't have the space, then having rituals that signify the end of the day can be really helpful. Clear up (even a little bit), sit away from your workspace with a tea, and go for a walk outside. A big one that we struggle to keep to is not answering DMs and emails over the weekend or when we're on holiday unless it's urgent. The nature of a lot of work at the moment has shifted into something that really bleeds into day-to-day life; keeping things separate where possible is important.
What anxieties, if any, do you hold about your life/career? And how do you deal with them?
We occasionally worry about the longevity of our careers and how long we can realistically keep this up. Dom has her own anxieties about her long-term health, living with a chronic disease. We both tend to live in the here and now rather than actively preparing for our futures which helps. Also, thinking back to times when we've struggled in the past and how we persevered and overcame that puts a lot of minor worries into perspective.
How do you deal with procrastination?
This was a big issue for us when we were younger, especially when studying, but it's something we've worked out of. Knowing you need to work to pay for rent, bills, food etc., is a great motivator. That sounds really obvious, but most people whose income is directly dependent on physical objects they produce get this!
How do you overcome self-doubt and fear when working on a new project?
We often remind ourselves of when we've felt fear before and worked through it. Looking back, it's never as bad as you think it is, which puts things in perspective. We're very lucky to have each other; we can encourage each other when we feel like our ideas aren't working. Getting outside of yourself and receiving external feedback is a pretty good way to overcome fear.
Do you have any rituals that help with your work or mental health?
Running, walking, cooking, and making time for fun with friends. All very basic things! We're lucky enough to live right next to the countryside, so we take advantage of that to boost our mental health, which is particularly beneficial in the winter.
What's the best and worst advice you've ever been given?
The worst advice was from a university lecturer who said it might not be a good idea to work together on our final third-year project. This was the project that ended up laying the groundwork for our careers, so it was probably one of the best decisions we ever made! The best advice from our Mum is, 'you better laugh, or you'll cry'. Not to be taken entirely literally, but the gist is to not take life too seriously, which we live by!
Are there any misconceptions about what you do that you'd like to dispel or clarify?
We think that people might assume we make more money than we do… Because we have to charge quite a lot for our work. A lot of people ask us if we own our house or our studio, which is a crazy thought. There was and still is a 'fake it until you make it' element to our careers. There were times when our social media would be carefully curated, wholesome stuff, and behind the scenes, we were completely broke whilst living with our Mum, working in dressing gowns all day with pretty bad drinking and smoking habits... This doesn't apply to our lives so much now, but we're definitely still very thrifty and like to make the most of the money we have!
How do you navigate social media? Are there any rules or guidelines you set for yourself?
We tend not to get involved with too much influencer-style work. It doesn't resonate with us or really satisfy us in any way, and getting 'free' stuff always feels a bit wrong. Also, not beating ourselves up over posts that aren't as successful as we hoped, we used to get a bit worked up about it, but it's really pointless; best to just let it go and move on to the next post! We touched on this earlier as well, but leaving social media interactions that are work related to work hours where possible is something we try to live by.
If you could distil it down to three key messages, what do you hope people learn/take away from what you do?
- The main one is that we would like people to see that you don't have to come from a wealthy background to establish a career in the arts, it's certainly not easy, but it is possible!
- Building a 'brand' takes time! It's taken us seven years to get to a place where we feel comfortable enough with what we've created not to be obsessed with 'the next step' all the time.
- You can teach yourself a lot! We've definitely had some great guidance when starting out with ceramics, but a lot of what we do was self-taught.
What are five things keeping you inspired right now?
1. Running regularly out in the South Downs helps us see the changing of the seasons, which is essential inspiration for our work.
5. Antique celestial maps. They're such beautiful objects and have been especially useful for an upcoming zodiac candlestick series.
Who do you nominate for the next interview? Why?
We are nominating printmaker and collage artist Megan Fatharly; her honesty and openness about her life, both work and personal make her the perfect candidate for this. We've been following her career for a while now, and she's doing great work with some high-profile clients!
Much love, Lilith and Arabella
L+A xx
Passion between us
Attention: Londoners looking for a night of art and conversation. In her new exhibition, "Passion between us", multi-disciplinary artist Sophie Willison delves into the intimacy of queer relationships and offers a unique perspective on her journey of queerness. "Passion between us" is on for one night only (!) at the Photobook Cafe (EC2A 4DQ) Monday, March 13, 6 - 9 pm. See ya there!
