The Accidental Activist: Soheila Sokhanvari

Join Ceri as she explores the captivating story behind multimedia artist Soheila Sokhanvari's work. Discover how art saved Soheila from depression as a scientist and fuelled her true calling. Hear how Soheila overcame deep challenges arriving in the UK as a teen and sacrificed family time to follow her artistic path. This moving episode unpacks Soheila's drive to spotlight pre-revolutionary Iran and honour exiled female performers through her portrait work. KEY TAKEAWAYS Love empowers us to cherish our creativity and ourselves. Self-love forms the bedrock for life and work. Embracing failure enables growth and learning - a key to achieving our version of success. Discomfort brings genuine expansion. Diving into the deep end helps us thrive. Soheila uses beauty and colour to draw people close to difficult narratives in her art. Her scientific background taught Soheila to embrace failure and find order in chaos. Why Soheila became an unlikely activist, spotlighting oppressed Iranian women. Her solo exhibition at the Barbican, London, coincided with protests, providing her a crucial platform. BEST MOMENTS "I can't help but love the person eventually, or at least I need to love them before I start." "I make my life very difficult. I like that frisson between the vision and the materiality." "I was just thrilled and happy to be there, but utterly out of my depth." "To me, success is when you get up in the morning and until night, you do what you really love." "I want to become a voice for Iranian women because if I don't, my silence would be too heavy." "I'm making a rubbish public speaker, but I've become a reluctant yet vital activist." "When I'm not in my comfort zone, when I'm pushed to the brink, some order comes." PODCAST HOST BIOMeet Ceri Hand, the driving force behind countless creative success stories. A creative coach, entrepreneur, and dynamic speaker, she's committed to empowering creatives to realise their dreams and make a meaningful impact through her creative coaching, mentoring and training company. With three decades in the arts under her belt, Ceri has ridden the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Now, she's here to help you achieve your goals, your way. **** Subscribe to receive my weekly coaching message to nurture your creativity and be the first to hear about our latest creative coaching, mentoring opportunities and course announcements.: https://linktr.ee/cerihand **** JOIN OUR UPCOMING COURSE: Become A Master Mentor November 17th, 18th, and 24th 9:30 am to 5:30 pm (GMT) Unlock your full potential as a creative mentor with our 3-day online course. In this transformative programme lead by Ceri Hand and Lina Asrarguis, you'll develop results-oriented systems, master effective onboarding, craft an irresistible value proposition, confidently set your price points and budget for profit. Plus, enjoy interactive demos, comprehensive worksheets, and access to a vibrant online creative community. Don't miss out on this chance to elevate your mentoring skills. Apply now! https://www.cerihand.com/become-a-master-mentor