Richard Axtell – Writer

This morning I dragged myself out of bed (an achievement in itself) to attend a Creative Morning session in Cardiff. The guest speaker was Katie Hall – front woman of the Welsh Punk Band Chroma.

This was my first Creative Morning so I didn’t know what to expect, but I was greeted with hugs, smiles and (perhaps most important for this time in the morning) coffee and cake.

Katie’s talk was bilingual – in both English and Welsh – to celebrate the Creative Morning’s theme of the moment ‘Native’, which aims to highlight and celebrate different cultural backgrounds in the creative sector. Katie introduced herself a ‘girl from the valleys’ and her hilarious and insightful talk explored her influences as an artist growing up in a working class Welsh/Polish family.

Her presentation, which focused on the importance of authenticity in your art, included pictures of her parents, grandparents (“That’s my nan. She is a legend!’), close-ups of her tattoos (‘That’s my arse, by the way’) and her band performing in Wales and in New Zealand on their most recent tour.

Katie talked about how, as an artist, it is important to collaborate with people who understand your vision. She drew particular attention to the producer who helped record their recent album. This producer was ‘artist-led’ and, although offering his opinions, Katie felt she could tell him how she wanted the music to sound and he would respect that. ‘It really helped me reach the next level as an artist,’ Katie told us. ‘I feel like I am the creative director of the band.’

Another point stressed in the presentation was the importance of asking for help – and not assuming that people will say ‘no’ (which reminded me of The Art of Asking by another punk rocker, Amanda Palmer).

All in all, it was a fab event. I left creatively charged (and caffeinated). I also managed to grab two more pastries on the way out which, as a starving artist, is a mega win. Thanks, Creative Mornings!

How do you find authenticity in your art? Let me know in the comments below!