Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie-elizabeth Thompson

Hi Sophie-elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I always loved drawing and creating things and dreamed of creating art all day long, but had the limiting belief that it wasn’t available to me and that it was only possible for others and that I would have to keep it as a hobby.

However, something in me never gives up and I believed that one day it would be possible…the danger with this thinking of course is that “one day” never comes unless you decide to do something about it.

I have come to understand, that nobody is coming to save you, it is never the right time and usually it´s much easier not to stick your neck out to attempt to do what you love to do.

My way of reaching my objective was to have a day job to take the pressure off me financially and to work at night in my studio. I did this for years and then only later did I start to read self help books and really study how we function as human beings. How we think and how we create our lives by our thoughts, actions and feelings.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

No, it hasn’t been a smooth road at all.
Choosing to live as an artist, or for anyone choosing to live their dream,
will usually find that there are always going to be a lot of challenges.

The first challenge is most likely going to be economic and this will stop most people.
I worked in offices initially by day and in my studio by night.

The second challenge is going to be developing your skill at what you love to do.
This of course takes time and a lot of self honesty to develop and grow, in my case as an artist.

The other part of this is the business side of things. I was never taught how to run a business,
but learnt through experience from my office jobs as well as from making a lot of mistakes.
This is also something that artists don’t usually take into account, making art and living by it is a business
and it needs to be taken seriously as one to be able to survive and thrive.

The next challenge, which actually should be the number one is self awareness and self image.
We all grow up and take on beliefs of how we should live a life often with the false idea that others can achieve something and we can’t. These subconscious beliefs/paradigms are what really stop people because they are running the show underneath the surface and we aren’t even aware of them most of the time.
The challenge here is to really question what you think about any given topic and learn to reframe it.

Whenever we try to do something new and step out of our comfort zone, there are always going to be feelings that make you feel so uncomfortable that you are going to want to give up. And the further you push yourself out of your comfort zone, the worse you feel! This is where most will go back to what feels safe and “feels right” This is only because it is familiar, but this safe zone will only keep you stuck.

The only way to grow and allow a new outcome is to study and learn how to think new thoughts, make new choices, take new actions and create new behaviours, which will in return create new experiences and feelings.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I carve from blocks of plaster to create my sculptures, which are then recreated either in their original size, or scaled up and made into bronze, stone, steel, glass or resin. I also make bespoke sculptures in ceramic.

I tend to work directly with landscape designers, art consultants, interior designers and architects worldwide for public art commissions and smaller scale sculpture commissions.

What sets me apart is my vision as well as the quality of my work, after a lot of experience and being really honest with myself to allow for continuous improvement.
When someone buys a sculpture for a specific location, they are buying into how I see the world seen through my sculptures. They are also buying into my expertise and experience.
With the help of my team, we make the whole process of buying a sculpture easy. We deliver anywhere in the world, and where needed, will organise the installation of a sculpture and make everything as simple as possible for the client taking care of any aspect a client needs.
We’re also reliable and always stick to the schedule. These factors are all invaluable particularly when working on very large hospitality projects where there are always a lot of moving parts.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?

I think that perhaps the first reply to this question is that I wasn’t always working full time as an artist.
I worked as a legal secretary in London for many years doing 9-5 very day and only then went to work in my studio at night. Perhaps more surprising is that I also worked as a full-time labourer for a few years knocking down walls in apartments and plastering the new walls as my day job.

Another point, which may be helpful to share is my ritual to ensure that my thinking is the clearest for my day.
Every week day, I usually meditate before sleep, then my alarm usually goes off at 5.45h and I start my day with a meditation, followed by coffee and some reading or journalling, then a work out, followed in summer with a quick swim in the sea before walking the dog to the studio every day.

The difference between doing this ritual, particularly in the morning and not is like night and day to me now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sophie-elizabeth-thompson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_elizabeth_thompson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sophie-ElizabethThompson