Sri Lanka Dispatch · Rapid Transformation Mentoring

23h (edited) • 💪 WINS

Sri Lanka Dispatch

Hi friends,

Just sharing an update from recent travels in Sri Lanka and my hometown, Colombo.

I was there for a contemporary art festival (www.colomboscope.lk), where I exhibited my work. I was also invited to take part in a group exhibition at a local gallery.

Both were well received, and the festival was a major networking event. But it went much further, deepening connections and friendships locally and regionally.

One of the Super Whos I was meant to reach out to as part of Q4’s 10-Week Challenge is now my friend. While I’m still starstruck, I think we’re both benefiting from the relationship, which is pretty cool. This is her website; she’s an artist: https://sehershah.net/

During the festival, I also decided to host a charity art sale to support Cyclone Ditwah relief. For those of you interested in art market pricing, I’ve attached a pdf with a price list from my time working with a gallery in Colombo. Happy to chat further about it and share more, as it’s likely unfamiliar territory.

I managed to raise $3,748.55 from seven artworks over five days. The sale was 50% off, and all proceeds went to charity. It was a good sale and an interesting test to see which collectors were willing to purchase.

One of the main takeaways is that I’m ready to take on a more empowered leadership role to build a robust and resilient arts infrastructure in Sri Lanka. This would involve reaching out to friends and their families who run business empires there and asking them to contribute towards this larger goal.

I will also be approaching my family (we have a family business there, too). I’m well placed to be in this position as an art advisor because people know and trust me personally and professionally. That’s the hometown network.

Another identity shift is that I feel ready to pursue academic study at a university again. It’s been 12 years since I graduated from college, and I never felt ready. But now many things have fallen into place, which is quite exciting.

I’m sharing some images from my work in the festival (dark background) and the group show I was in. I’m also attaching an article I completed yesterday for the online platform Something Curated: https://somethingcurated.com/.

And so, all in all, a good trip that’s changed the game and raised the floor on my identity and potential to contribute.

I missed being on the call and spending time with you all. I’m definitely grateful to be able to articulate what it means to be a leader and to have an operating framework that supports it.

I’m now looking forward to unplugging for the next ten days!

P.S.: The Super Who's work at the festival is the black-and-white one beside my silver piece. Was great to show right beside her.

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