One late night during Edinburgh Festival Fringe while Sonia and I were having drinks at the Club Bar to relax after watching 5 shows that day (my one and only day off), we started chatting to a man who has been in the industry for a while. When he asked us what we do, we mentioned Pulp & Pith. After explaining what we are planning to do and work on he asked us why? We both gave different answers, which I vaguely remember now. I think Sonia mentioned something about the gap in the industry for services that we offer and the accessibility to those services without having to spend a fortune. I probably said something like ‘We can help smaller art organisations and new artists promote their work’
The truth is, speaking for myself, that was only partly true. I am a workaholic, I invest a lot of my time and energy working, and it makes me happy. In the beginning of my career, I had to work at places I soon realised I didn’t wanted to be there. I promised myself that I won’t compromise anymore and since then I very carefully chose where I worked. Even if that meant I had to work in bars until the right thing came my way.
For a long time I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I was jumping from fashion to radio, from marketing to events, and so on. It wasn’t until the first time I worked for Edinburgh Festival Fringe that I realised, I only want to work in the arts industry, and I am crazy enough to enjoy working endless hours for art festivals.
I always wanted to do, create, start, something of my own. I was too scared and I didn’t know what. It was after long conversations about our future that I thought Sonia and I could do something together. Our skills can be combined and communication is not an issue between us, so why not? I first brought it up while Sonia was taking my pictures for a project of hers. She was surprised, of course, but I didn’t need to try much to persuade her, she was in.
We spend hours trying to define what we want to do and to find the right words for it. We put together a business plan, made calculations, found a name, and got our first clients before registering the company. So I guess we were in business.
I think a lot, I have ideas and as much as I started Pulp & Pith to work with others on projects I believe in, I am in this to also work on our own ideas and make something out of them. I believe art can make a difference in the world. Something changed in me when I went to Exhibit B, when I saw Every Brilliant Thing, when I started Swing dancing. Maybe one day I can contribute in changing someone else’s life by putting together an art project, maybe not, but I am here to try.
Sometimes there is a reason behind choices, and sometimes things just happen. Sometimes the reasons change as you go. Sometimes, why, is important sometimes it’s not. Sometimes you have to find nice words to explain things to people or not.
So why Jo? Because the desire to start something new always existed, and it feels right to at least try to make it work.
#1 From the series 'Why?' -