I did an interview with lovely Mike Bhand at ShoutoutLA, and figured I’d share some brief excerpts here.
Hi Sólveig, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s your definition for success?
I’m learning more and more that success isn’t linear, stable or to be conflated with happiness – even at the highest echelons of my industries. I’ve been redefining success as I mature. I’ve gained too much appreciation, understanding and self respect to define “success” as constant income or relentless praise. Today “success” can mean that I myself enjoy what I crafted, that it led to a new discovery or growth, or that my art sparked joy or a conversation.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a multi-disciplinary storyteller. I know that sounds horribly pretentious, but it really just means that I’m really excited about creating stories for you that come in different shapes. I am a member of a codependent art form: acting relies on someone else sharing the space with you in order to exist, it needs an audience to be complete. It benefits greatly from a writer, a director, another actor to react to. On top of that it’s really lovely to have a choreographer, composer, costume designer, scenic designer, cinematographer etc. – the collaborative opportunities are endless. When you get to be a part of something like that the world sings, everything falls away and you get to belong to this strange meditative harmonious performance art that feels oh so wonderfully self indulgent while also tending to be really socially important as it’s where we practice empathy and reflect on human relationships and behaviour together. I’m also a member of more independent art forms: illustrating and writing. You don’t need anyone’s permission to create these – no casting director, no director, no audience. It can exists for its own sake, and each view is just an added bonus. It gleefully bursts out of your head and onto the page and voila – it’s a part of this world whether you caught the artist at work or not. I adore art for the artist’s unique perspective, for the humour and playfulness, for the pure creative joy, for the empathy, the ability to open our eyes to experiences different from our own, and for the tendency to connect us by evoking shared emotions. Once you’re hooked to an artistic discipline you don’t feel present, honest, in alignment or truthful to your nature unless you get to express it in some somewhat silly way.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I don’t know where I’d be without the women of Spindrift – Bergdís Júlía Jóhannsdóttir, Anna Korolainen Crevier, Henriette Kristensen and Tinna Þorvalds Önnudóttir. If it wasn’t for the numerous talented creative women I’m lucky enough to consider friends and collaborators, I don’t know where I’d be. My biggest advise to every artist is finding a community where you feel inspired by your peers, safe to be yourself, supported and supportive, and where you’re allowed to vent about the horrible friction between the art and its industry.