NOV 23
FLABBERGASTED - MY FACE ON YOUR TELLY?!! Yes, Im shouting....
I might be laughing but inside I am terrified!
It is exactly 2 weeks until Make it at Market BBC 1 Series 2 will be on your telly. My face - on your telly - in your house?! My episode will air on Tuesday 5th December and I will appear alongside the lovely Martin, a furniture maker from Shropshire.
I'm not sleeping and if I do drop off I have nightmares but I am not entirely sure what I am scared of. I applied for the show at the beginning of March. I had watched Series 1 and really enjoyed it and got some valuable advice from it. In April I had a call asking to schedule a zoom chat. I instantly loved Alysoun the producer, the chat flowed naturally and she loved my work. After several weeks of calls, zoomies, emails things went quiet and i forgot about it.
I remember exactly where I was when she called me to say she would like me on the show. I had bagged a last minute volunteer position with Love The Farm at Glastonbury. I had joined the Pee Patrol, a team of volunteers that basically stop people weeing in the bushes and waterways. It was a big thing for me to do something on my own, I obviously love my partner and 2 kids, and almost didn't accept the position, but I put on my backpack and big girl pants and off I went. One morning I was on my own, in a very large queue for the onsite Co-Op. There was a heatwave, accompanied by torrential rain. I was authentically dressed in a plastic poncho, shorts, sunglasses and wellies, waiting to to see what delights a pop up supermarket in a field would hold.... and then she called. It was brief a phone call and I laughed and cried all at the same time, still in the queue. Then I turned to the person next to me laughing hysterically I said..."My face is going to be on your telly".
I have had some strange jobs over the years. I got sacked from my first job at 14 for pouring a pint of milk over my colleagues head, she deserved it, she was a bully. I have castrated sheep in New Zealand, taught English to monks in India, trained grape vines in Australia and I have been a retrieve driver for the British Hanging Association in Spain, I then went on to working as a student counsellor until I had my first daughter and became a full time Mum and a part time receptionist at my local vets.
I met my partner on my first day of University. He lived in the house opposite me, it was literally love at first sight. He was a manager of a band. We discussed our dreams. He was going to be a writer and I was going to be an artist. That was it. I have never really been career orientated or driven by one particular thing and the title 'Artist' seemed precocious and overindulgent. I used to beat myself up about it. I wanted a fancy title. Obviously I have always been an artist, in all my jobs I have always made sure I create art in my spare time. My partner and I have been together for 31 years, now he has gone on to write and publish several books and is a Course Leader at University.
In August 2022 I decided to give up my job and follow my dream, a dream i had had since I was very little. Two years prior to this i lost my wonderful Mum during covid. Ironically she died very suddenly watching afternoon telly. When she died there was a massive void, she was my biggest fan and I missed her desperately, both physically and also her annoying facebook posts! Part of my ongoing grief healing has involved imagining what she would say to me. It is a cliche to say thats life is too short but her death made me take that leap of faith. I had many years of feeling artistically frustrated until I discovered stained glass, it was like a switch was flicked, but I was was so terrified to actually show people what I was making for fear of being judged, now i just hear my Mum saying how great i am!
I'm finally living my dream.... it just took me a while to get here. Thanks Mum x
Charlotte
Comments