1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I have 2 which come to mind immediately: surviving childbirth and also, after working really hard a few years ago, I bought us a new boiler!
2. What motivates you to do what you do?
I do so many different things that it's hard to say what it is precisely that motivates me, but I think a big motivation for me is to demystify art and creative practice generally because it's always, always useful for everyone, not just an arty elite. I want creativity to feel accessible and acceptable across the board and that motivates me.
3. What do you owe your mother?
I owe my mother so much, but particularly her support of my surreal and abstract thought, her encouragement for me to always ask lots of questions and be actively interested in things that scare me, and her regular reminder to 'Be brave!'
4. Which women inspire you and why?
Lizzo
Gwendoline Christie
Karen Arthur
Maryam Keyhani
Judy Garland
Barbara Barondess McClean
All of these women have ( or have had ) such a strong sense of being; they are not frightened to be women, to inhabit their own sense of self and their multiple talents, they empower other women, and and their joy alone is a huge inspiration.
Dr Margot Sunderland fascinates me. Learning about her work for children's mental health and attachment in particular on the Trauma Informed Schools course has been invaluable.
Jessica Ennis-Hill's ability to get back to Olympic standard after becoming a Mother has also been such an inspiration. I don't know how she did it! All the women in my life inspire me one way or another. I'm very fortunate to be surrounded by so many wonderful ladies- shout out to them all!
5. What are you reading
'Act of Oblivion' by Robert Harris
6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?
Over the years, as a small woman of 5ft, I have had to hurdle a lot of patronising 'patting my head' behaviour both literally and metaphorically, particulary from men but also from other women! The fight against gender preconceptions towards me, coupled with height preconceptions, is still a constant one, so I often find myself trying to prove my worth, ( I find it difficult to accept physical help from men for example ) rather than just 'being'. There have also been more subtle gender barriers I've come up against within my own family which stem from all those stereotypical and generational patterns which are incredibly hard to break through and change.
7. How can the world be made a better place for women?
This is a huge question which obviously doesn't have a simple answer, but I think maybe a continued shift and progression with listening to ALL women's lived experiences would help enormously; intersectionality is key.
8. Describe your perfect day?
Waking up early and pottering around all day doing whatever I fancy, guilt free, rather than having to tick all sorts of jobs off a list. Also not having to deal with any emails or social media would be essential for a perfect day... and having a pint at a cozy pub in the evening.
9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?
I would like to see a statue of Cornish woman and activist Emily Hobhouse ... she fought to expose the true, appalling conditions of concentration camps for Boer families run by the British during the second Boer war.
Being able to learn from our country's real history is essential; it's a history of colonialism, oppression and atrocity which is so often intentionally ignored in order to pedal an invented or romanticised version of our past. If history is distorted and people's stories are 'erased' it makes it incredibly difficult to understand the long lasting oppressive and racist foundations on which our country is built. A statue of Emily Hobhouse would definitely help open up this conversation, particularly as her death was not reported by the Cornish press at the time, even though her obituary was written by Gandhi.
10. Give us a tip?
Sit in a chair with your eyes closed and actively listen to all the sounds around you for 5 minutes
Bio
Philippa was born in Coventry, grew up in Warwickshire and went to school in Leamington Spa. She briefly studied History of Design at Manchester Polytechnic before decisively dropping out to train for 3 years at RADA and has worked for over 20 years in the theatre, radio, TV and film as well as continuing her work as a freelance artist. Her persona of @5ftinf happened accidentally when a friend suggested she start a blog in 2007.
A large part of her work involves creating visual projects and social content for brands, and organizations which are as diverse as The Crown Estate, TUI, Green and Blacks and The History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group. Philippa's paintings often utilise her synaesthesia and during her time as Artist in Residence at Shakespeare’s Globe I created sound portraits of all the actor’s voices. She has also worked with perfumers, wines, whiskies, gins and coffees to produce paintings of scent and taste and has painted the sound of a pianist playing Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures At An Exhibition’ live, at the Cheltenham Science Festival. Philippa's book ‘Conscious Creativity’ which encourages creative process and practice was published in November 2018 and it’s companion ‘Conscious Creativity – A Workbook’ will be published in September 2020.
You can find out more on Philippa's website: 5ftinf.com and her books ‘Conscious Creativity – A Workbook' and 'Conscious Creativity - Look, Connect, Create' are stocked in our in-person bookshop!