Aitan selfportrait

My name is Jeff

I'm excited by all that lies ahead, tapping into Dutch art/film funding, meeting new people, formulating new concepts, creating new videos, expanding videos into installations, by the mini but crucial stepping stones that are being laid ahead.

Something I'm scared of is failure or more specifically mediocrity. I'm scared of my dreams going unfulfilled, becoming a stay-at-home Dad, losing my autonomy, my career deflating, my ideas stagnating, my failure to integrate into Dutch life ultimately restricting my personal, creative, and professional progress.

When in a group, I need/value stimulating dialogue. I can get frustrated when certain voices dominate a conversation yet at the same time if no one is voicing any ideas/perspectives I feel the need to jump in and speak up. It's so rare to be in a room full of thinking people, so why not make the most of it?

To ensure my needs are met, I will try and be an instigator of dialogue - raising opinions and perspectives. Yet at the same time offering ways in which others can get involved or offer there ideas. This could be through body language, gestures, invitations to comment, eye contact, etc. All offering ways for unheard voices to get involved in a group dynamic. I like polyphony.

I would find it helpful if others in the group would be willing to be more shameless, critical, honest, blunt. I think over-qualifying what one says can be very stifling. Sometimes you just need to honestly say what you think and not qualify with of 'maybe this is problematic', or 'one way of looking at it', or 'perhaps, maybe, possibly, on the other hand'. Let's try and be honest about who we are and what we believe. Of course those ideas can change, but let's state our claims and truly discuss our points of view.