Soft Power: Ellen Porteus on the power of the small stuff

Hello and thanks for being here! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Thank you for having me! I’ll try to sum it up as best I can. I’m an artist, animator, painter, mural and installation artist. I create super bold and bright cartoon worlds using humour, language and visual metaphor to explore inner landscapes and the complex relationship we have with ourselves.
I grew up in Newcastle but I’ve been based in Melbourne for about 6 years now.

We're living in truly strange times, how has COVID affected what you do?

You know the feeling when you’ve been stepping upwards on an escalator, then you step onto solid ground, and you get that weird disoriented feeling that you’re moving in slow motion? That’s how the last 18 months has felt to me. Up until 2020 I had been enjoying the fun, spontaneity and unpredictability of my career, and I’ve traded that in for slowness, steadiness, predictability. So for me, the challenge of COVID has been a mental and emotional one. I’ve been able to keep things chugging along as a large chunk of my creative skills are digital- I’m very lucky that I didn’t really need to so much pivot, as just sit down at a desk a little bit more. That being said, the things I find joy in the most: the hands-on jobs, installations, murals, events, exhibitions, travel, experiences, and just the excitement of what could be around the corner…I’ve had to give that up. I remind myself it’s all waiting just on the other side of all this. I’m so ready to get back on that escalator.

Lockdowns suck (necessary, but not fun!), how have you found power in what sometimes feels like a powerless situation? 

I’ve been actively seeking little moments of joy and openness whenever and wherever I can. I’ve found myself actually stopping and looking at flowers, eavesdropping on cute conversations between kids and their parents, making small talk with people in the neighbourhood. As a power walker with always somewhere to be, all of this is absolutely unheard of - and frankly, weird - but it’s undoubtedly a very positive shift in my way of being.

Have you learnt any lessons or picked up any little rituals you'll take with you out of lockdown? 

I’m actually really proud of this one: I’ve finally been able to make and stick to a morning routine- getting up, exercising, eating breakfast, walking my dog. I also manage to fit 3 cups of coffee into this routine somehow. I like it, so I’m hoping it sticks around after lockdown.

What are your plans for when we're finally free? 

The first and most important order of business is for me, my partner and my pup to jump in our van and road trip up to see our families in NSW. It’s been a long, long Melbourne winter.

Lastly, tell us about some people who inspire you. 

I’ve recently binge-watched all 7 seasons of Alone- which is a reality series where people film themselves surviving in super remote places, completely alone. I think it’s something to do with the environment we’re in but I have become very emotionally invested in stories of people overcoming extremely dire situations. But really, I’m inspired by my friends and loved ones who have grappled with so many things- grief, motherhood, loss, industry shutdown, separation from family- with so much resilience. People are capable of so much! That’s pure inspiration!