Lefki Savvidou on consistency vs. perfectionism, navigating social media, and the importance of a creative space
I meet Lefki Savvidou at her studio on a Saturday afternoon. The room, facing the garden at the back of her house, is furnished with cabinets packed with art supplies, a mustard-yellow armchair, and two desks—one for art and one for writing.
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Illustration and experiencing a few unfulfilling 9-to-5 jobs, Lefki realised that the writing and art projects she always did on the side could evolve into a solid, full-time practice. Fast forward a few years, and she has shown her work in solo and group exhibitions, written two long-form fiction books, built an online community who follow her artistic journey, and spends her days dipping in and out of her two passions.
We spend the next hour talking about perfectionism versus consistent work, separating online and offline work, idea overloads, and navigating the publishing journey.
For how long have you been writing?
Ever since I remember myself—before actually knowing how to write. We had a typewriter at home, and I’d spend hours copying any book I’d find lying around. In high school, I was journaling in Greek, but when I went to university, I started reading more English books, so I shifted to English. That’s when this whole storytelling thing started.
The only thing I've written in Greek since then is an autobiographical monologue, which is in the Greek-Cypriot dialect ("The Secret Diaries of a Non-Smoker"). I don’t feel as comfortable writing in Greek as everything I consume—from literature to music to movies—is in English.
What’s your process usually with your writing? Do you have a journal that you write in every day?
I use a Word doc. I put on music and scroll on Tumblr (yes, I’m back on Tumblr) and look at photos of nature. I use that as visual stimulation; it helps me get started.
Do you write and then edit?
Yes, when it comes to long form writing. When it comes to my art, it’s more impulsive. I don't revisit or revise the work later. Sometimes it can be half a sentence, and I have no idea how it’s going to end. I’ll highlight it and leave it there, so next time I sit to work, I’ll start from there and try again. Some sentences will remain halfway done; some have been like that for years.
You mentioned you have written two books?
Yes, now I’m in the process of finding an agent. This involves writing a lot of letters, which most of them will probably remain unanswered.
I finished the first draft of my first book two years before doing a Master’s in Creative Writing. That experience made me change the book dramatically. The course helped a lot with the technical aspects of writing. We were encouraged to read widely, experimenting with genres and exploring material we wouldn’t normally consume.
That’s one negative thing about living in Cyprus. There’s no variety of external influences and stimuli, which can lead to recycling the same ideas over and over. And it’s not just limited to writing, this also applies to everyday life. You don’t get to see people leading different paths of life.
Do you ever see yourself focusing on writing rather than art?
I don’t think so, I don’t see why. Probably something dramatic would have to happen. I don’t always do both at the same time. For example, right now, I’m not writing anything. I focus on what I have in front of me. I am also fairly disciplined—I don’t like picking up things and leaving them halfway done.
Have you ever had a phase when you didn’t feel like working on either of the two?
Yeah, but that usually lasts 2-3 days. That’s when I realise a break is due. I work 7/7, not because I have to, but because I like it. So I know, when work becomes difficult to flow, it’s because I need a short break.
I don’t believe in waiting for inspiration to come. I believe in sitting down and working, even if I’m not happy with the result. It’s the same thing as having good and bad days at the office.
What’s your process like when you are working on an exhibition?
I start with an idea, and usually, I can visualise it in its final form. Now I’m working on my solo exhibition I have coming up in October. I thought of what I want to do, so from now on, it’s more task-oriented, getting the work done.
I find it interesting that you can visualise things up to their final form straight away.
Yes! Which can be strange because then I get sidetracked by new ideas, as they put me back into inspiration mode. That’s always the fun part. Sadly, it’s just 2% of the process.
Do you feel that it’s due to experience?
I think it’s because there’s an overarching theme across my work; it’s mostly about observing human existence. I also believe that’s the reason people can recognise a work as mine regardless of the mediums I use—because of the subject matter.
There is a sense of detachment that comes from most of your work. Like it’s coming from an all-seeing narrator that’s not involved. Is this a conscious decision?
It’s something that comes off naturally because my work is observational. There are some works where the point of view feels different, more personal. Like the monologue.
Have you ever felt too exposed to share a work of yours?
At the beginning, yes. Not because it was too personal, but I was just too attached to it. I was more defensive and hesitant to let go. Now, as soon as I finish a piece, I want it gone. I am more detached.
I realised my task is to create, finish the work, and then let it go—it no longer belongs to me. Sometimes being around my old work can make me feel like I’m stuck in a rut, so I’ll start putting stuff away. I prefer a clean slate, to move on to the next chapter.
How did you get started with your own exhibitions?
The first exhibitions I did were about 10 years ago after people discovered my work on Facebook and invited me to exhibit it at their cafes. Many years passed before I finally felt ready to do a solo show.
Now, I am represented by The Edit Gallery. That's a great help, especially with exhibitions. There’s a lot of admin that needs to be done behind the scenes to get the work shown and eventually sold. Elena (the gallery director) has also helped me a lot with figuring out my pricing.
She knows the business side of the art world so she evaluates my work objectively - based on my background, experience, size of the work, materials used. These are some things that artists don't necessarily know, unless they've had a certain amount of experience. I'm still working on that.
How did you find the gallery?
They approached me initially about selling some prints. I responded with, 'I want to do an exhibition,' and Elena agreed, saying, 'Sure, let’s do March.' I’m proactive when I set my mind to something, and you have to be open to meeting people, even if it's uncomfortable.
Navigating the art world means knowing your boundaries, understanding what it takes to progress, and staying true to yourself and your art.
You graduated at a time when social media was taking off, back in 2012-2013.
I started posting on Instagram in 2015, but I didn’t really know back then that I could use it as a tool to publish my work and reach an audience. Not many people were using it that way at the beginning, but I think it has developed into a really great tool that can work to your advantage.
I read in an interview recently that nowadays young people feel they have to put things out there in the world constantly or instantly, when maybe “the work would benefit from being kept to yourself for a while.” Having graduated at a time when social media as an extension of your work wasn’t a thing, what’s your opinion on this?
A large part of my work doesn’t make it online. I prefer to share it after everything is done and I’ve moved on to the next project. I consciously curate what I post on Instagram, focusing on content that resonates with people.
For July, I posted daily to poke and see what would happen with the algorithm, but I try not to let numbers consume me. Instead, I use it as motivation to work consistently and experiment, I see it as part of my daily schedule.
Are you affected by how your work performs online?
I am; I’m only human! (laughs) But I don’t let it affect the direction of my work. In the past, I had moments when I was influenced by other artists I saw online and diverged a bit from my style, but the result didn’t feel genuine. I think that if it’s not true to me and my work, then it’s obvious—people can tell.
There’s also the element of relatability. People share your work to express themselves.
Yes, and sometimes it resonates with them in a different way than I intended. I feel that that’s how it should be—letting people relate to it through their own perspective.
There was a post of yours that sparked a bit of a heated conversation.
Yes, the one with the map of Cyprus. The title was “Εχτός αν έσσεις μέσον,” which I think a lot of people didn’t read, so they missed the context. The interesting thing was I got more positive feedback from Turkish/Cypriots rather than Greek/Cypriots—they related to it more.
I got a lot of hate messages, telling me to “leave Cyprus if I don’t like it here,” and I didn’t really understand why. It did get to me; I wasn’t feeling well for a couple of days. It’s not the easiest thing to receive such messages. I don’t regret posting the work, but I never expected it to get this kind of response.
I didn’t understand the patriotic reaction to it either. It’s a valid point to make—especially for a young artist to express how they feel in a system that doesn’t support them.
For how long have you had the studio? How important do you think it is to have your own space?
I’ve had it for a while. It’s very important because I struggle to focus anywhere else. I use the studio only for work. If I want to watch YouTube videos or do something else, I’ll move to the living room. I’m strict about this—it helps me come in with a purpose and stay focused. It took me years to achieve this.
Are there any other projects you would like to get into?
I have a lot of ideas that I’m not sure when I’ll get started with. I realised that a great idea will come back around when it’s the right time to do it.
I was actually thinking about it before interviewing you. I got the sense you are someone with a lot of ideas. I wondered if that stops you from actually doing them - if it ever feels overwhelming.
I do sometimes feel that I want to do everything at the same time. That’s when I’m like, okay, what do I need to prioritise?
There are times when I’ll have an idea and do it right away. I am like that as a person; if I have a task or a chore, I’ll get it done straight away so I can move on to the next thing. I don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about something; I want to have a more practical approach to it. This practice helps me to always have empty brain space and room for new things and ideas.
Also, I am not a perfectionist, which helps a lot as I don’t get too hung up on my work. If I’m happy with it, then I don’t dwell on it too much.
That’s how you get things done.
They say if you need something done, give it to a busy person—they’ll find the easiest way to get it done so they can move on! (laughs)
