Networking and Finding Your People

Moving as an artist can be quite overwhelming! Isn’t it a typical artist’s dream to have a well-worn studio, one with paint on the wall, on the floor, large tables with supplies spread out? To not have to put your supplies away and to go back to where you left off seems like a luxury when you haven’t had it.

But to be an artist on the move is to be denied those luxuries. Sure, it can be a fun idea to be a nomad on the road, foldable easel in tow and photos of your art in new places. I think it can be a great adventure for a while. As an artist who has moved a lot, however, my new desire is to spread out in a large room and work on multiple projects at once. Perhaps a corner dedicated to photography. I’m always scouring Pinterest for ideal studio set-ups.

The other challenge I’ve found to moving a lot has been finding art community. Over the years I’ve made it a habit to try to find fellow artists right away before my things are even unpacked! There are benefits to staying in one place and finding the right connections, friends, mentors, over time: it’s a gradual momentum and can be taken with patience. But to try to do that kind of connecting in a short amount of time requires much more determination, energy, and motivation. A forced extroversion. A courageous vulnerability.

I made an intention to connect with a new art community after I graduated college. I moved to a new city, and I knew that finding other artists would help me stay on course. Looking for the same type of camaraderie and encouragement I had with my peers in school, the desire for mentorship and community motivated my search. I was branching out into a city with a bigger art scene and believed that relationships were key to being involved.

I searched the internet for art groups and collectives, studios, and galleries. My focus was to find a group that met together regularly, and I stumbled upon a mastermind group that had just taken off. I took a risk and showed up- and it paid off! Sitting around a small table in a studio downtown, I met 3 or four other artists looking for the same things I was looking for: community, inspiration, accountability, and friendship. This small group has since grown to hundreds over the years, and I’m grateful I took the risk to show up. We made art together, did juried art shows, gave each other resources, and encouraged each other to keep creating.

A group show we did

Unfortunately, I was only able to be a part of that group for a few years as I inevitably had to move again (due to various life circumstances). Social media has been a great tool to stay connected and watch these artists grow in their career from afar, and still celebrate each other’s successes. And the skills I’ve grown in to put myself ‘out there’ and show up to new groups has developed my character in a new way. I have more value now for brief connections and advice, as well as people who are hospitable and incredibly welcoming.

I’ve been able to reach out to groups like this in a couple other cities I have been to. And while each place has been different and not all groups are a good fit, I’ve slowly been able to find other artists that have encouraged my practice and made it worth the risk. I wouldn’t say that I’m an introvert or an extrovert, but somewhere in between bouncing back and forth. I believe connection requires effort whichever group you identify with I think and fighting for connection in person is always worth it. Even if you identify as an introvert, if you focus on the motivation for connection and on the positive possibilities, it makes it much easier!  I’ve learned that the value of finding community, no matter how long you have it, is beneficial and beautiful in a way that you can’t get from social media alone.

So, if you are an artist who has found yourself isolated or in a new place, I would challenge you- who can you reach out to today? It takes time, but if you keep trying, you will find your people!