5 People Every Artist NEEDS

Networking as an artist can be tricky. How great would your life be if you had your very own board of directors? Where do we go with our problems, questions, insecurities, challenges? Who can help us stay sane, motivated & grounded in a sustainable practice? You need people! Here is a list of the 5 types of people you might need in your life to optimize a creative career…

1. The Critic. This person will help you by objectively assessing your work and process. They will tell the truth in a way that’s supportive yet firm and reliable. You need a critic you can trust & keep an open mind with. This person can help with an individual piece you’re stuck on or by looking at a series, even your entire body of work. Ideally they can tell when you’re not producing your best work- and call you out on it.
2. The Optimist. This person hypes you up, soothes you, and helps you remember how far you’ve come. The Optimist will encourage you to branch out, take risks, and be bold. This is the person you can turn to when you feel lost, frustrated, rejected, etc. They will lift you up and help you to keep going.
3. The Entrepreneur. This person shares skills and professional guidance. Usually this is an expert you can tap for individual coaching sessions, private tutoring, etc. The Entrepreneur is likely quite busy with their own projects, but can make time to help you on your path with some sage advice. This person has real experience with running a business- it doesn’t have to be a fellow artist.
4. The Mentor. This person has been there before and is usually a fellow creative type. Ideally this is an Artist further along on their career path. The Mentor understands you, and where you are at with your work- because they themselves have been there before. The Mentor can give you insights and camaraderie others simply can’t.
5. The Peer. This person is in the trenches with you. Ideally you are at similar stages in your career or have known each other for awhile- even if your chosen mediums are quite different. This is someone to grow with and meet often. The peer relationship is meant to be a touchstone overtime so you can support each other and watch one another grow. Peers get it on a totally different level because they are experiencing similar challenges and successes right along side you.

Each of these archetypes bring a valuable perspective into your life. Artists need to seek out people who are able and willing to connect, so we have access to sounding boards and support systems throughout our careers. It takes time to find all the people I’ve mentioned on this list, but a great place to start is on our Hub Forums.