Do you tend to disappear in your own creative world and then find it difficult to emerge? It happens to me all the time! While working alone has many positives, there is a little trick. Of course you can get a lot done when no-one around is disturbing. However once you start feeling lonely, it can affect your effectiveness. For me good mindset is the clue for getting things done.
In my previous job I was a finance specialist and even tho I often worked alone in my quiet corner, I did always cherish coffee breaks and lunches with others. Becoming a freelance artist, I lost this small but significant social interaction and it had a big impact on me. Honestly at some point, I almost went bananas 😉
Once I realised what was missing, I started to make more connections and made a few artists friends 🙂 Now I can tell you from my experience how working with other artists can impact your own work in a positive way. So here are 5 reasons why artists should work with other artists.
1 - it can save you from becoming a cave person
Once I learned that truth, I realised that from time to time, I need to work around other artist. Even tho, I don’t get as much done as working alone, it fuels my mindset with good energy. In other words, if I spend one day a week working with other artists, I am more content and focused for the rest of the week. It’s like an investment 🙂
2 - you can borrow a pair of fresh eyes to solve your problems
Working as an artist requires millions of decisions a day. Sometimes I get stuck and waste my time in a limbo. Not being able to decide, I might end up doing a double job trying one thing and then another…
Not when I am with other artists though. It happened many times that their fresh insight helped me solve the problem in no time! It’s so easy when you have to decide for others.
3. it helps getting out of the creative spiral learning new things
Isn’t process one the most interesting part of creative work?
You can look at videos on the internet, but nothing will be the same as observing somebody in reality. Seeing how they make their art, may inspire you to try new techniques, mediums or subjects.
4. you can gossip about art world while working
Moving around the art world is a big job. Artists need to produce work but also find time to tell everyone about it. That requires a lot of time and energy. Artists are often introverts, which doesn’t make it easier.
This is when spending time with other artists comes in handy. You can exchange experiences and information and most importantly get into each other heads. So next time when you talk to someone about opportunities and they ask you ‘do you know other artists, who would be interested in this?, you will say tell them the names of your co-creatives, cause these will pop up in your head first. Believe me, they will do the same, because opposite to ‘out of sight out of mind’ is ‘in sight, in mind’.
5. when you need a pity party, they are here for you...
Sometimes you need to moan a bit about your struggles in the artist world. Well, who doesn’t? As hard as it may be, try not to throw yourself a lonely pity party. Talk to others and let them help you find a new perspective. They will understand and share their ways of dealing with self doubt, imposters and other creatures. Perhaps they will recommend a good book, or give you a constructive idea, or simply be there for you. It always helps.
Choose your co-creatives well
Recently me and my two artist friends started a collective GAG. We did it, because we like to work together. Being in a collective makes us stronger. From now on we are 3 sets of what’s useful to move around art world (eyes, ears, brains and legs ;). Before we decided to it, we experience many sessions of co-working time and become friends. In the end of the day, friendship is important to be able to make a use of all the benefits of working together. So choose your artist coworkers well 🙂
Read related posts 🙂
how I didn’t go bananas – about realising that I am not a total introvert/ hermit
I am part of the gang now – about my previous collective in Art Escape Studios in Copenhagen
fantastic strangers at the same table – Impart dinners – about building friendly connections