Get Connected

I find sometimes the world of art a lonely one. I run and belong to an art group and I really enjoy being with people who are creative, just like me. But in between those weekly meet ups painting can be quite lonely.

I don’t mind painting on my own, in fact I love it and with the music on I can lose myself for hours. I’m talking about connecting with other artists. Is it hard to network with other artists? Or is it just me?

Maybe it’s my confidence as a painter that I struggle with, wondering if I am good enough to be considered an artist worthy of knowing. Maybe I need to be more ‘out there’ when it comes to meeting other artists.

So I had a good old think about what steps I could take to improve my artist’s network. And I don’t mean by having a hundred contacts who I never talk to, but ones who are interested in meeting up to exchange ideas, build up friendships and a long term relationships. So here’s my conclusions:

1. Believe in myself
2. Visit local exhibitions and meet artists
3. Use social networking sites
4. Talk about my art – not to random strangers on the train, but to other artists...this goes back to point one, believe in myself
5. Attend some art workshops

They are only simple suggestions and I am interested in hearing any you may have, but the more I do it, the more I will get from it. But before I can start talking about my paintings, I need to do some, and following on from my previous post I have struggled lately to find the time.

So it’s time for some good music, a large canvas and plenty of paint.

Networking...

I've recently decided to invest time in online networking.

Most of us these days use Facebook, Twitter (although I am yet to suss this one out) and LinkedIn, to name a few. These are social networking sites, aimed at keeping friends, colleagues etc up to date on our lives, whether it be personal or professional.

These sites are great and can be a very useful way of promoting your artwork and photography, announcing exhibitions, promoting events or just keeping people informed on what you are currently working on.

I have found LinkedIn to be a really useful site, mainly as it allows you to join groups on a professional basis whereby you can create discussions and learn some interesting things you never knew before. For instance, you may want to try out a new medium and would like experiences of other artists. They can give you advice and tips and provide interaction that is sometimes lacking when you are alone in a studio.

Naturally, these sites can take up a lot of your time, but used wisely, can provide an excellent source of information and in the process, build up a network of like minded individuals.

So give it a bash I say...