Meeting Other Artists

Hello again everyone, this time i would like to talk about the importance of making connections with other artists and creatives.

A lot of us start out a little afraid to share our work with others because it's personal and usually shows parts of our vulnerable sides, but as we grow older and gain more experience (also growing up usually leaves the childhood bullies behind), we gain more confidence in sharing parts of ourselves with others. This happens especially when we meet people who are into the same things we are, like comics, video games, sports, gardening, etc., you name it!

I have a group of friends that I've worked hard to establish strong relationships with, that I trust with my art and my feelings, and we meet pretty regularly to sketch together.

It's really important for artistic growth for us to be around others who continually push us into being better artists. They have ideas and techniques that might inspire us to try something new, and those new ideas might really lead to something great. They will probably inspire us to listen to new music or watch new movies also, which can all expand the way we see the world and other cultures (which is also important so we can be more empathetic and compassionate). Thinking beyond ourselves is a true measure of growing up in my opinion.

Now, beyond our friend groups, we need to start searching and networking with other people who are good at things we might not be, like most likely the entire business end of selling our art, or promoting ourselves. Having people who believe in the product we are creating is super beneficial, because they won't see all the massive, glaring issues with our work (because these self-critiques don't matter as much as we think they do in our heads), and so they are able to think about our actual worth.

And don't forget to reach out to artists you admire, you would be surprised at how many of them actually respond and will help you get where you need to be with awesome advice (looking at you Milton brothers for sure, and you too Adam! and I can't forget my homie Phizzo). Cons are a great place to do this too, but don't just try to take, give back, make the community stronger, and support your heroes and local artists, too.

Thanks as always for taking the time to read my ramblings.