Connecting with Creatives is Crucial

Hey friends! It’s Kate- online teaching artist and content creator. Today I want to talk about something I think is really, really important for us creative types- connection. And not the social media kind of connection, although that can be a great jumping-off point for new friendships or mentorships. I’m talking about IRL (“in real life”) connections.

As a small child, I was always creating art. But when I started to get older, other things started to matter more- my friends, school work, extracurriculars. The one thing that really kept me drawing was the fact that, in middle school, I found a small group of friends who loved to draw just like me. We would make art for each other, draw each other’s original characters, and make fan art of the shows we were watching. Having those friends to share my art with was a huge incentive, not only to constantly keep making, but also to hone my skills in the spirit of friendly competition. If my friend was really, really, great at drawing bird wings, I wanted to be really great at it too. We motivated each other, encouraged each other, and most of all we found joy together in doing what we loved.

Some of my middle - high school art

But the closeness of our group didn’t last forever. Art school was an easy way to get that feeling back, being surrounded by new techniques and ideas, and compelled to study by being a little jealous of your friends’ godlike artistic abilities (okay, maybe I’m just competitive by nature!) I experienced a crazy amount of growth in a short period of time, and I owe it mostly to the environment I was in, surrounded by other creatives.

College doesn’t last forever either, and though I’m still in touch with my art school friends, we have busy lives and no longer live in “hanging-out” distance. Nowadays I can find myself retreating into a cave with only myself and my work. While it’s nice to have that art-goblin moment where you’re blissfully creating with zero concern for the outside world, it can be incredibly isolating. Adult friendships are already difficult to maintain, and when you’re the friend that’s opting to stay in and work on a painting instead of going out, your social life can quickly start to disappear.

One of my methods of combatting this is to host paint or crafting nights with my immediate friends and my roommates, which ranges from enjoyable to tolerable by them, depending on their interest level. But it’s not quite the same as having that core group of super motivated people that live and breathe art, that will go out sketching with you or to life-drawing sessions. Mutual inspiration and collaboration- that’s something really, really special, and you don’t really recognize it until it’s not there anymore. Artists throughout history have been part of art movements, like the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, or the Vienna Secessionists (my bias toward 19th century art is showing.) They were just like-minded artists who wanted to hang out and share ideas.

All of this is to say, if you have a child who loves art, encourage them to make friends with other young artists and they will flourish. It’s so valuable to nurture that passion, and there’s nothing quite like creating alongside other artists. That experience is truly a gift.

And if you’re a creative adult that finds yourself isolated in your work? Try reaching out to other artists- you’ll probably discover that most of us are going through something similar. This is where social media does come in handy; I’ve made some really incredible connections just from sending a DM to an artist whose work I admire, and I’ve had others reach out to me in a similar manner. One day I’d love to create a physical space of my own where artists can meet and collaborate, share their work, and teach their skills to others. Our society tends toward isolating us from one another these days, and I think we’re all yearning for a little more connection.