The Art Community Around Us
Being a lone artist trying to branch off into the world of professional art is HARD and terrifying. There is endless potential in this industry to get taken advantage of or scammed. Taking the right opportunities can make or break an artist. That’s why it's vital to immerse yourself in the artist community in your area. This will give you a reference for the larger art world. How you’re going to get those honest opportunities that will help boost your career and it’s also a great way to learn how to sell yourself and your art as a cohesive brand.
If you’re a bit of a homebody, like myself, putting yourself in this kind of a public space can be intimidating. I was lucky enough to have made friends in the community that wanted me to share my talent and encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone. In my experience other members of the art community in your area want you to feel welcome because in the long run having more creatives is never a bad thing. Being an active member of your art community gives you a way to network yourself close to home. It’s also inspiring as hell to see other artists succeed and know that you are on that same stage. In a nurturing artistic space seeing other artists succeed is like seeing yourself succeed.
Being a part of a community opens the door for collaboration. You get to meet other fantastic artists and learn from them. Experiencing diverse art and talking to other artists is the best way to grow. The experience and connections you make just in your local community is astounding. In my experience stepping into the community and engaging with other artists has helped me grow not only how I think about my artistic process, but also how I want my art to engage others. Not to mention you get some cool ass friends in the process. And as I said before, seeing the people who are now my friends succeed is so fulfilling. Fills me with so much mom friend pride.
The biggest thing I’ve learned from being a part of the Lansing art community is how to network and why it’s important. When you start moving into the professional realm of art it’s hard to navigate. Who is this person? What do they do? How do I book vendor spots? A LLC, who is she? I learned because I worked with an arts promotion company, Opportunity Arts. They showed me the paths I could take to become a legitimate business and presented me with opportunities to put some experience under my belt. Mike and Dani noticed I had the talent to be a professional artist and gave me the opportunity to pursue it. I know everyone doesn’t have access to people as great as Dani and Mike, but you can find your support system or someone you’re friends with in the community that can connect you further to get the support you need to succeed.
So get out there! Engage in your artistic community, it’s beyond worth it!
