Building a Creative Community: Tips for Collaborating with Other Artists
Hands down, collaboration is one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist.
Getting in to a creative flow with the right humans can lead to magical moments of connection, music, creation and space to gain new perspectives or spark ideas you never would have created without unique partnership.
In my coaching sessions with artists, I often refer to artistic and co-writing partnerships like marriages. If you write songs together, co-written songs (“kids”), can go off to have a life of their own. If you don’t know how to work with your creative partners, your art babies are going to have a challenging time out in the world.
So, it’s not just about finding anyone to partner with creatively, it’s about finding the right people. Building partnerships and community is an essential part of creating more opportunities for collaboration, but how do you find the right creative partners?
Here are some tips for collaborating with other artists and building a supportive and inspiring network so you can start making a bigger impact doing more of what you love, while also making friends, and growing valuable relationships.
TIP 1: Actually try to seek out like-minded individuals.
Ok, ok. It’s super easy to lean back on this idea that there is no one talented, or doing the same thing as you, in your area. Like it or not - you are surrounded by creatives. They’re working on their creativity too, promoting themselves online, going out to shows, joining workshops, trying to find their community - they’re looking for you. Where do you think they are? Where would you look?
Try attending local concerts, art shows, community events, or join online artist groups and creative workshops (*cough cough like the Intuitive Voice Conservatory at TheCreativeVoice) to meet others who are interested in collaborating. If they’re not in your town, they’re definitely online, somewhere in the world.
Also, this doesn’t mean find people who are exactly like you. Avoiding group-think in collaborative projects makes for a more interesting project, but find artists you’re aligned with, and who are headed in the same direction as you in how they aim to share and produce creative work.
Tip 2: Be open to new ideas…
Once you connect with like-minded artists on a similar path as you, be open to collaboration and new ideas. Honestly, if you’re a perfectionist, you may get stung with the reality that not everyone is going to like your ideas all the time. Collaboration requires openness and a willingness to experiment with new ideas. Be open to the perspectives and ideas of others, even if they don't align with your own.
This can be a challenging element of working in collaborative projects if we’re not fulfilling our own individual artistic needs first. If we choose to give to others before making time for ourselves, our collaborative spaces can feel like they’re taking more than they give, especially when there is an aim to have a sharing of ideas.
If you’re feeling closed off in a collaborative session, consider diving deeper into this signal. Are you feeding your own artistic needs outside of the group space? What is keeping you from exploring new ideas with others? What’s holding you back from letting go of an idea and seeing it develop with the collective?
Tip 3: Be the one who starts the conversation about where this is headed.
Yep, be the guy who says “I love you” first. Not really, but kinda. If you’re ready to form an ongoing collaboration with someone, or with a group of people, it’s a good idea to clearly define your goals and expectations. What do you hope to achieve through this project? What are your deadlines? What is your budget? By establishing these guidelines upfront, you can avoid confusion and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
For example, if you’re wanting to sing for the love of it every week and have no interest in playing shows in public - say it from the beginning. If you’re motivation is to start a band, tour, and make money from sellable products, you’ll wanna let your collaborators know that too. And if you have no idea what you want, it’s ok to share that too.
Tip 4: Be a BEAST at communication. Over-communicate.
This is really where voice work comes into play. Communication is key when it comes to collaboration. Take time to regularly check in with your collaborators, share progress updates, and be open to feedback. Encourage open dialogue and work together to solve any problems that pop up.
If you’re not a good communicator, collaboration can be rough. Use your community as a playground to learn and grow in your communication skills. Every time you take a chance on an uncomfortable conversation, you take the chance your collaborative group could grow in ways that will add value to all of your lives.
Tip 5: Respect each other's creative process and coping tools
This one’s pretty simple. Every artist has their own unique creative process. It's important to respect and honor each other's individual approaches to the project. Resist the urge to judge and instead focus on your own creative process and coping tools. What do you need to get by? By doing so, you foster a sense of trust and mutual respect.
Tip 6: Divide tasks based on strengths:
Collaborations are most successful when everyone is able to contribute their unique skills and strengths. Take time to recognize the strengths of your cohort. Divide tasks based on each person's individual talents and expertise. Make everyone feel valued and empowered in the process, even if it’s not exactly how you would do it. (Another exercise in perfectionism and letting go).
Tip 7: Celebrate successes together…
Finally, when a project is complete, take time to celebrate your successes together. Recognize and appreciate each other's contributions, and take pride in what you've accomplished as a team. When we take time to appreciate one another, to celebrate our accomplishments, it can help prevent us from burning out and growing stale in our journey. Every little milestone matters!
Finally, throw all of these ideas out the window if they don’t feel right for you. You get to choose how you build community and how you show up for your creative practice. This is just a reflective list from an Artist Coach who’s spent 20+ years in creative partnerships.
Collaboration is a powerful tool for unlocking your creativity and pushing your artistic boundaries. I hope you build your creative community, and find the support, inspiration, and camaraderie you need to thrive as an artist.
xoxo
Christina
