The Power of Connecting with People in Your Industry
I’ve been interviewing an artist every week, first on Instagram Live, and then on Zoom and posting the recording to YouTube. Have you caught any of them yet? They have been a chance for me to connect and learn more about how creatives market their work.
In the interviews, we talk about the purpose of their art, pricing, who they want their art to reach, and how they find those people and make relationships with them. The conversation always turns to this process--how they find their people and begin making connections.
The last few interviews especially have driven home how important connecting with people in your industry is for creative business owners.
Everything you learned in kindergarten still applies in marketing
(BTW-If you aren’t already selling your art and you want to start, download my cheatsheet: Keep Calm & Sell Something). If you’ve already signed up for my newsletter and you don’t want to go through the process again, email me and I’ll send it to you directly.
A couple of weeks ago I interviewed Kyllan Maney, a professional fine artist, muralista and teacher.
Kyllan also has over 1,000 followers on Instagram, and is well-known in the Phoenix area. You can find her work in many public spaces across the Valley.
So you might say that her marketing is working. She’s part of the network of artists that local governments and developers think of when they begin contemplating adding public art to their projects. She paints, designs wearable art, and sells her work through her website and local stores.
Along with a beautiful website and an active social media presence, she has another secret weapon. One we learned in kindergarten.
Be nice to other people. Make connections.
Kyllan made an effort to get acquainted with many of the other artists in the metro Phoenix area, along with their work.
So when something comes along that isn’t right for her, or if she’s too busy with other projects, she refers the project to other artists; ones she feels would be a better fit. She has built a successful art career, and a big part of this is how she connects with other artists.
It’s easy (for me, anyway), to compare our work to that of other people, to feel jealous of their success, to want to hoard the projects and the glory.
Kyllan does the opposite. She helps spread the wealth. Is there a place in your creative practice where you could start doing the same?
If you are a creative and you want to get your work into the world, here are four ways I can help you.
#1 Read these posts about how to start handling any trauma you’ve experienced in getting your work into the world.
# 2 If you are ready to start selling your art, Download my cheatsheet: Keep Calm & Sell Something. Follow the directions in there, and tell someone else you’re doing it so you can be accountable to them. While you begin working with your trauma, the best antidote to pain is companionship and connection.
#3 If you want to make yourself a day job (which means starting a business), get a copy of my business plan book for creatives, Passion, Plan, Profit, and find someone, or better, three other someones, and go through the book together. The book tells you how to work in a group or in pairs, and you can download the worksheets in the book here. Companionship and connection again.
#4 If you want guidance, book a free 15 minute chat with me here and I’ll get you pointed in the right direction.
Your work matters.
I'd love to hear your takeaways from this blog. Do you have any ideas for how you could start connecting with people in your industry? Let me know in a comment below.