Beyond Networking

from Robin Cheers

I think one of the best investments an artist can make is in artistic friendships. Not the kind that help you build professional relationships and get your work out there, but the kind of friend you can sit and have a cup of tea with and talk about what inspires you, or the lack of inspiration.

I have such a group of friends and they can understand me better than my spouse even. Its very personal when our art fails us and its hard to separate failure at the easel from the rest of our day.

We've all been through this and its nice to have another artist commiserate and remind us of our better days.

As a woman, mother, wife, etc. its also important to have a friend who is also juggling all those roles while trying to nurture the artistic self. Its a challenge and the artist can easily be overwhelmed by other commitments.

Don't lock yourself away from the world, whether things are going well or you're struggling. Online forums are great, too but there is nothing like chatting face to face. ;)