Some of the most useful things I know about making art and running a creative business didn't come from a book or a class. They came from other people who make things, usually in the middle of a conversation I didn't plan to have, and I'm reminded of that every time one of those conversations sends me home with a new idea.
The Rooms That Fill Me Back Up
Every January I head to the Atlanta gift show, and I come home with my head buzzing in the best way. I get to walk the market and reconnect with artist friends I only see in person once or twice a year, and being surrounded by people who make things for a living is incredibly energizing. Hearing what other artists and product developers care about helps me see my own work more clearly, which is hard to do from my studio on a gray day.
Seeing How Someone Else Does It
When I visited Erin Flett's studio in Maine, I got to see how a fellow maker takes her designs, screen-prints them on her own fabric, and turns them into products. I came home with a pouch that now holds my travel paints, and with a reminder of how much you can learn simply by watching someone else do the thing you love.
The Friends Who Keep Me Going
I'm also lucky to have a group of artist friends who text often and hold each other accountable to creating and pitching. None of us are competing with each other, rather we are cheering each other on. We share what we're learning, nudge each other to send the email, or finish the painting, which is why community over competition is more than a phrase I like to say. There is room for all of us, and the more I share, the more I seem to get back.
What I'm Looking Forward To
This month I'm heading to Adobe MAX in Miami, and I'm looking forward to being surrounded by creative people again. I've only watched MAX online each year, so I'm thrilled to be invited to join in person! I always come away with new tools I want to try, and new insights on creativity, and I expect this year to be just as inspiring.
Who Lifts You Up?
I'd love to know who the people are that make you better at the thing you love. It might be a friend who texts you back right away, a class you took years ago, or a stranger who said exactly the right thing. Pull up a chair and tell me about them, because I have a feeling we could all use a few more of those people!
