How to show an artist some love
Do you know an artist, performer or creative type? Want to show them some support but not sure where to start without spending dollars you don’t have?
Us artists are a little different, we run on inspiration. We often choose to sacrifice money, promotions and family for our art, so showing a little extra appreciation and support is greatly appreciated. Your actions support not just your personal friend but the whole artistic community.
Here are eight easy things you can do to support the artist in your life without spending a dime.
1) Tell Them They're Awesome
The thing with working in the arts is you can easily work a 40 hour week without any pay but a passing “that was awesome”. Your praise can make all the effort worth it, so if you enjoyed the show please tell us. A written testimonial is even more precious as not only do we get the warm fuzzies of your feedback but others reading your comments are more likely to invest in our work in the future. Taking two minutes to leave us a note on our website is appreciated more than you know.
2) Constructive Criticism
As much as we love praise, a true artist also craves constructive criticism. We want to do better to refine our work and you can help us. If you see a typo or mistake in our work, if you think we could do something better in our shows please talk to us privately and let us know. We may choose to act on your critique, we may not, but we cannot improve without your truthful input and the fact you respect us enough to believe we can take onboard your comments means a lot.
3) Like, Share, Retweet, Comment
Your likes and shares are a public vote; they show you support us and our work. They also enable us to reach a larger audience. The simple act of clicking share can put our work in front of hundreds of new eyes and that is almost as valuable as knowing you believe in us and what we do. So, if you see an article we posted, pics from a gig or even a casual update. Like, share, retweet or comment! Your social media actions are more powerful than you know.
4) Help Out
If an artist asks for your help, paid or unpaid, understand that they are putting great trust in you. Even the smallest request may be vital to the project they are working on, even if the request appears casual. If you can’t help that is fine, say so. However, if you do decide to take part, please do so in a timely professional manner, respect the artist and their work as important and you will earn a valuable friend, often willing to use their skills to support you right back.
5) Inspire Them
Inspiration is the fuel an artist runs on. If the artist in your life has shared a new project idea or if they have specific interests, share any articles, blogs or upcoming shows you come across. You may spark something amazing; you may simply show that you are interested and supportive of their projects. The mere fact you cared enough to share can help an artist break out of a rut.
6) Respect Their Occupation
The last question you should ever ask someone who has been presented to you as an artist is “what is your day job?”
Art is a real job!
It improves your own daily life in many small ways you may not even be aware of, but no matter your opinion on the arts themselves, you should respect the amount of time and hard work done by the artist. There are often very little financial rewards in art. Your respect goes a long way in keeping us going.
7) Allow For Differences
An artistic lifestyle may be different from your own. It may appear unstructured but trust me it’s not. Understand and allow for the differences.
•An artist may sometimes need peace and quiet to work and often this doesn't fall into the 30-40 hour work-week.
•We occasionally need reassurance that the unconventional work we do is valued.
•We don’t always have money to spend on going out but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to hang.
•Sometimes what we really need is a donation of your old junk to create our masterpieces.
There is nothing dramatic here, just an understanding that our lifestyles and needs may be different but that we still value your friendship we just may express that differently.
8) Ask Your Network
Is there a show, display, or sale coming up that your artist friend has made you aware of? Share the information on your network. Tag or email a friend that may be particularly interested. Supporting local art is great for the economy, it’s great for interpersonal relationships and it will make you a hero in an artist’s eyes.
Now you know how to help
So there it is, eight easy ways to support the artist in your life. Take a few minutes from your day to follow these simple steps, it may seem like a small thing but a loved up artist can change the world!
If you have any other ideas please share in the comments section on the main blog page and if you enjoyed the article, you now know what to do to help support this artist: share this post. =)
