World Art Day
Today is World Art Day, a day of celebration of all artistic expressions, and the huge amount of creativity that exists around the world. It was established by the International Association of Art in 2012, and became a Unesco observance a couple of years ago. The date, the 15th of April, was selected to coincide with Leonardo Da Vinci’s date of birth (Happy Birthday Leo!), one of the most creative artists and inventors, as a symbol of the way in which the arts, and creativity in general, have influenced every part of life.
To celebrate this, I wanted to share something that makes life as an artist so rich and rewarding for me: the support and camaraderie I have found amongst groups of other artists.
Being a working artist can be a very lonesome path. You spend a lot of time alone with your works, trying to learn and develop your practice by yourself, as well as figuring out a million things you need to survive (from legal stuff to tax or website design and shipping requirements, the list is literally is endless). If you were lucky enough to go to Art school, you may have kept in touch with some of your fellow students, or you may see other artists in shared studio spaces, or at exhibition launches. But if you are self taught or didn’t stay in touch with art school friends, if you work from home and are just starting out, with only a few exhibitions under your belt, you may not have those networks to fall back on.
There are a number of ways in which you can develop your network beyond those areas. For me, social media has been a really useful tool- not just to find people who like my work enough to follow me or like the posts I share or buy my works, but also for all the relationships I have built with other artists. Those relationships can be as simple as paying attention to each other posts, and encouraging each other, but they often develop into conversations about shared art interests, processes or common projects.
Artists organisations also play a fantastic role in creating networks, and I strongly encourage all emerging artists to find one that works for them. Becoming a part of ArtCan has really been a decisive step in my journey. Not just for the great exhibition opportunities they offer but also the wonderful support network available to their members. ArtCan is a volunteer and artist led organisation so most of the support comes from other artists and it is invaluable. We encourage each other, offer advice, share resources, and create opportunities for each other. I have only been a member for 6 months, and already I have built real friendships with a number of other members, people whose practice and background may be similar to mine or may be completely different, but who share a passion for art, an eagerness to develop their practice and move forward on their journey, a willingness to exchange and help each other. There is no rivalry or competition, even when we all respond to the same open calls, just support and joy when one of us does well!
