Your next connection could be your most important. Meeting people from your profession and within the community opens the door to more opportunities as an artist. Networking is progressively more important to our professional careers than it ever was. As an artist, going to events and trading advice between peers lead to self-growth and professional growth. The experience of networking adds value to your overall career because you can gain real-world knowledge. A community thrives when people connect. Making these interactions creates valuable support for individuals in your profession. Ways of Networking If you never networked, no worries! There are endless options to start now. Here is a list of opportunities for networking experiences: • Go to the industry meetups- To discover new artist meetups in your area, you can pay attention to local bulletin boards or sign up for Meetup.com. • Attend celebrations and openings- To meet curators and owners of art exhibits, you should attend gallery openings and art celebrations for networking. • Attend an industry conference- Every industry has large conferences to educate and network with top industry professionals. • Converse in an online forum- There are a plethora of online communities, Facebook groups, and professional pages to ask or to give advice about your career. The people you make a connection with are the contacts you gained from networking. • Join professionally supportive groups- To gain experience and attend events, joining a professional group is an easy way to jump into networking. FemArt is building an organization that benefits female artists within Northeast Florida. A professionally supportive group will provide direction and navigation while allowing you to network. Networking and Self-Promotion On this blog, the topic of self-promotion is discussed because it is an essential part of a successful career, especially for an artist. Self-promotion is an admission of self-confidence and worth of one’s work. To peak interest in your work, you must promote yourself to bring awareness to a creative vision. Attending a gallery opening can be the integral opportunity to meet curators who discover your pieces, which could lead to your own exhibit in the future. Going to an industry meetup gives you the opportunity to develop self-promotional skills. Your career is an investment of the time you put into your work and within your industry. As you network, you will see more options to represent your work. All of these efforts hold the opportunity for immense success. Learn from your Community There is always an opportunity to learn more about your craft. Joining professional organizations allow you to meet people within your profession and gain their professional knowledge. Advice could even come from an online forum that is tailored to female artists. All of these opportunities are ways to continuously learn about your craft. It will be easier overtime to beat a struggle when you are supported by a community. Conclusion Networking is a great resource to meet people who may help you during your professional journey. Navigating a creative career can be difficult, but finding professionals with similar expertise can improve your career. By networking, you will see growth within your social skills; also, professionally you will learn from the community of contacts that you build. Networking is the way to start self-promoting and open the door to more success. Your next connection could be the most important!
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