How To Overcome Being Shy With These Top Networking Tips For Artists

How To Overcome Being Shy With These Top Networking Tips For Artists

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7 Easy Ways To Expand Your Network Within The Creative Industry

Networking in any industry is one of the most important skills to have, as it’s not about what you know but rather, who you know. This is even more prevalent in the art world, where competition is rife and opportunities can be hard to come by. Going into this environment can be fairly daunting, especially for those who are a little more shy and introverted. Luckily, there are some simple and easy ways to approach networking for artists, helping you connect with others as you grow within your career.

What does networking for artists involve?

At its core, networking essentially references the activity of meeting new people, however it can be slightly more specific. For businesses, networking is about making work connections in the hope of supporting each other’s careers. It can happen anywhere and with anyone, but typically these kinds of encounters occur at the office, at afterwork drinks or at dedicated networking events. For artists, you can expect to network at events like private views, studio tours and art markets, to name a few.

As a beginner, you may be reading this article assuming you have no network at all and that reaching out seems like an impossible task. That’s where you’re wrong, almost everyone has a network around them even if it’s small. Think about your friends and family for instance; although their professions may be unrelated to yours, it’s not to say that they can’t help you in terms of your career.

Why is networking for artists important?

As the world becomes increasingly digital (especially in recent times), you’d assume that more and more opportunities would be posted online. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. In fact, around 76% of job seekers discover job openings through friends and professional connections rather than online job boards. So if anything, networking is even more vital if you’re wanting to secure a job as without it, you may not know the job exists.

But beyond finding jobs, networking for artists plays an essential role in the development of ideas, skills and friendship. Art is a very collaborative field to be in, so having a circle of fellow creatives and professionals around you is only going to benefit your social well-being, artistic practice and confidence. You can find this type of online community within spaces like our art club.

How to network as a shy artist

1. Have a strong online presence

As an artist trying to grow their career and reach, you should already be utilising social media. It’s one of the most accessible places to showcase your work so that audiences can see your talent at first glance.

In terms of networking, you want your social media profiles to represent you and your practice in the best light, to gain engagement and interactions. We’re not saying you need a lot of followers, as this isn’t always the greatest indication of good content. Just prioritise having your occupation and key details clearly visible in some sort of bio, include a range of your best finished and on-going works and post regularly.

Not only will this attract genuine connections online, but also anyone you connect with in real life can find your socials and be further impressed by your quality and professionalism. Without it, you may miss out on networking follow ups, which we recommend doing after you’ve linked with someone in person.

2. Have an introductory speech ready

Most artists will find networking slightly daunting to a degree, but for those who are shy, the ordeal can be a lot more intimidating. This is why it may help to prepare a short introduction that you can rely on using when you’re in a networking situation. Don’t start listing off your CV and explaining every piece you’ve ever created; just practice how to introduce yourself and what you do.

Talk about recent projects, tailoring what you ask for depending on the person you’re meeting. If you’re going into a conversation needing to ask for something from someone, make sure you’re direct but polite.

Remember that the best interactions are usually organic and natural, so try not to stress too much about having everything planned out. It can just be helpful to go into a situation with a rough idea of how to introduce yourself and what you’re looking for, as a gateway into further conversation.

3. Use your listening skills

As much as networking for artists is about getting yourself out there, it’s also just as important to learn and listen to others. This is a given in any social situation, so treat networking the same. You want to show a genuine interest in the person you’re meeting by asking thoughtful questions, leaving a memorable impact on that individual.

Don’t just use it as an opportunity to talk about yourself. That won’t give off a very good impression in both a professional and personal manner. Listening to what people around you are saying is also a good way of picking up names and places you should know about. If someone you want to know more about is mentioned, ask about them.

It may be possible to get their contact details, and you’ll be able to link back to the person you heard them from. Stay in the loop by paying attention to those around you and what they’re talking about. Networking is one big circle of people and crossovers happen all the time; it’s how you build your connections.

4. Follow up online

We briefly mentioned this in our first point, but make sure you’re following up with someone you’ve met online. This shows that you were engaged and remember meeting them, so much so that you wish to continue your connection. Always start by explaining how nice it was to speak with them, and that you hope you can stay in contact. If there was something they said that particularly caught your attention, explore that further with them. Either way, reaching out after meeting proves that you’re interested in keeping a line of communication, and they’ll be more likely to remember you as an artist.

Following up doesn’t always have to be on social media. In some cases, it could be more professional to send an email, or look the individual up on LinkedIn. Next time you meet someone, try asking for a business card that will have their preferred methods of contact clearly stated.

5. The more events you attend, the easier they’ll become.

Connections won’t just come to you; you have to go out and find them! Whether it be online or in person, networking for artists relies heavily on being in spaces where others congregate. Did you happen to hear about a local exhibition’s private view next weekend? Go to it! The more networking situations you immerse yourself in, the more chance you’ll have of meeting people. These situations do not have to necessarily be events either. By strolling round a gallery, or popping into an arts and crafts shop, you could bump into anyone.

It can be scary to go into these places alone, especially if you’re not used to it. See if you can gather a couple of artist friends to go with you or attend some in the background a couple of times before you find the confidence to approach someone. Just showing your face is definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to networking for artists, and you never know who will approach you and spark a chat.

6. Don’t focus on work all the time

If you want the networking you do to be genuine, you’ll have to talk about things other than work or art. At the end of the day, these individuals are people like you who have interests, passions and opinions. There is more to someone than their business title and what they can offer you. Try to find some common ground outside of art that you can bond over to help the relationship develop naturally.

Sometimes networking has the tendency to feel forced and awkward, but breaking up the business chat with some normal lighthearted conversation is sure to take the pressure away. Treat networking how you treat other social interactions by not going into it with the sole desire to get something from them. Networking has to be mutually beneficial, so avoid seeming self-concerned by only talking about what you could gain, and more about them as a person.

7. Join online creative communities

The best way to expand your artistic network is by joining pre-existing communities, with plenty to choose from. Whether it be a uni society, a pottery class, a collective Pinterest board or our very own art club; all these groups provide the networking environment that artists need. The setup is already there ready and waiting for you to join and meet fellow like-minded individuals who could enrich your network and connections.

Within these communities, make sure you’re being proactive when getting to know people, which includes attending meetings, asking questions and following up afterwards. Offer support to others within the group in areas that you can help. Artists in general need to uplift one another as it can be a very tricky world to navigate. So being in creative groups such as these will enable you to reach out when needed but also positively impact the people around you.

Creative online networking resources

But where do artists find networking resources? Like we previously mentioned, networking can occur everywhere and anywhere, but below is a list of online places where you’re most likely to find networking opportunities, events and resources for artists.

Arguably the most popular business oriented social media, LinkedIn is probably a great place to start. Post your career related achievements, ask questions and keep up to date with all the latest networking opportunities coming your way. It’s free and easy to make an account, meaning you’ll be connecting with people over a whole spectrum of industries in no time.

The Dots

Described as the ‘LinkedIn for creatives’, The Dots focuses on connecting artistic individuals to events, opportunities and jobs as well as each other. It operates very similar to its comparison LinkedIn, but with a cleaner interface and added emphasis on the arts industry. Meeting with others is easy through sending ‘connections’, which can land you a space amongst smaller groups in with site. Here, you’ll be one of the first to know about events, talks, workshops or training functions that could push your career even further. Whatever creative role you find yourself in, get yourself on The Dots.

Behance

Owned by creative giants Adobe, Behance operates a bit more like an online portfolio, putting the visual work first. Sometimes artists use the site in place of their own website, with the added bonus of being able to explore others and connect all within one site. This is probably the most inspirational and enjoyable to look at when compared to other artist networks, and really showcases your visual talents.

Tiktok

Yes, don’t underestimate the power of TikTok. Having taken the social world by storm since 2020, TikTok continues to be a place where artists and small business owners come to promote their work. It’s proving to be a fun way of engaging with your followers and supporting others, with the comments section always being a lively space. Many artists have blown up overnight from TikTok, coming back to explain how they did it. Even if you don’t have that same kind of algorithm luck, you’ll still probably learn a thing or two.

Instagram

And finally, we move onto Instagram. Most artists will have an account even if they don’t use it often but we recommend that you really pursue it. It’s a go-to, daily platform for most people, increasing your chances of connecting with someone everyday. What’s more is that you can do so many things other than posting photos, including selling your art on Instagram. This feature opens you up to a whole other network which is your consumer base, something you’re going to want to grow the goal is making money from your practice. There’s also a few accounts and communities we suggest following to hear about the latest networking opportunities, like our friends at @ilikenetworking. Sign up to our exclusive art club to watch our in-depth conversation with founder Isobel Saachs for more on the specifics of networking for artists.

WHAT NETWORKING TECHNIQUES WORK FOR YOU? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Don’t forget you can always share your art with us! Become the next Artist of The Month or tag us on Instagram @darkyellowdot.

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