How to Meet other Artists when you feel like Company
It can be nice to spend some time with like-minded people who love drawing and painting as much as you do. But if you don’t happen to know any other artists, how can you make that happen?
Why you should meet other artists
Making friends with other artists can be a huge benefit and enjoyment for everyone, even the most extreme introverts amongst us. Because you get to talk about your favourite hobby with someone you know likes it as much as you do.
No need to bore your non-art-loving friends with yet another rendition of how amazing that new da Vinci exhibition is or how useful you find that drawing blog you stumbled across last week.
Spending some creative time with new acquaintances, meeting up occasionally and just drawing together, or sharing your newest pieces with them online can be fun as well as useful for your progress.
When things get tough you can help each other out. If you’re feeling unmotivated someone will be there to pick you up and encourage you to keep going.
You can solve problems together, exchange tips and tricks and new books, websites or exhibitions you discover.
Exchange with like-minded people will broaden your horizon, motivate you and help you grow as an artist.
Most of all it’ll help you grow as an artist. You’ll see other people’s work in a very different light when you know them and you will be able to understand it much better. You might see them working, learn about their motivations, their reasons for choosing certain subjects.
This can work especially well if you have an agreement to honestly critique each other’s work (at least occasionally). Often another artist might see something in your newest drawing that’s not quite right yet and can give you hints on how to fix it.
It’ll broaden your horizon, especially if there are people with different drawing styles and subject interests in the mix. It doesn’t have to be just drawing either, why not make friends with some painters, sculptors or textile designers?
One conversation with someone about an artsy topic they’re really passionate about is worth more than ten books on the subject.
In the worst case you’ll just learn something new. In the best case you might develop a taste for it yourself. I would never have developed my love for abstract art without a painter friend dragging me to practically every exhibition in London. But boy am I glad she did!
Take it from someone who’s spent the happiest time studying art at University, nothing makes you more creative than being surrounded by the creativity of others.
But what if you’re not a student and you don’t know any other artists? We don’t all have the gift of being able to strike up a conversation and make friends with complete strangers, after all.
Worry not, there are some (introvert-proof) options out there. For some of them you don’t even have to leave the house.
Drawing classes
You don’t need to be enrolled in a full-time university degree to reap the benefits of some good old class-room style friend-making.
As mentioned in my post on How to learn Drawing, classes come in all shapes and sizes. There is usually the one-day-a-week-after-work option that runs over several months, or you can find a full-day weekend short course, or even walk-in classes.
If there is an art school anywhere close to you I very much recommend to take at least a short class every now and then because they’re always hugely beneficial for beginners. You’ll have a tutor to answer your questions and correct your work and you get to make new friends.
Indeed, in any kind of situation where people with the same interests are cobbled together new acquaintances develop almost naturally. And with a little nudge they can easily turn into out-of-course friendships.
Meeting people in a class dedicated to the very interest you’d like them to share is still the easiest way to make new friends.
Don’t worry if you’re a bit shy, chances are there’ll be at least one extrovert in there that’ll simply walk up to you and introduce themselves. If not, well then you’re just going to have to bite the bullet and make the first step. Often all that’s needed is a simple compliment of someone’s work.
The goal is to go for a coffee one day after class, or perhaps attend an exhibition together. And from there you can just let things run their course.
Honestly, in most classes I’ve attended that’s something that just somehow magically happened. Remember that many of the participants will not just be there to learn a new skill but to make new friends, too.
Work clubs
If you happen to work at a big company you’ll often find that there are certain theme-specific clubs for you to join already. You find things like yoga, new parents, photography or hiking clubs quite frequently.
These clubs tend to have their own chatrooms in the office chat program (or use WhatsApp groups) and they usually meet up outside of work every other week or so.
If there is no art-related club yet, you can get in touch with the company’s social committee and ask them to ask around if anyone would be interested in founding one.
Big companies often have a social committee that helps organise clubs about specific topics. If you’re willing to spend your free time with your colleagues, that is.
These things are ideal if you are a bit shy yourself, because while the members might not be part of your team, they do work in the same company, so you’re technically colleagues, not complete strangers.
It’ll give you something in common from the very beginning and make getting to know each other a little less scary. On the other hand, if you prefer not to mix work and private life, this option might not be ideal for you.
Other groups
If you don’t care to spend your free time with colleagues from work, there are likely other drawing or art groups out there for you to join.
If you’re unsure how to find one the easiest option is to ask at your local art school or college. In almost all cases the tutors will be aware of what social groups exist in the area or they can put you in touch with someone who knows.
Another option is to ask in nearest art store, one of the (smaller) galleries or at art fairs. Poke around a bit, someone is sure to know something, if it indeed exists.
Your local art college or any small-ish galleries will often know about drawing and painting groups in your area.
And if there is no club at all near you simply start one yourself. You could print out a quick flyer with your idea and your phone number or email address to get in touch.
Art schools and stores will often gladly hang them out for you, since it benefits them, too, if people are encouraged to make more art.
Meetup websites
In our digital age almost anything can be searched for online, new friends included.
If you’re new in town or simply don’t know anyone that knows anyone that shares the same interests as you, there are websites that’ll make finding friends a lot easier.
The most popular one I know of is Meetup.com. Essentially, it’s a directory for local clubs. Anyone can start a club for free, so there’re lots to choose from, especially if you live in/near a city.
Some websites specialise in connecting you to like-minded people in your area for free. Make use of them!
Just select a category or type in a keyword (such as “painting” or “art”), tell the platform your location and how far you’re willing to travel and it’s going to list everything available related to your search term.
Naturally there are also other websites with similar offers, just a quick Google-search away.
This option is absolutely perfect for anyone who is looking for people to do things together but prefers to gather some information first and get a feel for the group, before joining any live events.
Art-sharing websites and social media
Not every friendship must exist in the “physical world”. I have connected with and befriended a great many people over time that I have never met in person.
Almost all aspects of an acquaintance can be upheld just as easily purely online. I do not need to have someone sitting right in front of me, nor indeed know what they look like at all, in order to reap the benefits of a meaningful conversation.
In fact, the wide world of the Internet enables you to be in contact with a diversity you often don’t find in your own area.
You can exchange drawings and share tips and advice with people from all over the world, often with an art education and knowledge entirely different from your own.
Honestly, the things you can learn about art from someone from another country or continent!
And of course this is the perfect option for everyone who lives in the countryside with no physical groups around, who moves around a lot or who has an unpredictable work schedule that makes keeping appointments difficult.
Online connections can be just as meaningful and beneficial as meeting people in person.
Options to meet other artists online are as vast as the Internet itself. Facebook groups tend to be very popular still and are probably your easiest way to find like-minded people online.
Other social media, such as Pinterest or LinkedIn, can also work well. However, accounts here are usually by individual people, not groups, so it’s a little harder to strike up a conversation without coming across as a little brisk, or simply being ignored.
Regularly commenting on someone’s new posts can be a good start, or sending them a message with a question or two about their latest work.
All in all, there are many great options to enjoy other artist’s company, and even more benefits to it.
Most importantly, be you. If you like to jump right in, a drawing class will probably work best for you. If you like to take your time, simply search for groups on the internet, then plan to meet up with them in person if and when you’re ready, or keep things entirely online.
Did you enjoy this article or feel like you have anything else to add? Feel free to leave me a comment below!
If you like this post, please share it, so others may like it too!