Marvel
Having an artist as a friend is one of the greatest gifts life can give. Artists see things in new and interesting ways, are outside-the-box thinkers, and usually a lot of fun to be around. You may have friends in any one of the arts, from writing to painting to crafting to acting to comedy to other forms of creation. The arts make a valuable contribution to society. They lift people up when they are down and provide a release for so many difficult emotions. The arts give us a way to celebrate joy while processing sorrow. They are invaluable.
Sadly, the arts are always the first to go when it comes to budget cuts. Whether it be cuts to school board funding or to your own home budget, the first area that sees reduction is the arts. Having a friend or loved one who is actively trying to seek a career in the arts can leave you feeling guilty. In many cases, you simply cannot spare the extra cash to purchase their wares or support their services. Seeing a friend in the arts struggle while being unable to financially contribute is hard. Chances are, your artist friend understands your financial situation and doesn’t hold it against you. Despite being broke, there are still things you can do to support your friends as they strive to achieve success in their field.
Take Advantage Of Social Media
Your friend likely has a few different social media accounts. Most individuals in the arts, from writers to designers, will have an online portfolio (maybe including a blog), a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and an Instagram account. Use your own social media following to your friend’s advantage and share their stuff. If your friend writes kickass sports articles, share them with your own social circle. If you see a beautiful work of art posted, encourage your friends to invest in it. Take a few minutes and share those pieces with other Facebook groups or social media accounts that might be interested. In many cases, social media impressions (likes, retweets/shares, comments, etc.) play a part in how much income or exposure your friend earns. It also shows support for your friend’s skill or talent. It means a lot to a person in the arts to see their work shared with others.
Use Your Friend’s Services First
If you happen to need a gift, and you have a friend who sells custom mugs, contact him or her before browsing Amazon or Think Geek. Likewise, if you are planning a major event and you are looking for a band, contact your musician friend before auditioning strangers. One great way to help support your friends out even if you don’t have a lot of money is to use their services when in need. I’m not suggesting you throw a party just to hire your bestie’s band, but if you are planning a wedding, consider hiring your guitar-playing friend rather than a guitar-playing stranger. Showing support can often be as simple as shopping locally.
When Completely Broke, Barter
Never underestimate the value of the barter system. If you are an amazing artist and your friend is a fantastic hairdresser, discuss exchanging services. Bartering can be a great way to help your other struggling artist friends out as you are each beginning your careers. Remember to credit the other person for their work as much as possible. If you get compliments on your hair, refer them to the person who styled it. If your website gets a ton of hits, be sure to publicly thank the person who worked on it. Bartering should always go hand in hand with word of mouth advertisement.
Turn Off Your Ad Blocker
Most artists, writers, and entrepreneurs have a web presence. Since making a living in the arts is tricky, some of them will have ads or other sponsored content on their sites. Each time an ad is clicked or viewed, your artist friend receives some money. It isn’t much, but it can sometimes be enough to keep their website operational or to pay for a cup of coffee every now and then. When you view their site with your ad blocker enabled, your friend gets nothing. I get it, ads are annoying. We are bombarded by advertisements on a near constant basis, and ad blockers provide some relief. But they also mean that the person who worked hard on the content you view gets no revenue. If you insist on keeping your ad blockers up, at least consider adding your friend’s site or sites that carry your friend’s work to your whitelist.
Tell Them
Marvel
The best way to support a friend in the arts is to tell them what you think of their work: online and in person. If the latest painting they posted looked fantastic, let them know. Enjoyed their recent article? Tell them. Working in the arts or trying to get a business off the ground can be incredibly isolating. There are long hours, often spent alone hunched over a computer or table. To make things worse, imposter syndrome is a mighty powerful enemy. It can make creators across genres feel inadequate or like their recent work pales in comparison to past successes (past successes that we’ve convinced ourselves are the result of luck not talent). A compliment, as simple as it sounds, can go a long way to encouraging and supporting a friend when they need it most.
Great Suggestions!!!!!!!