For me, being an artist has often been an immensely lonely experience. I have almost always maintained a day job outside of my artistic endeavors, which has consistently created unique social challenges for me.

I work 40+ hours a week in an office setting, and then I go home and I have to make a decision: will I pour into my art with my few remaining hours awake, or will I pour into my relationships?

More often than not, I have chosen to use that time to better myself artistically. I’ve consistently utilized my few hours outside of work, sleep, and chores each week to practice music or to engage in visual art.

More than a few times I have been invited to a social event and declined because I have felt I needed to work on my art because my scales weren’t good enough, I was stuck on that one bar of that one piece of music, or my night skies weren’t good enough.

I’ve also declined due to feeling safer with my art than with people. I often struggle with connecting with people who don’t engage in art, and many of my friends lean toward the sciences.

In my anecdotal experience, many other artists I have encountered have struggled with the same sense of aloneness that I have often found within myself.

As artists, we have to support each other. This support and connection seems to often be a shortcoming of artists, who often stick to themselves and in their own little circles. But why should we support other artists?

Artists are cool

Artists have some of the coolest opportunities and experiences out there. People in more traditional trades and jobs don’t often have opportunities to travel around the country and the world doing what they love, certainly not in the way artists do.

To be on a stage or in a gallery seeing people connect with you and the art you create is an experience like no other.

We can learn from other artists

No one understands us more than artists in our own field or niche. If we connect with other artists, we can troubleshoot our problems with them.

Are you struggling with streaks in your oil paintings? An oil painter can give you tips for what they did to prevent that. Can’t quite figure out a chord progression for your new song? Ask your fellow musician!

We don’t all have to blindly go through the same struggles in our own little echo chambers, we can help each other be better.

Generosity is contagious

Your generosity and your kindness are contagious. If you support an artist, they will support another artist, and soon enough there’s a spiraling network of support among likeminded artists.

The simple act of buying a print or shouting someone out on social media can do a world of good for the entire community.

There’s enough success to go around when we each offer a unique product

Artists often avoid helping each other because we are afraid of seeing others succeed while we are left behind. This doesn’t have to be the case! There’s enough success to go around for everyone.

You can create a product that I can’t create and vice versa, because we all have unique experiences and skills that drive our creation.

One of us succeeding is good for all of us, because we can hold out our hand and pull the next artist up with us.

If you’re feeling lonely today, reach out to some local artists who create art similar to yours. You would be amazed at the connections that can be made.