Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Creative Collaboration

Social networking for an artist is a crucial step in the process from getting your art made to getting your art seen. It is very important to have an outlet to meet other artists, collaborate, trade ideas and get new ideas for projects yourself. Most social networking web sites lack the focus of the arts. Most which are used for dating, or promoting music are not specifically designed to meet the needs of a visual artist. An online social network for artists that includes profiles, events, openings, gallery connections and an artist directory is what is truly needed to help artist represent themselves accurately online.

Staying in touch with artists in your area is a lot easier than keeping up with others from more remote locations from yours. Having an online database of artists from other cities around the world would enable an artist to facilitate the creation of events, openings and shows further from home, thus promoting the artists work further and further abroad. A networking site online devoted to the needs of artist would fulfill this crucial role and help painters, sculptors and other artists to explore relationships that they would otherwise miss out on.

A creative directory with artists resources established online requires people to join, however. The framework for the community, once established, will then need users to interface and create the community that the online artist directory is made for. With a relatively simple user interface, an online social networking site would be a powerful tool for artist from all over the world to display their art from the comfort of their own keyboards. A community of this nature would also allow gallery owners and art appreciators from all over the country and all over the world to find artists they previously would have no access to.

The computer is a tool just like a canvas, paintbrush or easel. Using it creatively in the pursuit of success is just smart thinking. As time goes on, and it becomes more and more competitive in the art market, every advantage should be seized to get work shown and sold. At the same time, however, it must be through a rich and friendly network of artists, who can share the benefits of a stimulated art market and enrich each others experience through collaboration and mutual support.

Categories as diverse as fashion design, fabric arts, painting, sculpture, jewelry design, graphic design, leather working, folk art, invention, film and video, screenwriting and many, many others can be represented as mediums on such a social networking site. Art forms that involve collaboration as part of their creative process such as video production and invention are especially well served by such an outlet where multiple artists with diverse areas of expertise can come together and create a project.

Forums for sharing events and listings of things going on in the creative community are another benefit of online social networking sites, and this would be an important aspect to any creative arts club or creative directory online. Being able to plan trips or just find events occurring in your own back yard is a great way to meet other artists and people working in your field and develop relationships that will serve any growing artists. An online social networking site for artists is a great idea that’s time has come.

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