Last week, as I was typing up my interview with Aaron Wood, one thing he said really stood out to me:
“People aren’t working together.
They’re working to get their art seen first or seen the most.”
That statement stayed with me. Because I believe it’s true. It happens. We create and we want what we create to be SEEN and adored. That is all.
I know creating can be very personal.
It seems like a lonely job, by nature. But, it doesn’t have to be.
We could do better than that. Better for ourselves and for our peers.
So, let’s learn how to collaborate a little more, OK?
I’m going to suggest some ways HOW. And then I HOPE you add your own suggestions in the comments, because I don’t have all the answers.
I know Stephen King said, “write with the door closed” and it’s true: I need silence when I write. But, with creating, in general, a little company goes a long way, so I’m going to suggest you try something different.
The Andy Warhol Way
Part of what made Andy Warhol such a brilliant Artist was that he didn’t work alone. I’ve read about his “coloring parties” where people would come over and help him color his drawings.
His peers didn’t just help him produce Art.
He listened to them.
They exchanged ideas.
They fed off of each other’s creativity.
This collaboration process is exactly what made up “the factory” or Andy Warhol Enterprises – a multi-million dollar business.
Collaborating in Our Virtual Worlds
Realistically, we can’t always get together in person and create.
If Warhol was that resourceful with his peers back then, imagine how he would have capitalized on social media if he was an Artist of THIS generation?
“I’m the type who’d be happy not going anywhere as long as I was sure I knew exactly what was happening at the places I wasn’t going to. I’m the type who’d like to sit home and watch every party that I’m invited to on a monitor in my bedroom.”
― Andy Warhol
Umm, yeah… I have this weird feeling Warhol would’ve embraced social media just fine ;)
Maybe he would’ve approached it a lot like my friend, Aaron…
Build a huge following right from Google+ by creating lots of art, generously share his ideas and progress with his friends, ask for feedback, create lots more art, and build relationships every chance he got.
So, if you can’t meet in person (and I know in person is better) there’s still plenty of opportunity to collaborate in our virtual hangouts.
Does the idea of factory-like collaboration intimidate you?
No worries. Keep it simple and intimate.
Get yourself a peer editor.
And don’t skip this if you’re not a writer.
All creative work requires editing. Writing, painting, photography, sewing, crafts, singing, knitting, and so-on. We begin creating and then we adjust, refine, and repeat until it’s right (or good enough).
Who do you ask to help you with this editing process?
Here’s what Jeff Goins suggests and I completely agree:
This should be someone bold — a person who will call you out and hold you accountable.
You need a person you can trust. So that when this person criticizes your work, you know it’s not to tear you down, but to build you up.
Sometimes, I’m scared to allow someone to see my unfinished work.
When I was a kid and I was drawing and someone would walk by, I would hover over my work. And if someone dared ask to see my progress, I would quickly say, “noooo… it’s not DONE!”
I still have moments where I act like that. I’m not that dramatic about it anymore, but I still have “hovering moments”.
But, when I look back and compare my hovering moments with my collaborative moments – times where I would allow someone to be a part of my creative process – there’s no question…
More often than not, the collaborative moments produced better results.
I read an article about how collaboration is simply SHARING.
Share your resources, connections, your stories of success and failure.
Build relationships with other Artists based on this one simple idea:
SHARE.
“If you seek to be creative, start by being generous.
Like blue, indigo and violet, they live together.”
~Seth Godin
When I first read the above quote in the book, Graceful, I didn’t quite get it. What does generosity have to do with creativity?… Sooo much!
Imagine if every creative generously shared the things I mentioned above? How do you think that would impact your work? Would you be more creative?… Umm, yeah!
Many creatives hold on way too tight to their ideas and what they’re working on. As if, creativity is a well that can dry up. As if, we need to protect it out of fear of losing it.
It is SO much the opposite.
The more you create and exchange ideas and insight, the better your ideas will evolve.
But, I’d rather hear from you! How else could creatives collaborate?
By the way, by commenting and sharing your own suggestions, you’re collaborating with me on this very article. You’re helping me offer the most insight and depth to my readers.
So… THANK YOU, in advance ;)
I embrace it, although people need autonomy and not everyone is good at relationships.
Creative collaboration in the true sense, is about having people collaborate but who are on similar levels of development. If they are not on the same levels, it can turn into a cluster fuck.
Being a strong leader means you can get a job done, it can also mean other people get intimidated so sometimes individuals need to be kept away from the others, for everyone’s peace of mind.
Ah, good points… Thank you for adding them, Alexander.
Always appreciate your insightful comments :)
One of the most amazing things about my daughter’s teenage film class is the level of collaboration required. They write treatments and discuss them in a circle and then basically throw them in a growing pile where they get shuffled around until one calls someone’s attention, weeks or years later, to be turned into a script or a storyboard. At some point a student director takes the lead and starts putting together shot lists and organizing production.
On any given day she might be holding a boom mic or a reflector for another student’s film, or directing actors on a green screen or in a mansion. The director is allowed to make the rough cut, but other students comment and one of them usually takes over editing. They are very serious about the work, and at the same time very playful.
Even if these kids don’t take careers as artists, they already know more about collaboration that almost anyone I know! It gives me hope for the future.
Nice! That’s pretty inspiring.. honestly, writing this post and reading the comments makes me want to get a project going soon with some other creatives.
Really appreciate your comment!
I’ve always sought collaboration like a ferret! It’s actually rare outside an organization like a school or company. I miss it very much, now that I’m on my own. It’s probably the thing I miss the most.
Hi Denise,
Very nice thoughts here :)
An individual stick to their wonderful ideas and work alone with no support? ;) If it’s possible that’s awesome but the truth I see is it’s really prevent ‘em from achieving success.
I really believe in collaboration and building valuable relationships that matters :) I think it’s not about perfect people but RIGHT ones to trust and connect with. Even a blogger needs the community support and valuable relationships matters there :) Well, if you love something generosity comes along. Isn’t it Denise? :) Never heard of a successful creative or entrepreneur who are not generous enough. Can you name? ;)
As I believe we can manage most part of our work alone and build upon our initial efforts. But we need to collaborate and as we are human beings, we can’t live alone. Right? I don’t mean that everyone needs to collaborate in working level, but no one can avoid collaboration for some extent. We need to ask or allow others to corporate when it’s needy.
Cheers…
Yeah, definitely not about the ‘perfect’ people, thankfully! Because I’m far from it ;)
Thanks for your thoughts!
What a great topic, Denise. You know, I think part of why I love what I do is that as an editor, I get to collaborate with brilliant creatives and entrepreneurs to create awesome stuff. I love the exchange of ideas, the working toward a common purpose, the uniting of intentions. It’s so rewarding and so motivating. And I do think of what I do as a collaboration, because that’s what it feels like to me.
I think you have to be willing to be vulnerable to create collaboratively. You’re letting other people see the flaws, the drafts, the unfinished parts and the parts you haven’t gotten quite right yet. And even in commenting on a blog or something like that, you’re putting your idea out there in short sentence or paragraph form. But I think, too, that there is value in that vulnerability. It helps you see (if you’ve chosen the right collaborators, I suppose) that you can open up and grow instead of getting shut down.
You mean with the copy writing/editing services? Absolutely that’s collaboration. That must be challenging, but still fun – trying to align your ideas together like that.
Thanks for sharing that!
I’m very much a lone wolf, but I do love to bounce ideas off people. I like idea people in general– always thinking, innovating. The best people for me to talk to are the ones who get my creative juices going by freeflowing, idea-filled conversation, even if, at the end of it, I still have to “write with the door closed”. It’s nice to spend that time with a kindred spirit.
Nice thoughts, Shana. I like that. I find that with writing I need to alternate between alone time and connection. So, I get where you’re coming from.
Thanks for your comment!
Oh, this is so true! I’m such a better creative when I’m working with another creative. Be it creative writing, song lyrics, music, anything- I just find that when you work with another creative person it’s so easy to just feed off of eachothers ideas.
In music at least, there’s a lot of vulnerability in letting someone else have input on your songs- so I can understand why people turn into hermits while they write, but some of my favorite musical experiences have been collaborative.
Very cool, Ethan :) Love hearing a personal experience about collaboration. This is something I’m definitely going to experiment with more with this year.
Thanks for your thoughts! :)
I love when people can collaborate I think I am going to start doing more guest posts on blogs for this year and step into other peoples world to start some type of connection so that I can hopefully find some that will share and I can share back.
I need to do the same, Kita. I haven’t done enough with guest posting, myself. Great suggestion :)
Thanks for your comment!
Some arts are much more collaborative, of course, and I’ve really had a blast participating in them. I’ve played in bands and done some acting for the stage and for video projects, and the energy of people working together is a ton of fun.
And then there are plenty of efforts where collaboration isn’t as natural, like solo blogs. I have been a part of writers working together on a single blog, and it created a larger community for responses both in social media and on the site itself.
Maybe even solo bloggers could work together for a single cause, which would still create a sense of community.
Great topic, Denise!
Definitely. I’d love to get a collaborative project going sometime this year with some other bloggers. That’s been a goal of mine.
Appreciate your comment!
I’d love to help you revive Peer Mindset (if and when you’re ready). If you have something else in mind, do let me know.
That’s been on my mind a lot, Joel. Something about the timing was off when I launched it, but it’s still a cause that I truly believe in. When I envisioned that project, I wanted a small team working on it, not just me. Which is fitting with the premise of the site. I’m definitely open to discussing it.
Thanks!
Hi Denise,
This post has really got me thinking, which is why it’s taken me a while to submit a comment. I agree that we risk limiting our creative potential if we isolate ourselves – I guess there’s a time for the lonely garret and a time to work in partnership with others.
Since I started blogging a few months ago, although I sit here writing alone most of the time, I don’t feel alone and I’m sure my writing has benefited from the collaborative relationships I’m developing with other bloggers, from whom I’m learning so much.
My husband now helps me to edit my posts, too – I’m not sure if that counts? He’s reasonably critical, not one for just waving things through for a quiet life, and I find that very helpful – if a little nerve-racking. I always wait with baited breath for his feedback when I give him a draft to check over – so I can identify with your comment about being scared to let someone see your unfinished work.
Thanks for a very thought-provoking post – a great read!
Sue
Your husband absolutely counts! A collaboration doesn’t always imply a *big* project. It can, but so many little things we do are collaborative. I had a friend help me edit a post before I submitted it to a major site once, and it was very helpful and that turned out to be a success. So yeah, editing is always a big help!
Thanks for your comment!
Hi Sue,
If I can count my mom as my editor – which I do – you can count your husband. I’m always eager to see what my mom thinks of my creations, both from a technical writing perspective and from a “did you give it your all and really try to deliver something you thought you could actually deliver?” perspective.
Now something for Denise (and everyone else since we’re being collaborative here).
I’ve thought about doing a project in real-time like Guy Kawasaki and Leo Babauta have done. I’d share the work, probably text-based since that’s the easiest technology-wise to collaborate on, and let people comment/edit as we go. I’m not sure what the topic would be and how successful the exercise would be since I don’t have built-in audiences in the hundreds-of-thousands to collaborate with me. But the act of a truly real-time collaborative creation intrigues the heck out of me. I’d love to have thousands of co-creators for something in the future. Is this something anyone else would try?
I would give it try. I think with the right over-arching theme that resonates with all collaborators that could work very well.
Hi Denise
I can see that in a lot of cases working together can accomplish so much more for combined effort for both parties. But then again you really do need someone who has your best interest, rather than someone who thinks they know best. How many a dream has been blasted out by people that act like they are helping you by saving you from a “big mistake”? You always have to choose wisely when seeking help, it might not be help after all.
That would be cool to have someone that could actually put down what was in my head. I would love not to be able to work so hard at drawing, but I just can’t seem to get the vision down on paper. Sometimes it happens but it is an extreme struggle and a feeble attempt at what is really pictured in my mind.
Some really great thoughts.
Mary
Thanks, Mary. I know all about the people who want to “save you from a big mistake”. Part of doing creative work is knowing how to look for good ideas and dismissing the bad ones. That’s not always easy, but I think often times, we could make a good gut decision on that.
I’ve always thought that creating/designing has a lot to with having good taste. You have to be able to look at something and know if it works or not. I’d suggest working with people who compliment your “taste”.
Appreciate your comment!
I think being willing to collaborate can be challenging, particularly if you’re working with others in your field. There has to be this sense that you’re all baking a larger pie together, and that you’re not in competition for finite resources ($$, attention, etc.) I like to think the blog world, at its best, works like this. By helping others build their empires, we’re expanding our collective reach and supporting the creation of more great resources for ourselves. It should be a win-win.
It does seem challenging, and I agree – blogging does work that way. When we work together we create something better, imo. Just looking at my yearly report of this blog from last year, I can tell ya – it does work this way.
The 2nd most viewed article on Nurturing Creativity wasn’t even written by me. It was by a guest blogger – Emily Wenstrom – “How to Fake Confidence For Creatives.”
And the #1 viewed article was “When You Buy From an Independent Artist” which was a simple post giving credit to another Artist for *her* work and sharing why I liked it. Sharing recognition is a form of collaboration as well which is what I did for her with that post.
So the top articles on this site – I have to thank those people who I collaborated with, in a way.. ya know? It really made me think.
So, if anyone wants to guest post, please do.. lol. :)
Thanks for your comment!
One of the hardest things for most creative or entrepreneurial people to do is to lean to work with others. The very creative and self supporting nature of such people usually makes them be more inclined to work alone. Sadly as you point out that results in lowered over all results as well as often leads to burnout. You just can’t do everything yourself and to try to do so leads to problems in the end. So take a minute and make a commitment to yourself to seek out and use others to help you in areas that you aren’t proficient in. You will be glad you did.
Well said, Frank. And welcome :)
I know that with writing, especially, it’s helpful to get feedback with editing if you can because we all interpret language so differently. What’s clear to me, might not be to my readers. I’ve seen that to be true in the past, and when someone points out why.. then, I get it. I can adjust it and create a more solid piece.
Really appreciate your thoughts!