Find Your People
The best creative career advice I’ve ever received sounds simple: Find Your People. And ultimately, it is a very simple and fundamental piece of any fulfilling life. Surround yourself with people who make you your best self, who inspire you, who understand you, who support you, and you will be a happier person.
But it can be challenging to find these people if you don’t already have a strong creative community or artistic community as you embark on a path as an independent artist and designer. This was one of the most daunting and challenging parts of my own journey, as I decided to go off on my own and work for myself as a licensing artist and freelance designer. I didn’t have a local community of people doing this same thing. In fact, it took me nearly 6 months of working full-time in this career until I finally met someone in person who was also licensing art in the way that I want to.
Luckily, I realized early on that I can create my own community virtually, thanks to the power of the internet, and I have sought out like-minded, go-getter creatives who get it, who understand what I’m going through and what I’m trying to achieve. This community that I have pieced together has been a lifeline through my first year and it’s something that I value deeply. Some of my now closest friends, who I talk with the most frequently, are people I have never actually met in person, but we still share a deep connection thanks to common passions and drive.
Community and friendship. This is the real reason I created The Co League. Because we are social animals and need other people to surround us and bring out the best in us. Because the life of a creative entrepreneur can be lonely and isolated if you don’t find these work friends. Because we are better together, when we can support and life each other up.
If you’re still looking for your people, if you want a warm and welcoming professional creative community, if you want to feel the benefits that come from connecting with other go-getters on a regular basis, then join us! We’d love to have you in our circle.