Avery: Human beings are communal creatures, we need community to live happily and thrive. Artists are no different, we need to commune with other creatives to learn and grow. We want to share our work with others and receive feedback. Which leads me to wonder; where can you meet and connect with other creatives? There is no lack of good spaces where artists can gather on the internet, but sadly, there is a lack of engagement depending on the online community you’re in. And unfortunately due to the recent rise of Ai artwork, popular communities like Deviant Art and Art Station have become over saturated with Ai work uploaded to the site. While it is not impossible to find individuals wanting to commune there, these sites are most definitely not artist friendly like they once were.

Most Social Media platforms have become empty hollows of what they once were, Instagram was a place to commune with fellow photographers and artists, you could even build an authentic following on the platform in it’s earlier years, but it too no longer feels like an artist friendly platform anymore due to the company’s changing of algorithms and the harsh focus on short form video content. Like Deviant Art, it can still be a place for artist’s to connect, but you are going to have to make a greater effort to connect with others now than ever before.

So where can you go to find community? You already know the popular choices like Deviant Art, Instagram, Art Station, Tumblr, and Twitter. But there are some lesser known places you may not know about. Their are countless Discord and Reddit Communities available for people to join. Community forum boards are often tight-nit communities of only a few thousand users, these boards are often more intimate feeling than the larger social media platforms. No matter where you go online, their is a group available for any creative niche you can think of; photography, film, woodworking, game design, web comics, anything you can imagine, often you simply need to look a little further out into the online space and you can find the community that you’re looking for.

Find Communities Resource List!

YouTube itself has a very strong art community, you could build a community yourself by starting a channel discussing your interests and love for art, or you can follow a community already built in the Youtube space, some creators have wonderful communities that are very positive and value growing their skills. The variety of artists and styles on Youtube allow you to find the niche you want to be a part of. Another way to connect with artists is through participation in art challenges, the great part about these art challenges is that they transcend the online platforms. You can share an Inktober illustration on any platform by simply using a hashtag. You can engage with other Inktober artist on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tik Tok, anywhere. It is a great way for the Art Community at large to connect with each other. And their are many different art challenges all throughout the year to choose from.

What about in real life? Art festivals and conventions are a great way to connect and find community, but unless you are a vendor selling art, this may not be applicable to you. If you are someone who writes poetry, plays music, or sings songs, Open Mics are a wonderful way to meet talented local creatives, and to share your own talent. While I can only speak from my personal experience, Open Mics are usually very relaxed experiences that anyone and everyone is welcomed to be a part of. If you can find one in your local area, you should go out and experience it for yourself. Another way to connect with local people is to start a club or group in your area, perhaps start a painting or drawing group, or if you’re a writer, a poetry or journaling group, anything you can imagine. Another way is to join an art class in your area where you’ll be able to engage with others trying to learn just like you.

It should be understood that not all communities are going to be for you. You need to find the community that you personally resonate with, online, or in real life. I feel if you want to find connection in the art community, no matter what platform you are on, you are going to have to work for it. You need to have a willingness to share and connect with others. In order for there to be a positive art community, we as artists have to take it upon ourselves to create and foster the kind of community we want. As artists it is worth our time to support each other in our creative endeavors, appreciate the work others make, give feedback when they ask for it, and most importantly, be a welcoming friend in these online and real world spaces.

What are your thoughts on building community? Leave your ideas and advice down below.