Who to Schmooze in a Global Pandemic?
In lieu of being able to build relationships out there IRL, I’ve been meditating on how best to use our current situation to your advantage. I’ve written before about reaching out to your dream collaborators.
Today I want to focus on another method of building your professional contacts in the face of a global pandemic.
That is to FOCUS ON YOUR PEERS.
Your peers are the people, either around your age, or at a similar phase in their career.
Let me deal with your objections first.
Yes, when we’re trying to earn money from our art, our peers often don’t offer instant gratification – they want us to work for little or no money. While we, on the other hand, want to be professional and earn. THIS IS LEGIT and worth pursuing.
It can feel unappealing to get tight with your fellow “struggling” or “emerging” artists. You might think, “What can my peers give me?” Or, it might be difficult to enjoy anything your peers put out there because you feel competitive and jealous of the small territory they occupy or the scraps they’ve acquired. (See my piece on jealousy here.)
I really understand these objections. I have felt them myself.
And I also know, that we’re starting out, it seems like the old guard will never change over. It feels that the people running the institutions you long to work with will be in power forever. But sooner or later there is a change in leadership. There is. And it’s so exciting when your peers (or YOU) begin stepping into positions of power.
With that in mind, here’s my argument – my plea even – for you to invest your energy in cultivating your relationships with your peers.
A life in the arts is about relationships.
The quality of your relationships with: the work itself, your colleagues and your audience play a large role in how often you work and what kind of jobs you’re offered. This is especially true for colleagues in live performance (theatre) where you work with a group of people intensively, day in and out, for modest renumeration.
When you think of it like that, it makes sense that we want to work with people who are not only talented but who we know we can trust. Trust to show up on time, with homework done, collaborate generously, and so on.
This is a long way of getting to the phrase: most people want to work with people they know.
WORK ON YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.
And here's WHY it's hugely beneficial to invest in your peers:
With peers, I've found it easier to have lively debates (artistic arguments) because we're on equal footing, rather than me feeling intimidated. And as a result, the collaboration is richer.
We share the same references and therefore a shorthand to communicate.
Our peers, especially when we're starting out, are hungry to work, more accessible & willing to dive in.
You get to relish coming up together and shaping the scene you're part of.
A network of peer artists gives you longevity in your career. You don’t want all your contacts to age out before you're ready to retire!
And what about HOW?
Spend some time learning about who your peers are, what they’ve created and what you like about their work.
Reach out, introduce yourself and let them know that you think they’re great and tell them WHY.
If you have an upcoming, digital performance of your work, invite them, but you can also just start by making contact.
Be brief. Be generous with your praise. Don’t take it personally if you don’t hear back.
PLAY THE LONG GAME.
Put community over competition. Have faith. Enjoy coming up with your cohort. Hard won victories taste so damn good.
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Keen to learn more about the business side of things? Take a look at my Crash Course on Self Producing Theatre & get all the tools you need to start sharing your work and making money from your art.