5 Tips to Unlock Your Artworld Network

Welcome to this special episode with Ceri. Ceri tackles the questions inundating her inbox daily from artists and creatives. She will be dishing out insights gleaned from the results she has facilitated in coaching sessions, talks, and workshops. Brace yourselves—it's time to confront that dreaded word we all love to hate: networking!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

5 Essential Tips to Unlock Your Art World Network

1. Define clear relationship goals

• Reflect on your objectives before connecting to focus your efforts and approach networking authentically
• Identify the types of relationships you want to build (e.g., mentorship, collaborative partnerships)
• Use journal prompts to gain clarity on your goals and how connections can contribute to your artistic journey

2. Research your ideal connections thoroughly

• Assess your own work, track record, champions, and consistency of achievements
• Identify commercial galleries whose programs resonate with you and engage with their work
• Attend previews, art fairs, and events hosted by these galleries to familiarise yourself with their artists and practices
• Invite artists represented by the gallery for studio visits or engage with gallery team members for valuable insights

3. Overcome shyness or anxiety when networking using self-coaching strategies

• Practice self-reflection by journaling about challenging networking situations and identifying areas for improvement
• Engage in inner dialogue to become aware of limiting beliefs and their impact on your behavior
• Ask yourself open-ended "what" or "how" questions to focus on actionable steps and problem-solving strategies
• Explore models, exercises, and strategies to get comfortable with trying new things related to networking

4. Connect with people authentically by adding value and tailoring communication

• Focus on adding value to others rather than pitching or convincing them
• Tailor your communication to each individual, highlighting why you admire their achievements and what resonates with you about their work
• Be genuine and communicate without any expectation of a return, letting go of the outcome
• Commit to speaking to 3 new people at each event to expand your network
• Use open-ended questions, active listening, and find common ground to initiate conversations

5. Follow up after an initial connection to maintain relationships

• Maintain relationships through consistent communication and personalised interactions
• Attend art events, engage on social media, and offer assistance or collaborate to stay engaged
• Send follow-up emails expressing gratitude for previous encounters and reiterating your interest in further engagement
• Demonstrate genuine interest and commitment to building meaningful connections through thoughtful and personalised follow-up communication

PODCAST HOST BIO

Meet Ceri Hand, the driving force behind countless creative success stories. A creative coach, entrepreneur, and dynamic speaker, she's committed to empowering creatives to realise their dreams and make a meaningful impact through her creative coaching, mentoring and training company. With three decades in the arts under her belt, Ceri has ridden the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Now, she's here to help you achieve your goals, your way.

**** NEW COURSE AVAILABLE - UNLOCK YOUR ARTWORLD NETWORK ****

Are you an artist or creative professional longing to take your career to the next level?

Relationships are the key to success in the art world, and it only takes 10 to 15 of the right connections to build a thriving career. You just need to know how to find them. 

Join Ceri Hand as she guides you through her proven 5-step approach to nurturing impactful relationships with gallerists, curators, commissioners and producers in a brand new self-study video course, Unlock Your Artworld Network. 

From crafting the perfect email to attending events with confidence, this course will give you invaluable insights and simple, practical strategies to forge and maintain meaningful connections in the artworld.

For just £75, you'll have lifetime access to:

5 x Guidance Videos
5 x Exercise Videos
11 x Worksheets & Journal prompts

Work your way through the materials at your own pace, in as little as 5 hours. 

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cerihand.com/courses

@cerihand