Always so inspired by your infectious energy and passion Martin! You are a true collaborator, bringing people and art together for good and I love that. It says so much about the place your work comes from.
All of this resonates for me. Peer to peer collaborative connections are definitely the way to go. And I agree that mentorship is a fraught power dynamic. At my day job, I have a number of people that I am considered to mentor/coach but I tend to disavow those terms. I prefer to think of those relationships working best when they are reciprocal. I know that I am going to learn something in return.
I similarly reject “mastery” since it implies having no more to learn. I prefer being a perpetual amateur.
Great points, Davin, thank you. I love those times when I seek guidance from someone with a lot of experience in a particular field, yet they also engage in ways that show they're willing to learn from me too. Equals, just at very different points in the process.
Here's to embracing the beginner's mind all the way!
I really like this. I've noticed that a lot of people seem to want to jump into teaching mode, sometimes quite early in their careers. It's a weird impulse and I find it very off-putting. Lovely to see your democratising take on this!
Thanks, Tamsin! I'm positive to find the many ways we can learn from one another, and I truly believe it's possible through the exploration and sharing.
I took inspiration from your own post recently on cabbages and fractals. Both seeing your art and reading your words—so much power in these experiences. The community spirit is strong!
That's lovely to hear Martin, I'm so glad it resonated with you. Yes, I'm also getting so much out of the connections and words here, it's very refreshing and heartening!
“Growth in at least one direction”. Really love this. you’ve prompted me to keep looking for potential collaborations because you’re so right! Thanks for the mention too
Thank you, Nelly. I see so much creativity and passion in what you're doing, and how much you inspire within your community. Best of luck in finding the most fruitful collaborations. I'm sure you'll delight everyone you unite with!
Phew! I see so many similarities with my art journey which I only had the courage to start afain.
Thank you for articulating what has been my experience (and what I had hoped for it to be) since I recently began to actively participate in writing communities here and in other places. It has been a lot of responding to prompts, learning from others, being inspired, building courage, to name just a few.
A friend and I are in the idea stages of a photo/poetry collaboration and I'm working on a collage project as an an end-of-programme project for a 2 year programme I'm ending this spring so for me your post is an apt demonstration of what you just described. An impacting mentor/creative handshake moment.
Wow, Odun, thank you so much for sharing your experience! There are, indeed, many similarities. Here's to an amazing collaboration, and a successful project for you. I'm so much into collage after the past few months that I'm so excited just to hear you're working on some. Will you be making the work public? Either way, enjoy!
Thank you for the good wishes. I'll probably share them in public eventually but I'm still taking baby steps. 😅 I recently worked up the courage to start writing in public again. I'm yet to share any of my poetry in public but I'm in the way there, so maybe I'll get to sharing the collage too eventually. 😃
Love this! I'm so enjoying meeting other artists on Substack and sharing ideas and learning about others' processes and media, it absolutely benefits us all with inspiration! 💖
A benefit, for sure! And thank you for sharing your ideas and artworks, which have also been inspiring. I'm still bowled over at how much your painting of the trees the other day had the trees look like they were joyfully dancing together.
Always so inspired by your infectious energy and passion Martin! You are a true collaborator, bringing people and art together for good and I love that. It says so much about the place your work comes from.
Aww, thank you so much, Penny! So good to see you. 🫂
Collaboration for the win, that’s for sure. 🤝
All of this resonates for me. Peer to peer collaborative connections are definitely the way to go. And I agree that mentorship is a fraught power dynamic. At my day job, I have a number of people that I am considered to mentor/coach but I tend to disavow those terms. I prefer to think of those relationships working best when they are reciprocal. I know that I am going to learn something in return.
I similarly reject “mastery” since it implies having no more to learn. I prefer being a perpetual amateur.
Great points, Davin, thank you. I love those times when I seek guidance from someone with a lot of experience in a particular field, yet they also engage in ways that show they're willing to learn from me too. Equals, just at very different points in the process.
Here's to embracing the beginner's mind all the way!
Love this phrase "Collab-lite"
Mentorship doesn't work from some people sometimes, but creativity always born through exploration itself ✨
Btw, let's connect!
Thanks, FAST!
Cheers to creative handshakes!
Cheers indeed! 🤝
I really like this. I've noticed that a lot of people seem to want to jump into teaching mode, sometimes quite early in their careers. It's a weird impulse and I find it very off-putting. Lovely to see your democratising take on this!
Thanks, Tamsin! I'm positive to find the many ways we can learn from one another, and I truly believe it's possible through the exploration and sharing.
I took inspiration from your own post recently on cabbages and fractals. Both seeing your art and reading your words—so much power in these experiences. The community spirit is strong!
That's lovely to hear Martin, I'm so glad it resonated with you. Yes, I'm also getting so much out of the connections and words here, it's very refreshing and heartening!
“Growth in at least one direction”. Really love this. you’ve prompted me to keep looking for potential collaborations because you’re so right! Thanks for the mention too
Thank you, Nelly. I see so much creativity and passion in what you're doing, and how much you inspire within your community. Best of luck in finding the most fruitful collaborations. I'm sure you'll delight everyone you unite with!
Phew! I see so many similarities with my art journey which I only had the courage to start afain.
Thank you for articulating what has been my experience (and what I had hoped for it to be) since I recently began to actively participate in writing communities here and in other places. It has been a lot of responding to prompts, learning from others, being inspired, building courage, to name just a few.
A friend and I are in the idea stages of a photo/poetry collaboration and I'm working on a collage project as an an end-of-programme project for a 2 year programme I'm ending this spring so for me your post is an apt demonstration of what you just described. An impacting mentor/creative handshake moment.
Thank you again.
Wow, Odun, thank you so much for sharing your experience! There are, indeed, many similarities. Here's to an amazing collaboration, and a successful project for you. I'm so much into collage after the past few months that I'm so excited just to hear you're working on some. Will you be making the work public? Either way, enjoy!
Thank you for the good wishes. I'll probably share them in public eventually but I'm still taking baby steps. 😅 I recently worked up the courage to start writing in public again. I'm yet to share any of my poetry in public but I'm in the way there, so maybe I'll get to sharing the collage too eventually. 😃
You've got this!
Love this! I'm so enjoying meeting other artists on Substack and sharing ideas and learning about others' processes and media, it absolutely benefits us all with inspiration! 💖
A benefit, for sure! And thank you for sharing your ideas and artworks, which have also been inspiring. I'm still bowled over at how much your painting of the trees the other day had the trees look like they were joyfully dancing together.
Working and sharing together for the win!
Likewise, finding your art very inspiring! Definitely a win! Thank you 💖