5 (Free) Ways To Support Your Artist Friend

Don’t you love your artist friend?

They’re so imaginative! They’re so brilliant! They’re SO busy. And chances are – so are you.

One slight downside of making friends in a creative town like Los Angeles: our friends are always making stuff. And it’s great stuff! Cool events, impressive music, insightful poetry, powerful paintings, thought-provoking stories, books, and films… it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

How can we help each other WHILE keeping up with our own projects?

Consider these 5 ways to show up for the creatives you love, even while juggling life.

0. Buy Their Thing

(This is #0 on the list because it is not free – but if you can afford it, buy it! Why not?)

1. The Free Version of Buying Their Thing

Do you genuinely want to participate in your friend’s event or own their product, but it’s just a cash flow issue? If money is the obstacle, why not volunteer your time?

• Every live performer needs photos and videos of their live performances
• Every event host needs help setting up, running things, and engaging with guests
• Every book/film/album needs reviews

It’s not always easy for artists to ask friends to help with these things, and you taking the initiative to offer can be a real, practical encouragement.

2. Ask How It’s Going or How It Went

This is especially valuable in the instance that you don’t actually WANT to go to their thing or can’t spare the time to volunteer. 

If the project itself just doesn’t appeal to you, you might ask questions like: “What excites you about this project? What gave you the idea? Is it coming together the way you hoped?”

And then listen to their answers.

Important: please do not feel obligated to express interest that you do not actually feel. As a prolific creator myself, I know that much of what I create is for a very specific niche of people. If you don’t fall into that niche, it’s okay.

But as my friend, it’s nice to know that you care about me and my life – even if my latest *murder mystery musical is just not your cup of tea.

3. Tell Someone

You don't have to be a major social influencer to pass the word. 

Take a moment to scroll through the contacts in your phone – do you know someone who loves interior design or who teaches art? Why not tell them about your friend's gallery show?

No shade on a blanket Facebook share, but in my experience, a personal invitation can be even more effective – and it also gives you a reason to interact with someone you haven’t seen or spoken to in a while. Win/win!

4. Praise Your Friend in Public

Is your friend a genius writer? A musical theater whiz? An overall kind and generous person?

These are all great things to brag about as a creative wing-person. Next time you see your friend with other people, let them know what a fantastic human is in their midst.

Variations of this:

• Call out an admirable trait on your friend’s Facebook Reviews page (best to avoid referring to them as your friend for the sake of professional credibility… instead use their full name and keep your comments objective)
• Nominate them for an award (someone submitted my name for America’s Got Talent last year and it made my day)

And if you happen to become acquainted with a casting agent, music supervisor, entertainment lawyer, podcast host, news reporter, sales agent, or club promoter… why not ask them if they’re looking for talent? Maybe you know somebody.

5. Likes and Comments

Social media is still the way a lot of indie artists share their creative journey, and if you typically use it for scrolling I want to propose a tiny little game:

• 
  For every fifth post you scroll, ask yourself: was this made by a person that I know, like, and respect? 
• Is this a post about their art – the creative overflow of their very being?

If no, scroll along to your heart’s delight.

If yes, go ahead and like it. Likes help increase the algorithmic possibility that anyone else might have a chance to actually see this and respond to it.

And if you REALLY like this person/post, maybe leave a comment. Either your own comment or a response to someone else’s comment. The algorithm loves interaction, and literally anything you write could help your friend’s created works reach the eyeballs of their soon-to-be superfans.

Bonus for Friends of Musicians:

Use your friend’s song in your Stories! If they have music on streaming, they probably have songs available on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Just search their name and let them soundtrack your next slice of life.

(You probably are already adding their songs to your playlists, so keep doing that.)

Phew! Thank you for reading all the way down here.

I’m curious, how do these ideas strike you? Do you feel inspired to try one? Have you experienced someone else doing this for you?

Shoot me a note or a DM: @cortneymatz on IG or cm@cortneymatz.com by email.

Speaking as an artist, I can tell you that even simple acts of support can make a big difference. Next time your artist friend mentions a thing they're creating, try one of these free support options.

See if it doesn’t make you feel great.

And to my fellow artists, if someone takes the time to do one of these for you, please recognize the thought and effort that went into it and give them a heartfelt thank you.

We all need each other. It’s a simple truth of life. Any gesture of support is a GIFT.

For more thoughts on being supportive of your artist friends (and your artist SELF), please enjoy this episode of my musical podcast, Adventurous Spirits: being supportive.

More about my own creative endeavors: 

• SoMysterio.us games and immersive experiences
• Music and musings on creativity

*Not being facetious, this is a real thing I did last summer.