An Artist's Family and Friends Help
Being an artist is often a solo path to walk in so many ways. From art creation, art marketing and promo, and learning all the duties of being an artist and striving to show the world our creations, making art can be one lonely career for so many of us.
What can you do to help as a friend to an artist? Well, plenty! And any help is appreciated!
A few years back, when I first started a blog and began focusing on building an art career, I started an Artist NTK page (Need to Know) that has been built and updated over time (and believe me, its ongoing!) I was floored on all the things I needed to learn about to correctly make the art, properly show art, take pictures of the work, post work online - you name it - I had to learn it. And that was ON TOP of just spending the time, hopefully daily, of just making the art. It is all rather overwhelming at times. I can't tell you the number of artists I've spoken to that wish they had a person they could count on to take over some aspect of what all they need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.
I'm not sure folks comprehend what is actually behind a canvas. The angle on this blog post is to alert the artist's family, friends, followers, and fans on how they can help support their artist family member and friends.
Artist's Family
Perhaps our first "art fans" are our families that may see us at a young age pick up a pencil and actually draw something that looks better than a stick figure. We love that our creations were on the refrigerator held up with funny little magnets. Family is often our first support system and appreciated they are! Thank you, Mom!
And dads, and brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles and second cousins twice removed!
Side note: I've had some GREAT support from my family and I am very thankful to each and every single one of them that have helped me in my art journey!
Some artists don't pick up pencil, brush, or mouse until much later in life and discover the joy of being a creative soul and the relaxing time we can spend in our art space. Our spouse or partner may be the support system lending a hand when they can as our career develops.
Supporting an artist can include things like helping the artist get to an art show, setting up the tent, carrying the canvases, and helping during the show to ring up sales or to talk us up while we are busy with another client.
Artist's Friends
An artist's friends and acquaintances can help in so many ways, the same as an artist's family. Their support and outreach online and offline can go a long way in helping your friend's reach new audiences in their creative journey.
- Attend their artist friend's events like art receptions, shows, popup shows. If nothing else, make an appearance to show your support and bring a friend too!
- Participate in the artist's art talks and ask questions that will get your friend to tell their story and art journey.
- If you are attending your friend's gallery opening, run interference for your friend when an attendee is taking up too much of your friend's time and they need to mingle and circulate around the room.
- Give real feedback when asked. True, the artist may or may not take the advice, but your opinion or suggestion may help the art become even better.
- Networking - see an artist opportunity that your artist friend may not know about? Share it with them if it fits their goals and style.
- Hire or commission a project can help the artist with income and exposure.
- Promoting - help get the word out about your friends upcoming shows. Give out flyers or whatever promo materials there are.
- Does your artist friend give classes? Take a class even if you can't draw a straight line.
- Social media can be a huge help to support an artist. Whenever possible, on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X, TikTok, YouTube, Etsy - you name it:
- Like their posts.
- Comment on their posts.
- Share their posts.
- Follow and Subscribe their accounts.
- Give positive testimonials and create reviews.
- Post the artist's events that you attend.
- Take pictures of the event!
- Tag the artist! #DonnaLiguria or @DonnaLiguria
- Boosting the artist's posts help with visibility algorithms!
- Do you create content? Can you use your artist friend's work or news and feature it in published content in some way?
- Are you a decorator, a real estate person, or home/business stager? Can you use your art friend's art in your photos?
- Do you have a business like a restaurant, a cafe, or a store that can display your friend's art?
- Can you host an art event? A live art auction? A Meet-and-Greet?
- Is crowd-funding an option? Donate to the cause!
- Collaborate with an artist to open perhaps new doors in new ways.
- Help with being there - art festivals take a lot of work in setup and take down and working the show, so it can be very hard for an artist to do all by themselves. Can you help the artist out?
- Cheerleading squad - listen and encourage, wave the pom-poms!
- Got skill sets the artist can use like marketing, web design, organizational, decor, social, photography, or even bookkeeping? Offer your services!
- Buy merchandise when possible, even if it's a gift for someone else. Many artists offer prints or other merchandise as well as original works and anything can help.
- Does your artist friend create a newsletter? Subscribe!
- Does your friend have a website? Browse it occasionally and let the artist know if a link or area needs updating or fixing.
- Consider being an art sponsor for your friend if you have the means.
- Share the artist's awards, accomplishments and milestones.
- Have experience in the world of art? Be a mentor to your artist friend.
An artist may or may not have the means to pay a friend to help especially when starting out, but one would hope that the family and friends that volunteer to help the artist have a mutually beneficial relationship.
Artist's Followers, Fans
All of our online fans and followers on our social media can help the social media platform(s) they are on by doing any and all of the above social media features...If they are following you, all of those retweets, reposts, heart/like buttons, writing a positive comment - all of those things help your artist friend get seen by more people. Love their new work? Say so!
Artist's Art Friends
Perhaps our largest group of supporters are the people in your art world already - from your art group friends, the other artists you meet when you attend art openings and receptions. Many of your art friends will that follow you will let you know when they love something you've posted or done a 'show and tell' with your art group.
The bottom line is that an artist needs the support of their connections and community. Sure, buying a piece of art is wonderful, but anything you can do beyond that not only is an encouragement to the artist, but it helps them to become known to the broader world around them as well.
When art is a passion, help an artist pursue that passion as the support you give, whether financially, physically, or algorithmically, gives your favorite artist a boost that will impact them in more ways than you might imagine.
@2026 Donna Liguria. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for Donna's Cave Paintings and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, VA. Donna specializes in acrylic paintings of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
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