Finding your creative tribe
First, some back story....
In 2018 I decided to inflict sleepless nights on myself AKA starting a PhD program. Initially, this felt like a lonely journey until I found a community on Instagram embarking on the same. This changed everything. I found people who understood my language. A space where I was relatable at all phases. They understood when I was struggling, procrastinating, burnt out, had imposter syndrome... not just the bad stuff. When I achieved a small goal, there was always someone to cheer for me because they understood. When I was stuck, there were multiple solutions provided. Ah! What it is to belong!
In 2021, after a boozy girly date, I decided to be a creative writer. I honestly had no idea what I was doing I even called the website Unscripted. Yes, this very one. But what I didn't realise is that dabbling in this introduced me to another world altogether. I remember talking to my friend Mel about this, and she said to me, "aha, you've found your tribe". I pretended to understand what she meant, said yes, and carried on with my business! Recently I met someone again online, her name was Marie. She had put out a poster about doing a piece on creatives as part of a collective. I jumped to this opportunity because I am a yes girl! She sent me a couple of questions, and I responded. She sent me another email and told me to be open it; she wanted to get the essence of who I am as a creative. This left such a massive impact on me as a creative person. It felt like a permission to embrace who I am, what inspires me, to be vulnerable. She created this space for me; she wanted to hear what I had to say. This led me back to this "tribe" word thing again.
A couple of podcasts, youtube videos and a quick google search later....
“A fellowship of likeminded creatives ...where we share our work, bounce ideas around and allow ourselves to be vulnerable..”
If we are being honest, being a creative person can sometimes be isolating. Most creative arts are done solo, so it can be hard to find others who share your interests. In addition, you are also trying to make a business out of your hobby, and it can start to feel like you will always be doing things on your own. But here’s the thing, you don’t have to go it alone. There is a fantastic community of makers and creatives waiting for you to join them! You just need to find your tribe!
Yea, why do I need a tribe though?
Turning your passion into a business is no small feat, and it can be super overwhelming when you first start out. Finding others doing the same things as you can be so rewarding.
Finding your tribe is really like committing to meeting your Bumble date for coffee. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. Most creative people I have met are super friendly, and just as anxious to make some real connections as you are. While difficult to do at first, once you find people who understand and support you, it is well worth the time and effort to build and strengthen those relationships.
Your tribe understands your drive for something more. Sometimes when you’ve reached where you wanted to go to and want to try something else; your tribe can appreciate your ambition.
Sometimes things can feel like they are going sideways or not going (maybe moving is better?) at all, and sometimes things can be going really well for you. When you have a tribe, you can turn to them when times are tough (needing a virtual hug)... and you can also turn to them when times are great (deserving of a high 5)!
There are so many reasons i can think of to why you should have a creative tribe, but I’m also writing this article at 3am!
Have you found your tribe?
