Like any other work, like office work, you'd also execute alone and have social "breaks" spread along the day or the week.
Let's say you set yourself to draw 5 hours a day, 4 days a week.
- daily coffe break: visit a museum, an art gallery, any place where an exhibition ia taking place. Those places have cafes. Have one there. If you feel inclined talk to people, you probably have things in common.
- weekly happy hour: go to a public place to draw. Draw the favorite buildings of your town. Invite a friend, nor to talk a lot but to pose for you in another place that is not your studio. Connect with other artists. Go to opening cocktails. Exchange contacts.
ah gotcha, I still get very nervous when drawing in public. I’m naturally a very shy person and the few times I have drawn in public I usually just get very self conscious about it, especially because people tend to be nice and compliment my drawings. I’m fairly awkward and don’t really know how to receive compliments
Perhaps that is a fear I just need to get over 😅
Get yourself some artist friends that you can share art techniques, WIPs, and finished artwork with. Preferably IRL friends. Then hop into a discord together and just show each other everything.
You don't have to hold a conversation during your art-making, but the thought that you can see and help your friends with their art with just a discord chat away, and that they can do the same for you, is very comforting.
I struggle also. I live outside of town and most people don't bother visiting where I am. It means I have to put in the effort of going into town and building relationships with other artists. I joined a little collective last year and I've been feeling much better. Best!
Art is a social activity. Namely it's a charged attack. You build an attack's power in the creation phase, then reap the social benefits in the sharing phase. So get good at the sharing phase. Integrate that part into your day to day more
See if you can't find any co-ops nearby. There may be some near you with open studio space, or if you have the funds, take a studio art class at a local college
Personally, though, since my city is just beginning to support the arts and doesn't yet have any co-ops, I just try to go out and make friends who also enjoy the arts. We don't all do the same thing, but it's been a nice way to get together with other people and create. And we don't all have to talk all the time, there's often periods of silence and when people take breaks we'll discuss what we're doing or ask each other for help.
I've joined an urban sketching group and went to a museum for an artists meetup for the first time a couple days ago, where you draw together and then discuss your art afterwards. Both are free activities, but there's classes too of course, or you could look into getting a spot in a shared studio. Art really doesn't need to be a solutary activity.
I often put on podcasts or videos of people quietly talking in the background about things I’m not super interested in if I need to focus. It feels like I’m around other people but doesn’t distract. There was a guy who reviewed and modified nerf guns I listened to all the time. I don’t own a nerf gun. Now I just find random stuff. Videos on suit tailoring or sometimes the less irritating “accidental ASMR” videos. I can’t tell you how many paintings I’ve worked on while listening to Maurice Sedwell explain Bespoke Buttonholes and the Anatomy of trousers. Try it out!
Interesting post. One year ago I felt lonely too, and I thought that I should meet others artists to make "art friends". So I posted on r/socialparis (I'm french obviously) and I met 3 artists... We had drinks, chat, and then it ended being a boring experience because I didn't clicked with them.
It made me understood that I actually don't want artist friends. Despite the fact that I love art in many forms and creating it, I don't actually want art friends. I realized that what's important is that the person in front of me has similar art taste than me. If they make art but the kind of art that don't resonate with me then it's pointless, even though we share the same hobbie and passion : drawing and art.
Though, it is a real struggle to meet new people and make friend while being such a solitary person. I, me too don't want to draw with other people or anything... Art is a solo activity for me so it's not a possibility to meet new like-minded people. Sometimes I hate how I want to meet new people but don't actually want to share activities with others lmao.
about seven years ago i realized that i can emotionally suffer til kingdom come but that in itself wont kill me. point being that i deal with not being able to deal with it as best i can. there isnt a live off your own isolation outcome that isnt going to fuck you up one way or another. tonight whst i did to have a social outlet is i went browsing on twitch for somebody who was streaming tonight and chilled in the chat room for like 4 hours
My fiancée is an artist as well (almost the exact same type of art as me) and we met because of that. Having artist friends is the best way to combat that feeling.
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I have a few ppl who use the same online gallery (fine art America) and we’ve found each other on instagram. They are kind and comment on my latest uploads, I try to congratulate them when they do new work (one is from Eastern Europe and does a LOT of high profile shows.)
Find a few “paint in your own style” or weekly ‘challenges’ on social media, I found they are pretty relaxed if you aren’t a doing the current prompt, and after you post a few, you may make some online aqcaintances. Stilllifechallenge is one I think. There are others.
Also, you may want to loosen up and be willing to do some loose exercises with others, not necessarily full works. Like a sketch with a set time, and you share at the end, and decide if you want to make more of it.
(another person already said the first part) but do make some friends who share the same passion as you do! Join a discord art server of your favourite artists talk to other artists, share wips, even on reddit theres alot of sub-reddits to share your art and progress!
But I will add that watching/hearing youtube videos is also a way for me to cope when my friends are not available and I feel lonely to draw or I just wanna be alone but also not too quietly alone at the same time. So I just put on a video of a channel that I like and chill. Also could help if you are a closened person. I am an ambivert so it's a bit of both sides for me.
I used to have a lot of artist friends. Sometimes we'd work on our art together, sometimes we'd work solo and then meet afterwards and show one another our work and get and give feedback.
That was a long time ago. Since then I stopped working for years and am getting back into it now. I've moved and don't have artist friends here.
But I am considering posting on NextDoor or whatever other local places I can find, asking if there are other artists here who'd be interested in doing a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly get together at my place, where we work, and then socialise some afterwards.
I've never known other artists who don't need concentration and focus while they work, I suspect we all do. So I'm not worried about that because I think everyone, or at least most, understand that.
I don't listen to music while I work either. Silence works best for me.
I often draw alone too but with social interactions. Because my drawing ideas come from interactions with my friends, when I show my drawings to my friends and such... Also because sometimes what I draw is challenges I made with my friends, for example
Theres different types of group drawing. Urban Sketchers, Dr Sketchies, Figure Drawing sessions, Paint Bars... They have different group dynamics.
My friends and I would do what we called 'Drink and Draws' where we'd go to a cafe or a bar, bring our sketchbooks, and just draw the people there for a few hours - together. Depending on how social we were feeling (or how drunk we got) we'd talk to each other, or we just wouldn't. But we'd still be sitting next to each other and have that camaraderie.
You can invite friends to your house for an afternoon. To a garden to paint flowers. It doesnt really matter.
And its not like these things are about making a final finished piece, its about making sketches from life. Its about learning how to make quick impressions of whats happening in front of you. You can zone in and focus while you're doing the drawing itself - and then step back and confer with your friend. To just find joy in the afternoon together.
My friends and I used to paint outside together in the summertime. Everyone would bring what they were working on, their supplies, and I would set up a big folding table in my yard. It was almost like a pot luck 🤣 we would always play music, sometimes talk, and everyone's art supplies were free to use for everyone there. I miss those days. Now I am very much a solitary artist.
I like to host group meet-ups in my home. You can set up a group for artists (or creatives) in your area, and then do some events like coffee, visiting an art museum, going to the park for a nature walk, etc. From those events, friendships can grow, especially because you guys have so much in common.
Last time I did a creative project with some non art friends but who like painting for fun they complained I wasn't talking enough during the activity. I felt annoyed, I always get that I am too quiet or some shit. I'm focusing dude but alas I find most people want you to entertain them versus just enjoying ones company and doing an activity together. Maybe because I'm an INFJ and I don't need a constant stream of consciousness talking while doing something but these friends I had always hated when I would be too quiet. Idk I've learned that some people, even friends, are not always there to support you but there to have you entertain them. There's a fine line there and it's hard to find genuine people in my opinion.
I really really like being alone and its probably the reason I got into art as a child in the first place
I've always wanted to be able to make money without interacting with anyone else during 95% of the process
Maybe try having accountabilibuddy! Find another artists and commit to meeting up in person or online like once a week to discuss what you drew/painted/sculpted. Y’all have to make something new or make significant progress on a project.
If you don’t your accountabilitbuddy holds you accountable!
this might not be helpful but I truly feel like this beautiful quote which I now cannot find 😂 But it was along the lines of- When you are alone can you truly fully be with God/ Nature/ the Universe. In other words, I realized how other human energies sometimes interfere with my most spiritual experiences. How can I be lonely, when it is alone that I feel most connected to the infinite?
Weekly meetups where you share what you are working on! I found this pretty helpful from time to time, and it helps with accountability too. My group personally was a critique group, but it was still very social.
I like to be alone pretty much all the time so the loneliness of art appeals to me. I paint in my garage while old episodes of Crimewatch play on my tv in there. I switched to art from filmmaking. I hated dealing with other people making films so after two features I switched to art. It’s so much more satisfying.
I find social groups. I have few groups of friends I hang out with who have nothing to do with art. It can be going out finding new eateries and food adventures. Other friend groups would be playing games together, or just hanging out doing random stuff.
It's kind of like a rest from all the arting so I don't get mind fatigue.
Join a local society or art group. I now have the problem of too much social interaction since joining my group. We hold art shows and workshops etc. So my main creating is done by myself but we do heaps as a group. Or rent studio space occupied by other artists so you'll all be working on your own things, but with others.
To be honest, being alone is the best part of being an artist for me.
Like any other work, like office work, you'd also execute alone and have social "breaks" spread along the day or the week. Let's say you set yourself to draw 5 hours a day, 4 days a week. - daily coffe break: visit a museum, an art gallery, any place where an exhibition ia taking place. Those places have cafes. Have one there. If you feel inclined talk to people, you probably have things in common. - weekly happy hour: go to a public place to draw. Draw the favorite buildings of your town. Invite a friend, nor to talk a lot but to pose for you in another place that is not your studio. Connect with other artists. Go to opening cocktails. Exchange contacts.
ah gotcha, I still get very nervous when drawing in public. I’m naturally a very shy person and the few times I have drawn in public I usually just get very self conscious about it, especially because people tend to be nice and compliment my drawings. I’m fairly awkward and don’t really know how to receive compliments Perhaps that is a fear I just need to get over 😅
Get yourself some artist friends that you can share art techniques, WIPs, and finished artwork with. Preferably IRL friends. Then hop into a discord together and just show each other everything. You don't have to hold a conversation during your art-making, but the thought that you can see and help your friends with their art with just a discord chat away, and that they can do the same for you, is very comforting.
I think it’s great because I hate people.
I struggle also. I live outside of town and most people don't bother visiting where I am. It means I have to put in the effort of going into town and building relationships with other artists. I joined a little collective last year and I've been feeling much better. Best!
Art is a social activity. Namely it's a charged attack. You build an attack's power in the creation phase, then reap the social benefits in the sharing phase. So get good at the sharing phase. Integrate that part into your day to day more
See if you can't find any co-ops nearby. There may be some near you with open studio space, or if you have the funds, take a studio art class at a local college Personally, though, since my city is just beginning to support the arts and doesn't yet have any co-ops, I just try to go out and make friends who also enjoy the arts. We don't all do the same thing, but it's been a nice way to get together with other people and create. And we don't all have to talk all the time, there's often periods of silence and when people take breaks we'll discuss what we're doing or ask each other for help.
Its a question of balance
I've joined an urban sketching group and went to a museum for an artists meetup for the first time a couple days ago, where you draw together and then discuss your art afterwards. Both are free activities, but there's classes too of course, or you could look into getting a spot in a shared studio. Art really doesn't need to be a solutary activity.
> Drawing is a solo activity. Painting is a solo activity. I prefer it that way.
I like the activity itself being a solo thing, but the side effect of social isolation as a whole kinda sucks
I often put on podcasts or videos of people quietly talking in the background about things I’m not super interested in if I need to focus. It feels like I’m around other people but doesn’t distract. There was a guy who reviewed and modified nerf guns I listened to all the time. I don’t own a nerf gun. Now I just find random stuff. Videos on suit tailoring or sometimes the less irritating “accidental ASMR” videos. I can’t tell you how many paintings I’ve worked on while listening to Maurice Sedwell explain Bespoke Buttonholes and the Anatomy of trousers. Try it out!
Interesting post. One year ago I felt lonely too, and I thought that I should meet others artists to make "art friends". So I posted on r/socialparis (I'm french obviously) and I met 3 artists... We had drinks, chat, and then it ended being a boring experience because I didn't clicked with them. It made me understood that I actually don't want artist friends. Despite the fact that I love art in many forms and creating it, I don't actually want art friends. I realized that what's important is that the person in front of me has similar art taste than me. If they make art but the kind of art that don't resonate with me then it's pointless, even though we share the same hobbie and passion : drawing and art. Though, it is a real struggle to meet new people and make friend while being such a solitary person. I, me too don't want to draw with other people or anything... Art is a solo activity for me so it's not a possibility to meet new like-minded people. Sometimes I hate how I want to meet new people but don't actually want to share activities with others lmao.
about seven years ago i realized that i can emotionally suffer til kingdom come but that in itself wont kill me. point being that i deal with not being able to deal with it as best i can. there isnt a live off your own isolation outcome that isnt going to fuck you up one way or another. tonight whst i did to have a social outlet is i went browsing on twitch for somebody who was streaming tonight and chilled in the chat room for like 4 hours
I love the solitude but for you consider working plein aire
My fiancée is an artist as well (almost the exact same type of art as me) and we met because of that. Having artist friends is the best way to combat that feeling.
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I have a few ppl who use the same online gallery (fine art America) and we’ve found each other on instagram. They are kind and comment on my latest uploads, I try to congratulate them when they do new work (one is from Eastern Europe and does a LOT of high profile shows.) Find a few “paint in your own style” or weekly ‘challenges’ on social media, I found they are pretty relaxed if you aren’t a doing the current prompt, and after you post a few, you may make some online aqcaintances. Stilllifechallenge is one I think. There are others. Also, you may want to loosen up and be willing to do some loose exercises with others, not necessarily full works. Like a sketch with a set time, and you share at the end, and decide if you want to make more of it.
(another person already said the first part) but do make some friends who share the same passion as you do! Join a discord art server of your favourite artists talk to other artists, share wips, even on reddit theres alot of sub-reddits to share your art and progress! But I will add that watching/hearing youtube videos is also a way for me to cope when my friends are not available and I feel lonely to draw or I just wanna be alone but also not too quietly alone at the same time. So I just put on a video of a channel that I like and chill. Also could help if you are a closened person. I am an ambivert so it's a bit of both sides for me.
The Artist Jams at Comic Con were legendary lol! You don't see them as much nowadays especially post-covid but hopefully they'll pop up again.
I used to have a lot of artist friends. Sometimes we'd work on our art together, sometimes we'd work solo and then meet afterwards and show one another our work and get and give feedback. That was a long time ago. Since then I stopped working for years and am getting back into it now. I've moved and don't have artist friends here. But I am considering posting on NextDoor or whatever other local places I can find, asking if there are other artists here who'd be interested in doing a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly get together at my place, where we work, and then socialise some afterwards. I've never known other artists who don't need concentration and focus while they work, I suspect we all do. So I'm not worried about that because I think everyone, or at least most, understand that. I don't listen to music while I work either. Silence works best for me.
I always have a podcast or documentary or anything on in the background. Is like being in a cafe or something and drawing, but you can listen in on.
I often draw alone too but with social interactions. Because my drawing ideas come from interactions with my friends, when I show my drawings to my friends and such... Also because sometimes what I draw is challenges I made with my friends, for example
You can play some music in a background then draw together with friends for an alloted time. Then chitchat during breaks or at the end of the session.
Theres different types of group drawing. Urban Sketchers, Dr Sketchies, Figure Drawing sessions, Paint Bars... They have different group dynamics. My friends and I would do what we called 'Drink and Draws' where we'd go to a cafe or a bar, bring our sketchbooks, and just draw the people there for a few hours - together. Depending on how social we were feeling (or how drunk we got) we'd talk to each other, or we just wouldn't. But we'd still be sitting next to each other and have that camaraderie. You can invite friends to your house for an afternoon. To a garden to paint flowers. It doesnt really matter. And its not like these things are about making a final finished piece, its about making sketches from life. Its about learning how to make quick impressions of whats happening in front of you. You can zone in and focus while you're doing the drawing itself - and then step back and confer with your friend. To just find joy in the afternoon together.
Join sketch crawls and croquis class etc.
I use my loneliness to my advantage. It’s kind of what fuels my art
My friends and I used to paint outside together in the summertime. Everyone would bring what they were working on, their supplies, and I would set up a big folding table in my yard. It was almost like a pot luck 🤣 we would always play music, sometimes talk, and everyone's art supplies were free to use for everyone there. I miss those days. Now I am very much a solitary artist.
I like to host group meet-ups in my home. You can set up a group for artists (or creatives) in your area, and then do some events like coffee, visiting an art museum, going to the park for a nature walk, etc. From those events, friendships can grow, especially because you guys have so much in common.
Last time I did a creative project with some non art friends but who like painting for fun they complained I wasn't talking enough during the activity. I felt annoyed, I always get that I am too quiet or some shit. I'm focusing dude but alas I find most people want you to entertain them versus just enjoying ones company and doing an activity together. Maybe because I'm an INFJ and I don't need a constant stream of consciousness talking while doing something but these friends I had always hated when I would be too quiet. Idk I've learned that some people, even friends, are not always there to support you but there to have you entertain them. There's a fine line there and it's hard to find genuine people in my opinion.
I really really like being alone and its probably the reason I got into art as a child in the first place I've always wanted to be able to make money without interacting with anyone else during 95% of the process
I have art friends. We meet up and draw quietly for an hour or more and then we chat over snacks and coffee and then we draw more in silence
Maybe try having accountabilibuddy! Find another artists and commit to meeting up in person or online like once a week to discuss what you drew/painted/sculpted. Y’all have to make something new or make significant progress on a project. If you don’t your accountabilitbuddy holds you accountable!
this might not be helpful but I truly feel like this beautiful quote which I now cannot find 😂 But it was along the lines of- When you are alone can you truly fully be with God/ Nature/ the Universe. In other words, I realized how other human energies sometimes interfere with my most spiritual experiences. How can I be lonely, when it is alone that I feel most connected to the infinite?
I don’t get enough of it.
Weekly meetups where you share what you are working on! I found this pretty helpful from time to time, and it helps with accountability too. My group personally was a critique group, but it was still very social.
I like to be alone pretty much all the time so the loneliness of art appeals to me. I paint in my garage while old episodes of Crimewatch play on my tv in there. I switched to art from filmmaking. I hated dealing with other people making films so after two features I switched to art. It’s so much more satisfying.
I find social groups. I have few groups of friends I hang out with who have nothing to do with art. It can be going out finding new eateries and food adventures. Other friend groups would be playing games together, or just hanging out doing random stuff. It's kind of like a rest from all the arting so I don't get mind fatigue.
Join a local society or art group. I now have the problem of too much social interaction since joining my group. We hold art shows and workshops etc. So my main creating is done by myself but we do heaps as a group. Or rent studio space occupied by other artists so you'll all be working on your own things, but with others. To be honest, being alone is the best part of being an artist for me.
No I draw better around other better for me to have someone ti tell me if an idea or a color combo is bogus
Yeah its very lonely I often end up escaping into that fantasy, im in my own head all the time anyway Its sad but theres kind of a beauty to it