Collaboration
Think of collaboration as a vehicle for growth and change.
For a while I’ve believed that collaboration is one of the most important skills you could build on when it comes to creativity; it’s why i actively do my best to work with other artists, it’s also why it’s one of the first words you can see when you enter my studio.
As humans we can recognize that there are limitations to what we may be able to do in a given moment due to time, resources, or skill. Being open to collaboration is almost like being able to recognize your shortcomings and allowing someone else to lift you up where you may fall short.
“Do you know how I could do this?”
”Do you know anybody that might know how to get this done?”
”What are your thoughts on how this looks or sounds?”
When most people think about collaboration they think about back and forth creation amongst a group of people, a whole project of the sorts. But I’ve been starting to think about it on a much smaller scale recently and I’ve found that it’s helped with my view of life and my work.
It’s as simple as an interaction or conversation.
A friend, family member, or stranger can do or say something that shifts a limiting perspective you may have had, that’s the magic in collaboration.
Some of my most insightful realizations happened through conversation, and often times it’s with people who don’t even practice art. And interesting enough, the work I have done with other Artists has always started through conversation.
Not only do you get to see something from another perspective, it also brings people into what you’re doing. It helps them become invested in the what you’re working on; and in the same respect it gives them an opportunity to help you along the way, sometimes knowingly, sometimes unknowingly.
As an Artist that’s always worked amongst collaborators to see visions through, I’ve been shifting my perspective to “view life like a collaborative effort”. I also understand that it’s the key to creating community; so true to form I’m actively trying to become better at facilitating collaboration, as well as trying to be more receptive to it myself.
Davo