I have been thinking lately about how I as an artist and my friends who are also making art can better manage our outcomes. I'm not really talking about how to make more work, or what our work should look like. For this conversation I am talking about how to get our artwork out into the world. Part of reason this is on my mind, of course, has to do with all the things that are going on here in my country. In the past, I think we all have relied somewhat on social media to let people see what we're up to, connect with other people, and build community. Maybe even sell some work. I now feel compelled to pull back from social media, it takes a lot of time and it doesn't support some of the things that I feel are important in the world. I mentioned to friend of mine that I was thinking how I might leave social media. Said to me. "that that was sort of like the scene in the horror movie when everybody decides it would be a good idea to split up". This really resonated with me. 

I realized what I could do as my contribution towards a solution. Maybe what we can all do together as artists & craftspeople. 

I am committed to do everything I can to lift up everyone I know who makes art, however I can. Together I'm committed to working on this idea in whatever ways we can dream up.  I've started by adding links on my website to artists that I know and friends that I have & I am looking forward to adding more and more of these links. My idea is that someone will be on my website and see one of my friends names, learn about them and ultimately enjoy collecting some of their work. I'm also really committed to talking about other artists when I'm with my friends, letting folks know what they are up too with in their practice. I would like to grow the community of artists & craftspeople that I know in hopes that we can all, together, lift each other up and help each other get our work out and make progress in these strange times.

So send me your links, and join the conversation on community.

Be well,

Ray