Creative Support Continued - Are you getting what you need?

Continuing from my last post… what exactly are The Field and The Domain? For a quick recap, Fields are the groups of people who inhabit Domains of knowledge. For example: I love the Domain of Painting and Art; and the Field of Painters and Artists. See the difference? A Domain is the Arena and the Field are the People that play in that Arena. So, who are these people in our fields of interest and what do we get from them??

Well, first we get Training. Once we find the mentors we need to take our visions to the next levels, we learn from them. Education keeps us moving forward, sharpening our minds and creative lives as we incorporate new skills. I'm grateful to have had parents that instilled a deep love of learning. Life is a long journey and the more you learn about what interests you creatively, the better your work will become. Everyday, my Fields of people teaches me something new.

Resources are the next element our Fields provide. Resources in the form of tools we learn about and borrow, places we learn about and visit, and domain related activities to discover and play with. The people in your field will be happy to share their resources. Now they have someone new to go to that concert with! Mentors love mentoring.   

Next is Recognition. Remember your field is made up of people. People like to recognize each other for accomplishments... or just to hang out with other people who understand. Get out! Go to social events and gigs where your Field can see you and you can be included by the people attempting to influence your domain. It feels good to be surrounded by the creatively like minded, for them, as much as for you.

Your Field will also provide Hope. The folks who've been there before can provide the emotional support you need to see a project through to completion. Yes, you can be your own cheerleader, but without the expectation and hope given to you by others your project could run out of steam. No matter how independent you think you are, no one creates in a vacuum. 

The final two elements our Fields provide are Opportunity and Reward. I see opportunity as the possibility of more work, more experience, more connections and Reward as advancement, reputation and of course, money. Many artists focus too much of their energy into Opportunity and Reward. Yes, money is important. We have responsibilities to ourselves, to our families, to our communities and to our cultures. But if we overlook the other functions our Fields provide, we're doing a huge disservice to all the artists that came before us, those who will follow us, and mainly, to ourselves.

So, are you getting what you need from your Field? Do you have the kind of creative support you need or are changes necessary? However you connect with your Domain's Field be aware of what you could and should be receiving. Take part in your Field's transactions and join your community. You'll learn from your adversaries and your advocates, and the resources, support and rewards you'll gain will more than compensate for the time and effort involved. Keep making your art, fighting the good fight and being YOU, ninja. But when you're ready to get your work evaluated and see if it's good enough to effect the domain, your Field will be waiting and ready.

I hope this short breakdown of what we should all be getting out of the people around us has helped or shed light onto a missing element of your creative journey. Like always, reach out with questions and comments.

There are a few spots left for the March 15th Creator's Workshop if you're interested in exploring your creative self and learning to leverage your relationships for a more creative life.

In my next post, I'll discuss the concept of the Warrior Artist. The act of creation can feel like a battle. And not just against other people...