Finding Your Creative Tribe (And Why It’s Okay If It Takes Time)
We hear the word ‘tribe’ thrown around a lot online, but I actually think it’s the perfect way to describe those people who become such a big part of our lives, both professionally and personally. Pursuing creative endeavours can be crazy lonely and scary, and surrounding yourself with people who dream as big as you do is key.
I rarely go off on tangents on this blog, but there’s something I want to share with you guys. I’ve always had good friends, I’m still best friends with the people I was with ten years ago and they feel way more like family now, but I’ve still always felt a little on the fringes of life - like I’ve never really fit. Most of my closest friends happen to be boys, and I've always wondered what was wrong with me that I didn't have a strong female friendship into adulthood like I've seen so many others have. Gender shouldn’t really matter in friendship, but other women supporting other women, building them up and rooting for them every step of the way is powerful stuff and I never really had that connection with someone until earlier this year. Rebecca is my person, she’s there rooting for me every step of the way and I’m forever excited for all of her successes too. There’s no drama in our friendship, just support and mutual respect and running ALO together makes me crazy happy. Surrounding yourself with other creatives who understand you, support you, and believe in you is so important.
So how do we find our creative tribe?
We make genuine connections If you’re a blogger, those awesome connections you’re looking for are already right in front of you. They’re the people leaving you awesome and supportive comments, the fellow bloggers sharing your content, and the friendly faces on Twitter. Taking the time to connect with the people in your online life is always worth it, and you may not hit it off with everyone but along the way you'll find the people for you.
We break out of our comfort zone When a girl you guys may know called Grace asked me if I wanted to go for coffee, to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I've always been a little socially awkward with new people - I have this constant fear that people won't like me and that I'm a little annoying - but I did it anyway and now I'm so glad I did as we hit it off straight away. All it takes is one nervous first coffee date to lead to an awesome friendship, so next time someone reaches out to you and your first instinct is fear, try and move past it as you never know what may happen.
We support each other Friendship is always a two way thing, and it’s no differenct when building your creative tribe. Supporting each other can be in so many different ways - maybe we listen to each others problems and worries, maybe we support each others endeavours and businesses by sharing content, product releases etc. A wonderful thing about good creative friends is how you don't see each other as competition, but instead colleagues in an industry that you both love.
And if you haven’t found your tribe yet?
Don't give up They're out there, sometimes they can just be a little hard to find. Keep putting yourself out there and find the people who are just as awesome as you - and remember that it's always about quality over quantity. You deserve friendships that you grow from, that change you, that keep you going when times get tough, and who listen to your big crazy ideas and nod along smiling because they see the world as big as you do.
What about you - do you have a creative tribe?
Jen
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