Networking

It was with some trepidation I made my first foray into the bowels of Home cafe in Oxton Village to attend a networking 'coffee morning'. I had realised that my almost complete creative isolation was far from ideal. With uni far behind me I no longer got to see the work of others being created or had the chance to chat informally about my own work. I even missed the critique sessions I had so dreaded when I had to do them. I had signed up for several art news letters online and plenty of opportunities for meeting other like minded folk were out there, but so many of them seemed intimidating. I wasn't overjoyed at the thought of walking in alone to some of the rather 'nice' venues in Liverpool city centre, unsure of what exactly happened at a networking event and loathing having to make small talk for no other reason than making small talk. I couldn't tell you what made me decide to brave the unknown and make my way one morning to a meeting of With These Hands, described as: networking events for Wirral visual creatives. Maybe it was the fact it was a cafe I at least knew from the exterior and that it was for coffee in the basement rather than the event I saw advertised that met in a smart bar starting with a cocktail. I usually drink water, how cool would I have looked whilst all around me held colourful concoctions (alcoholic or not) whilst networking their bottoms off?

At that first meeting I was given a warm welcome and immediately discovered interesting snippets of useful information and began to get to know my fellow networkees. It obviously wasn't the ordeal I dreaded as I have since attended another 'coffee morning' and tonight met up with an ever changing group of creatives in a pub and had a bite to eat after Alison Bailey Smith, who organises the group, recited Address to a Haggis in honour of it being Burns night.

So what am I saying? In the first instance, just going along to an event for 'creatives' helps me with my identity as artist rather than unemployed or housewife. Secondly networking does work, I have met interesting people who give me an insight into a diverse number of disciplines and how that pans out in real life, some still struggling like me to make any money or get recognition, others making a living , whilst still more somewhere in between. I also have heard of opportunities that would have passed me by had I not been in attendance - having a photograph in the Editions Christmas Exhibition for one. If like me you are wary of going along to a networking event, just do it. Take along some cards to give out and have somewhere to put all the cards you will get in return and good luck!