THE POWER OF FAVORS

~ by Corey Michael Blake

As we have discussed in previous articles – an artist cannot succeed alone. It just so happens that our peers are one of the most useful tools in the advancement of our careers. The people we will be working with twenty years down the road from now are the people who are at our level today. Looking out for our peers and helping them advance in their own careers can be amazingly beneficial to our careers. Competition doesn’t really exist – by helping others we help ourselves. There is enough room at the top for so many of us – lose that competitive edge and help your peers to rise. If we do it correctly - we will all rise together, and we can utilize each other’s talent to get ourselves seen and vice versa.

Doing favors for other people can be one of the easiest and most effective parts of the work we do on the business side of our art. It’s easy to think of the people we know and the people whose work we respect. All we need to do is plug ourselves into networks around town that are involved in our industry and recommend people we know when opportunities arise. By utilizing the internet, local groups, workshops and word of mouth, we can build a reputation as people who are well connected. More people will come to us to find others and when we are right for something – they will think of us, and we will certainly help them to.

The internet is the easiest and least time consuming way to help others. By plugging ourselves into networks of people who use the internet to discuss topics related to their artistry we put ourselves in the know about what is happening in our area, or even across the country. Then as we hear about people’s needs that we could pass off to others that could fill them – we become a network who is looking out for one another. It is then that others begin to return that favor and look out for us.

By attending local groups and workshops we insert ourselves into activity. Many artists shy away from this kind of networking because they hate pushing themselves on others. Try going with the intention of helping other people; of just finding out what is going on in the business so that you can refer talented people you know to other talented people you are meeting. Of course your intent is to promote yourself, but you open the door in a really positive way that benefits others as well as yourself.

Word of mouth is another great way to hear about things going on. Talk to people. Do not be afraid of getting the word out there that you are an artist. Until you have the courage to lay it on the line – you don’t give people the opportunity to build an impression of your work. So talk about what you do. We cannot be successful artists without building our life around our art, so don’t be afraid to talk about your work. It’s our passion and our life. Share it with others and find out what they do. If we can help them or bring someone else to them – we build a reputation as good people to work with – which in turn will bring positive energy back into our careers and our lives.

Whenever we think of someone else, whenever we go out of our way when we didn’t have to – we create a bond with the other artist we helped. They naturally feel that they want to go out of their way for us. What we begin to create is a group of people who actually care about one another and go out of their way to help each other. We begin to create a family. It is this family that will support us through our best and worst times creatively.

1. Get online and join a bunch of Yahoo! user groups related to your art – there are probably thousands – experiment to find the ones you like – there are so many amazingly talented people in these forums. This is one of hundreds of avenues available to you via the internet.

2. Go to workshops – most of them cost around $10 and you get to network. Do it under the guise of helping others – this will help you to be more outgoing and to meet great people who are working in the business or will be soon. Collect business cards at these events – imperative – put the power of communication in your own hands.

3. Word of Mouth – talk about what you do. Don’t be afraid of being one of those people who can’t stop talking about it – you’ll take your breaks – but first you must recognize that this is the life you have chosen for yourself. Be bold with your choice!

Have faith that those around us now will be some of the people that we will be working with for years. As soon as we recognize this fact – we can begin to feel the power of favors. If we help others, they will help us – let us rise to the top together.

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If anyone has topics they would like me to cover or questions related to the industry, please do not be afraid to write. I’m happy to do a favor for you, and emailing takes seconds.

~ Corey Blake

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Corey Michael Blake is the revolutionary thinker responsible for producing and publishing SmarterComics titles by best-selling authors Larry Winget (Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life), Chris Anderson (The Long Tail), Tom Hopkins (How to Master the Art of Selling) due out for release in stores in January 2011. Corey is the founder and President of Writers of the Round Table Inc., a book packaging and publishing company distributed by National Book Network. Prior to publishing, Corey starred in campaigns and wrote and published books that have been profiled in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun Times, Publisher's Weekly, Sports illustrated, Variety and on NBC, WGN and Good Morning America among hundreds of other print, radio, and television outlets. His work has won Addy, Belding, Bronze Lion and London International Advertising awards and he has been published in Writer Magazine, Script Magazine and on StartUp Nation. Corey began his career as the face of commercial campaigns for more than a dozen Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies, before venturing off to filmmaking and eventually writing. He is the co-author of numerous books, including "Edge! A Leadership Story" (Finalist 2008 National Best Books Awards) and "From the Barrio to the Board Room" and its companion comic book "Mi Barrio", which are being used throughout the Chicago Public School District and in schools and youth prisons around the country to inspire at-risk youth.