Overcome Your Introversion: Networking at Plein Air Events

Networking for Artists > As artists and creatives, many of us tend to be on the shy side. We like to focus on our own thing, and we enjoy being alone in the quiet, focused space of the creative process. With spring and endless fairs and festivals upon us, there comes a time when we’ll need to — Heaven forbid — talk to a stranger.

To get some expert insights on networking at art events, I reached out to plein air painter Michele Byrne, who we’ll soon meet in Santa Fe at the Plein Air Convention & Expo. Her advice is to look at the schedule and pick out the artists you most want to learn from, and then make it a point to introduce yourself.

“That’s why we’re here,” she said. “Don’t be shy about talking to the artists. We’re just people, and we love to hear from others. We all have the same thing in common; we all want to talk about colors and paint and process and materials.”

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