Do you find yourself cringing when it comes to the thought of networking? Let alone bringing any form of creativity into it…

I have been involved in a wealth of creative networking groups over the last 30 years and have co-founded We Love Marlborough, East London Creative Business Women’s Network and CultivEight to fill the gaps I found as a creative practitioner and entrepreneur. I have also run Authentic Creative Networking for a range of creative freelancers, founders and student and graduate founders and these tips have shown up through these sessions.

1. Reframe it - one way to bring a different energy to getting more purposeful around your networking is to rename it as networking has so many negative connotations for so many people. In workshops, I’ve heard people reframe it as “making new contacts” “making new business friends” “helping out others and myself”. What’s your creative reframe?

2. Be real about where you need to be for your creative practice or creative industry venture to thrive - research local and online networking events or groups that align with your needs or wider industry. This will allow you to connect with people who have similar creative goals or enterprise passions. This will help you feel more confident, making it easier to spark conversations and build relationships.

3. Be proactive about reaching out to people - don't just wait for them to come to you. Take the initiative to send a message or invite someone to meet for coffee to learn more about their work and how you can potentially collaborate.

4. Make an authentic first impression - be yourself, and you will feel more comfortable and confident. Think about a clear and concise introduction, think of open questions you can ask others and be friendly and approachable.

5. Follow up afterwards - set the tone of being a person who is trustworthy and follows up by sending a quick message via email, LinkedIn or their social media DMs thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in staying in touch. The key here is building a relationship which over time can build into creative collaborations or partnerships.

6. Build your own creative network - so often events face-to-face or online fail to deliver any decent conversations, connections and follow-up. So why not consider hosting a networking event? They are so many options via Facebook, LinkedIn or Eventbrite events scheduling to make this happen - what’s holding you back?

Book me to talk about more creative ways to network or run an Authentic Creative Networking session for your group or company

Email anna@opentocreate.com

Call 07484 184 292