bad-post-pikachu:

One of the saddest things about being a creative type in the modern world is that nobody seems to care about your work unless you have absurd amounts of money, or you get really lucky. It’s discouraging to spend hours or weeks on an original piece of art or a brand new story, only to have your work get minimal online attention. It’s feels like you have to piggyback off of other already famous creative works to get noticed, whether it be through drawing fanart or writing fanfiction. Unless you already have a sizable online following, it’s difficult to get people to care about your hard work, and it’s very frustrating. That’s why it means a lot to us when people take interest in our passion projects, or even just give us a little positivity and encouragement. That being said:

Great ways to show your creatively-inclined friends that you care! 💕

• If your friend has any ocs, ask about them! Discussing the character’s design, personality and backstory can help both writers and artists to flesh out their ocs, and it helps to provide inspiration to hear other people’s ideas and opinions.
• If your friend is working on an outline for a novel, play, or other piece of creative writing, ask if you can be a beta reader for their manuscript! Beta readers provide valuable feedback and information for writer’s creative projects, and can help point out any mistakes and inconsistencies.
• If your friend writes poetry or song lyrics, ask if you can look over what they’ve written! Tell them how it makes you feel, and you can even provide analysis or criticism if you’re knowledgeable on the subject they’re writing about.
• If your friend is a photographer, ask them if they’d be interested in photographing you or someone you know (if they do photography with human subjects) and recommend scenic locations to them! Give them your opinion on their work, even if you don’t quite understand it.
• If your friend is interested in film, ask if they need any extras in any upcoming projects, or if they need any assistance while they shoot. Being a background character at a film shoot can be a lot of fun, and it’s a very interesting experience for people who wouldn’t usually be in front of a camera.
• If your friend prefers three dimensional art, ask if you can watch them work! I personally have a very minimal understanding of ceramics, sculpting and pottery, but I find it fascinating to watch 3-D artists work their magic.
• If they don’t mind taking requests, ask them to make you something! Some artists don’t like doing work for other people, and some can’t afford to do make you something at no expense, but some artists, myself included, love making art for other people. It means a lot to me that people are interested in my work to such an extent that they want something individualized, just for them.
• If your friend doesn’t take requests and only takes commissions, you can pay them to make you some art instead! Or if you can’t afford it, you can always promo them and recommend their work to your other friends.

Artists need all of the love and support we can get, and even the slightest bit of appreciation goes a long way. If you’re willing to consider your creative friends’ feelings and acknowledge their work, they’ll be beyond grateful. You might even find an interest in their work and be inspired to create something of your own, and I think that’s a beautiful thing. Nothing makes the world a better place like more art! Creativity is wonderful, and it should always be valued by everyone.