Opening myself to networking

[darktiste]

Well sometime you have to push your luck.So maybe perhaps there someone from Montreal canada here who would like to get in contact with an other artist but doesn't know any or maybe you just want someone in here that in the same zip code to exchange with you.Well here your opportunity i am from montreal canada so feel free to hit me up.For the rest of you who ain't from montreal but are maybe interested to work in montreal canada in the gaming art scene feel free to ask me question in email.I don't currently work as a professional artist but i know most of the studio on the island so it might be of you to some of you.

[Zorrentos]

Im based in Sweden (Malmö), but if you would like too, you can add me on Linkedin. I would be more then willing to like/share your posts/work there and show them to my network (I got about 550+ contacts there and most of them are in the game industry), and possibly, you can do the same to me when I post. You can add me here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-praet...a28166168/

[darktiste]

It like i am overwhelm and feel like i am still in need of a portfolio so i will have to work toward those goal i believe before anything and than i probably will work toward making networking a priority.Seem like i had my priority wrong when i wrote this.But i will try to remember your offer it just that it would be stupid to network without a solid load of work behind me as much as i feel like it time for me to enter the industry i am still at a stage where i see that it not up to the standard i feel i want my work to be and if i would enter now i feel it would have a stagnation effect on my body of work but that can be actually false.It a big step as you probably have experienced yourself in the past.I would certainly appreciate some insider insight on how i should build my portfolio but idk yet how i would repay those people there time and effort maybe there people generous enough not to care about that or who can wait to be repaid.I know some people do paid review of portfolio.Anyways i am losing track of what need to be said.Thank for the reply i need to re order my idea.

[Zorrentos]

Its never a bad idea to start building up your network early. I learnt this the hard way and had to play catch-up.

You can always start by making a Linkedin profile and connect with other artists there. I heard somewhere that an artist should network 25% of his time. May be a good idea to start early?

[gerbenpasjes]

Its never a bad idea to start building up your network early. I learnt this the hard way and had to play catch-up.

You can always start by making a Linkedin profile and connect with other artists there. I heard somewhere that an artist should network 25% of his time. May be a good idea to start early?

Network is everything in my experience. I had to get my first job "all by myself" but also for that job I reached out to an ex-employee of that company, and it turns out he recommended me after I connected with him. 

After that I've never had to start from scratch, all my jobs were through people who knew me and recommended me to their bosses (Dutch game industry). 

The contacts I've made in real life have been a lot more influential than those from online, but perhaps for freelancers, it is different. 

25% does seem like a lot though. I don't know much about "active" networking, mine's always been IRL or passive (eg: I connect with someone but don't engage with them actively). 

darktiste
it would be stupid to network without a solid load of work behind me

I feel ya and I agree with you but also not(?). There's no straight do's and don't's for artists. To give an example, I got my first job not because the work was good (it was pretty lame) but because I was super-serious about it and reached out to other employees to help me get in. Once I got in, the work started getting better. 

Most people out there will be easier to connect with if you have killer work. But just being a nice person, with a good work ethic and a thirst for learning goes a very long way. 

Zorrentos
You can always start by making a Linkedin profile and connect with other artists there.

Sure you can (and should!) but also remember one good connection with whom you actively talk and trade art with is worth so much more than 100 silent, quiet, anonymous connections. If you attempt to engage with enough people you'll find one that's more open and receptive than the others, and you can start to build a relationship from there. 



As always these are my opinions and experiences, everyone's situation is different!