When I ask artists and change makers around the world what is stopping them from taking action, one of the things that I hear most often is that they just don’t know where to begin! And I get that. Starting can be hard! So, I’m going to break it down into five tips to start an art project that results in social change.

Five Tips to Start an Art Project That Results in Social Change

1. Look at what is ripe in your communities.

When you begin to think about a project that you can do to create real impact, one of the most important things is to listen to your community. I’m talking about deep listening here. Deep listening is so important, and I plan to go into more detail about it in a future Journal entry.

To get started on finding what is ripe your community, begin by asking some questions:

Where is there energy in my community?
What are the people in my community struggling with?
What are people already working on that an Art in Action project could help amplify?

In other words, you need to do some research. This leads us to my next tip.

2. Talk to other people doing the work.

You can start by having casual conversations with the people you know, asking them the questions above. If you are working within a particular community, those are the people you want to talk to. If you don’t know anyone personally, look for organizations that work with the community.

It’s true, you may need to cold-call someone you don’t know. And that can be intimidating in and of itself. I’ve found that when I do this, most people are happy to give me a few minutes of their time. And if they don’t have the answers, hey will often point me to someone who does.

You may also want to talk to schools and local government to find out what they are working on.

3. Just pick somewhere!

It doesn’t matter where you begin, just get started! Follow the next right action and see where it leads you. Make a phone call, write an email, make an outline for your project, start a painting. Do something! Because if you don’t get started, you will never complete your project.

Whether you’re beginning a new painting or a collaborative art project, you need to start somewhere, so start with a single brush stroke, a single phone call, or writing down goals for your project. Then, follow your curiosity to the next action.

When I’m painting in my studio, and I’m not sure where to go, I try and get curious. I ask myself this: “I wonder what would happen if I added this color or this texture here?” Then I try it and see what happens. Often, I get an interesting result and am inspired to try something else. The same curiosity can be applied to a collaborative art project. “I wonder what I’d come up with if I took 10 minutes and wrote out an outline for a project?” or “I wonder what I might learn if I call this person?”

4. Let go of perfectionism.

So many of us have it drilled into us from birth that we need to do everything right the first time around and look smoking hot doing it! This is unrealistic, unhealthy, and can lead to us not doing anything for fear of getting it wrong.

Perfectionism can stop me up too. I lately came to what felt like a shocking realization during meditation. I realized that “I get to make mistakes”. Not have to but get to. And then I get to clean up the mess I made afterwards! I know, sounds crazy right? The truth is, we are going to make mistakes. Making mistakes is part of being human and it’s part of how we learn.

All we can do is our best and let go of the rest.

5. Work with a mentor.

If all of this feels like a bit much, and you’re still feeling uncertain about where to begin, consider working with a mentor. A good mentor will take the guess work out of doing your project. They’ll hold you accountable so that you do what you say you will do. A good mentor will give you a plan of action.

We need more people stepping up and taking part in the Creative Revolution and I want to see YOU make the biggest impact possible with your art. That’s why I opened three spots in a special 3-month Art in Action Mentorship Program. And there are only 2 spots left!

This special fall Mentorship Program is intended to get you to the next phase of your project so that you can be the change you want to see in the world. Maybe that next phase is getting your project started for 2023. Maybe it’s completing a project you’ve been working on for many months. It might be scaling a project so that it has more impact.

As Artists and Change Makers, you are at the heart of your work. You are worth investing in.

If you’re ready to take the next step and work with a mentor, let’s hop on a call! I’d love to hear about what you’re working on and see how I can help you take your collaborative art to the next level. If you mention that you heard about the 3-month Art in Action Mentorship Program on this Journal entry, you’ll receive a special offer!

Click HERE to get on my calendar for a 30-minute, free Art in Action Discovery Call.

How do you break through your blocks and take action with art? Leave it in the comments below!