WHY and HOW you can support your Creative Friends!

Think of your friend who is an artist, musician, podcaster, comedian, or some kind of creative.

You know exactly who I am talking about. . They’re out there doing something and you likely either think it is the coolest thing ever (but a fun little dream) or a waste of time, (and why don’t they grow up and get a real job?)

In this post I want to remind us not only HOW we can support the artists and creatives in our life, but WHY we should.

Whether you consider it a “real job” or not, Creating is vitally important to this world and to every human’s health.

Why our Artists and Creatives are vital to Society

When was the last bad day that you had?

Maybe it was a rough day at work…and you came home, exhausted, frustrated, and done for the day…physically and emotionally.

What did you do when you got home?

Maybe you threw on your favorite comfort TV show. (Any CW superhero show will do it for me, or maybe the Office.) Maybe it was your favorite movie, that you’ve seen a billion times? (Fast & Furious) Or you listened to your favorite band or song that really connects exactly with how you feel right now (Yellowcard, Linkin Park, any of the 2000s angsty music will do it for me.)

You sat on your living room couch and looked at a piece of art that your mom gave you 3 Christmases ago…and it just fits your vibe, and gives you comfort as you drink a class of wine…or 7…

Maybe you read a excerpt from a book, poem, or play (Or heard some jokes from a comedian from a reel or two via Tiktok or Instagram) and whatever was written or said clicked with you in this very moment. It inspired, it challenged, it comforted….it resonated with you in some kind of way.

And in that “Quarter Mile” Moment, this piece of art (whatever it may be) connected with you and made YOU a little better, a little stronger, a little more healed, a little…you get the picture. “For those 10 seconds or less, you were free.”

And that, my friends is why art and creativity are important.

Does it cure cancer? Absolutely not. Can it help people get through cancer? Yes. Will it win wars? No…Can it comfort us during times of war? Yes. Will it make your terrible job better? Well, not really…BUT it can give you relief from work for a little bit so you can get to a better place emotionally to be able to make it another day or two in that “wonderful” job that you have to do so you can pay for food and rent!

Art sustains us. But who sustains the artists?

We consume creativity so much. Everything we listen to, every video game play, every movie we watch….The list goes on…any time you benefit from anything creative, you’re consuming it…and we love that for you, that’s why we do what we do!

That being said, everything that we create, we put a little part of our soul in it. Any podcast we make, any joke we write, any song we sing, every picture we take…When we put it out for the world to enjoy, we’re putting a little part of ourselves out there and asking you, “What do you think?”

And often the response we get is….nothing.

More then any other response, We don’t get “We hate it!” but we don’t get “We love it!” either. We just get

……..

That’s it.

For any artists the truth is that more people then you know enjoy and are inspired by what you do.

But to the consumers, may I be the first to tell you…the artists need your validation to keep going.

We need your support, because it’s going to be really lonely without it.

Here’s How You Can Support Your Creative Friends

Let me share with you some very practical ways that you can support the artists in your life. And I know you already know this, because you’ve been doing it for years…to Taylor Swift, Matt Rife, the MCU, and all your favorite big time performers, creatives, and artists.

But maybe you can find time, energy, and some money, to do something very similar to the friends who actually know you exist who are trying to do the same thing.

Like, Share, Comment, and Follow

It costs you nothing to like/react to a video, share,, or comment on it. It also costs you nothing to drop a follow (or subscribe on YouTube) which then makes us believe we have one more fan.

Actually, I just lied a little.

It does cost you something to do any of this. By liking, sharing, commenting, etc, you are connecting your reputation to whatever it is. You are saying, “My name is (whatever) and I approve this message”

And that’s EXACTLY what your artist friends need.

You may have not thought about this, but there are tons of voices telling each artist they can’t do what they’re trying to do…and usually, the loudest voice is in our head. (and it’s our own)

But suddenly, when I see my friend’s like/love/laugh reaction to my reel…I get a little more confident in what I am doing. When a buddy comments “Good job!” or even just laughing emojis…I feel a little less alone. And good lord, when you share my podcast episode or whatever and say something like “This is awesome, you all should check it out!” I feel like I just gained an army enough to take over the whole nation. This support, which financially costs you nothing, makes all the difference in your creative friend’s life who every day is asking themselves, “Is me creating this actually worth it?”

By the way, I know we do this all the time with famous people. The newest episodes of Cobra Kai came out two days ago and I have already had 6 different conversations about it and posted 3 statuses about it. When Linkin Park came out with a new song, I shared it and told my friends about it. I am on two movie review podcasts where we talk about movies and then post daily reels about them…all of which is raising awareness to the movies. When Jim Gaffigan or Pete Holmes puts out a new comedy special, you better believe I am going to post about it. If Yellowcard gets back together for one more tour, I’m canceling plans to be there! Because I’m a fan, and I love what they do.

And don’t get me wrong…Yellowcard, Jim Gaffigan, and everybody else who’s famous whose work we love will appreciate our support…but do they really need it? Will one less like be noticed in the billion likes they get?

But what about your buddy Randel who has his weekly “Fast and Furious Fish Facts” video that he posts every Saturday and then shares on all of his social media…to is 300 friends….Your one like for him may be the deciding factor of it he’s going to post another video next week.

And no I am not exaggerating.

Sponsor, Subscribe, and Donate

“Where your treasure is there also is your heart”, something Jesus told us about how we put money into the things we really care about. More modern thinkers have rephrased it to, “Put your money where your mouth is.”

Translation- We pay for what is important to us. Nothing says “We care about what you’re doing and support you” more then “I’m going to invest in you financially.”

My little podcast currently has 1 subscriber who pays monthly for what we do…and that honestly makes me so proud that one person has appreciated what we do so much that they’re willing to pay a little money every month just to help out.

Your words, likes, and shares, will make us feel better…your money will do that times 10, and actually gives us something tangible that we can use to increase what we do. Nothing says, “I support what you do” more then giving me resources to do what I do more or better.

And let’s be clear…artists aren’t making tons of money based off your sponsorships and donations. Typically that money goes right back into what we’re doing, or helps us get new equipment so we can do it better. If we’re not buying equipment, we’re spending money on ads and promotions. Being a creative is most definitely not a “Get Rich Quick” Scheme.

Realistically, I know you can’t pay money to every single artist in your life…and pay rent and for food at the same time. Nobody is expecting you to. But maybe…

Pick one friend, and really invest in them. I can’t invest in all my creative friends, but I do have one that I invest in because I believe in where they are going enough and I want to help them get there. It’s worth it for me, and it’s worth it for them.

Or maybe put aside a certain amount of money each month donate 1, 3, 5, or 10 dollars to however many artists fit in that amount you’ve set aside. It’s not a lot, and you won’t miss it, but you’re sending such a powerful message to your creative friend that you support what they’re doing….and if they get multiple friends that are doing that, those donations can definitely add up to something!

See Them Live!

What’s the one thing that you can give that’s more valuable then your money?

Your time.

Every artist really wants the same thing. For the people they love to see them and say, “I’m proud of you and I think you’re doing really cool stuff!” And nothing beats the feeling of having a show, an exhibit, or whatever, and having one of your friends or family members come up to you, point blank, and say “This was awesome!”

Taylor Swift has her mom and other people who have been with her since day one who showed up to the little shows, the cheap shows, the BAD shows and gave her the support she needed to get to the next step in her career. You can go support her at her concerts, which is great…but trust me, some other creative in your life needs your support way more then she does.

In addition to emotional support of having friends and family care about what you do…It also makes us look REALLY GOOD to the people we are working for when we can bring a crowd. At the stage I am in with comedy, I cannot get to the next level of where I want to go until I am bringing a crowd to shows…At some point, the big business of entertainment doesn’t care how good, funny, creative, or talented you are…they just care about how many people will come see you.

So please remember that the next time your friend asks you if you want to come see them at a big show. Now only can your support help them feel better, it could help them get more work. A reminder, Sabrina Carpenter doesn’t need you to come to her show for her to get more work.

And also just know that we creatives get it. You have a busy life, you have a family, you have work. There are lots of things demanding your time, and so much of it is honestly more important then coming to our shows. When we ask, we understand that.

We understand that YOUR life doesn’t revolve around US! That being said, if you’re wanting to know how you can support your artistic and creative friends…I just gave you several good ideas!

But Drew, how can we support YOU!?!

I am so glad you asked! (Or I asked for you)

Let me share a few practical ways that you can help me out. First, I’ll be blunt and say if you want to become a sponsor for my podcast and become part of The Quarter Mile Podcast Family that is maybe the best way you can help me out! You can give $1, $3, $5, or $10 dollars a month to support my podcast, and that money will go into me getting new equipment and being able to do what I do better.

Or, if you’d just like to give a one time donation, I’ll share my venmo information too. If you are like “Drew I want to give to you but I don’t want to use Venmo”, contact me and we’ll figure something out!

Also, below I’ll share the link to my link tree (which has all the links for my social media) Every follower, YouTube subscriber, friend, and all the other things makes me more marketable to folks that are interested in booking me. Also, by following any of my pages you can keep up with when I am performing in your area!

Thank you in advance, and I appreciate all of you!

What other ideas of how to support creatives and artists do you have? Feel free to share below or if you are a creative please share a story about how someone has supported you. Thanks as always for reading this blog!

Until next time!