The holidays are the perfect time to give back. But an often-overlooked group when giving back is our own creative community. Thankfully, there are so many ways to support our fellow creators, artists, and design hustlers. Given the last few years, we know how hard it has been on artists and small businesses—especially those within BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. If you’re looking for ways to support these creatives, read on!
- Buy and gift their work online
Social media has its downfalls, but it is often the primary way that artists of all kinds are able to promote themselves, their skills, and their businesses. Whether you’re looking for novelty blankets, handmade clothing, home decor, or unique toys, there are artists out there just waiting for you to purchase from them. Want to know where to find them? For visual artists, we recommend searching hashtags like #artistsofinstagram or your specific item (ex: #enamelpins) on Instagram to discover indie artists and their websites. We love places like Etsy if you’re looking for a hyper-specific item. There are also directories like buyfromablackwoman.org or Beyond Buckskin if you want to support a specific community of artists.
- Visit holiday pop-up shops and art fairs
Many artists take part in pop-up shops, street fairs, and holiday art fairs because they want to gain a better reach and find their audience (and neighbors) in an authentic way. Meet them halfway IRL and give them your money! A little-known fact is that artists pay to be a part of these art fairs—sometimes in the thousands. Do your part and, at the very least, commit to a little face time with the creators in your community. Looking for a local Christmas craft fair? Here's a good resource.
- Support small art supply and book businesses
Chances are high that your town has an indie bookseller and a small art supplier (Google it!). Why not give each of them a visit this season? Buy books, comics, greeting cards, gift wrap, and more from your bookseller so that they can keep their doors open and continue directly supporting authors and artists. Purchase gift cards, art kits, and more from your local art supplier. Skip the behemoths this year (and really, every year) if you want to ensure your dollar goes directly to the businesses in your community. Even better? Support black-owned local book stores.
- Support your creatives with licenses and subscriptions
If you’re a business that’s doing well and you value your creative teams, look into investing in their continued development. Now would be a great time to gift licenses for software like Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and Sketch for anyone who might like to take a break from their payments. If you’re not a business but are looking to support the creative person in your life, why not gift them a subscription to Skillshare and Masterclass, or specific classes on Udemy and Domestika? Online classes can sometimes be too expensive for creatives and you’d be supporting them with learning that lasts a lifetime.
- Hire artists you’ve never worked with before
With most businesses working remotely, you now have the ability to hire contract artists from around the globe. Why not take advantage of this time to work with unique artists anywhere? Search for them on Instagram, Dribbble, Behance, or Linkedin and reach out to them directly. Stay away from hiring on competitive talent sites like Fiverr or Upwork where creatives aren’t necessarily valued for their talent. Meet new artists, hire the ones you gel with and establish new relationships with these contractors in order to keep them in business.
And, hey, if you’re looking for talented creatives, we have our own directory you should check out.