I’ll be completely honest. I have to force myself to get out and network. That will surprise some of the people who know me best, but like a lot of creative people, I am a loner by nature. I am my own best friend. But flying solo will get you only so far. You need several co-pilots to help you reach new heights in your career. It is so much harder and takes much longer if you try to go it alone in creative careers. It is a myth that if you do good work you will be discovered. You need the help of influential people. Certainly I would prefer to hide out and write all day. But so many of the breaks I have had come from networking that I decided a long time ago to do a little ‘reach out and touch someone’ every day an hour or so.  The time you invest in networking will pay off tenfold. Force yourself to make the time. At the very least get out and talk to other creative people. They can point you in the right direction or provide leads you never would have know about otherwise.

Treat your friends like gold. They are ‘money’. Stay in touch. Be there for them.  It is called long term loyalty. Find friends that encourage you, that cause you to stretch what you think you can do – get you out of your comfort zone. Keep in mind, the goal isn’t to see how any people you can contact but to connect with key people and develop a relationship that over time will benefit you both. Another consideration is to consolidate all of your efforts on getting to know a few key people in your industry (and the media) who have a large network of their own.  People like to work with people who not only do good work, but whom they know and like (and trust).

It is not how many people you know, but knowing the right people, or at least people who know the right people. Get outside your comfort zone. Reach out and try to meet and befriend people who are major players in your field. You may be surprised by how much you have in common, how easy it is to reach these people and how willing many ‘celebrities’ are to help up – and – comers.

Do research into who can help you. Make a list (or mind map) of people you want to meet. Look at the list and ask yourself ‘What do I have to offer them?’ How can I be of service to them? Not only people who are already successful but also talented people you can help make successful. Play a game similar to ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ and think of who you know who know these people. Then use your creativity to find ways to get to these people. Make it a game, treat it seriously, like a creative project. Set specific goals. Do you want to expand your business? Increase your visibility? Have more respect and power? More work? Get better work? It is also a mind-set.