The Art of Conversation - Collaboration (Kyle, Sonya & Josiah)

When I work with other artists, I get different ideas from the group environment. Working with like-minded people and the back-and-forth of ideas means I am always learning new ways of thinking and working. Working collectively inspires my arts practice, triggering ideas I may never have had working alone. I particularly like the discussion that goes on in collective spaces, something that inspires and drives both my collective and personal work. I also believe you can learn new things by understanding the way others think and create. I love the mutual vibe you get when people get together and create something in the same space. It isn’t like talking to a brick wall alone in a studio. Collaborative spaces are much more responsive environments. I even like the idea of taking somebody else’s image or idea and recreating it as my own, as a spinoff. The collective process really fuels my creative experience and outcomes.

When I first engaged with tbC, there was an instant feeling that I was part of something that was going to inspire me and progress my arts practice. I feel a deep sense of belonging and artistic validation when in the studio. I love that even when working alone, I am supported and inspired by group energy and empowerment. While tbC’s main focus is on collaborative artmaking and presentation, the model also nurtures individual artistic practices and ambitions. I enjoy the collaborative projects I am able to get involved in as much as I enjoy making solo work. In fact, I have come to understand that tbC’s collaborative environment significantly inspires my solo work. Without this empowering collaborative environment, I wouldn’t be nearly as productive.

Collective spaces help me feel like I belong somewhere. Sometimes when I work alone, I feel isolated and too alone with my thoughts. I feel like when I come together with others, I get these amazing ideas. Working in a team is creatively inspiring, and I want to be part of that. I also learn a lot and gain confidence and experience from watching and learning from others. Being part of tbC has meant that I am able to experiment fearlessly. The support is warm and nurturing, not overly competitive. I believe this not-overly-competitive environment is really important and, in its own special way, supports young artists to produce amazing collective outcomes. The space inspires artists to mutually support each other’s needs and expectations. Artists don’t want to disappoint others in the group. They have a natural desire to work for the good of the collective. Originally, I believed that working by myself was the best way to operate, but after recently working with people on different projects, I’ve discovered that I actually work better with others. I work harder and get inspiration from others which improves my own work. Collaborating with other artists creates a kind of echo chamber of innovation and new ideas. I have also come to think that the fastest and most efficient way to create and present a project is to have people who are really good at certain things handle those tasks. This optimises the workflow and gets things done. The reason I thought working by myself was best is that I assumed I needed full control and that working alone avoids miss-communication. However, now I have come to value the input of others as even more important.