Mentoring relationships and skill-based apprenticeships in the arts are not a thing of the past. If you are an emerging artist or perhaps re-emerging (returning to the art you have set aside for a while), consider finding yourself a mentor to help you through your career transitions.
While finding the right mentor can take some time and is a whole different blog topic to cover. You can read more about that here! Once you have found your creative counterpart, here are some tips to get the most out of working with your mentor.
Keep in mind, your mentor may take the lead on your working relationship especially if they have mentored other creatives. This list, however, can help prepare you to be a diligent protegee and help get you on the right track to learn and absorb as much from your mentor as you can.
SHOW UP PREPARED
Have a plan and a focus each time you meet. The mentor relationship is about your growth and career, so be prepared to cover your progression:
- What have you worked on since you last met?
- What you do need from your mentor (feedback, resources, tips, encouragement, etc)?
Never show up to meet and work with your mentor unprepared. You are wasting your mentor’s time and also your own! Your mentor’s job is to work with you and your goals in mind, not to talk at you. If you find yourself unprepared, contact your mentor and be honest. Let them know you are unprepared and that you value their time. See if re-scheduling your mentoring session is an option.
Some mentors may request you to send an agenda beforehand. This is a helpful tool for both you and your mentor. First, it causes you to be prepared to meet, and second, it gives your mentor an opportunity to pull resources and to prepare themselves for your meeting too.
ASK QUESTIONS
Spend some time thinking about what you want to know and develop questions to ask your mentor. While, “where do you buy your clay?” may be technically helpful for bulk buying your stash, there are better, more critical questions you could ask that would help guide your career.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
If you and your mentor discussed a “homework” assignment, it’s expected that you make progress on that project. And if you have a change of direction, be able to speak to the change, the reasons behind that decision, and what you learned as a result of your discovery.
TAKE NOTES
You won’t be able to absorb and remember every insightful thing your mentor tells you. Don’t be shy about grabbing a notebook and pen, taking copious notes, pausing the conversation to jot something down, and asking your mentor to repeat what they just said. This relationship is to your benefit and you don’t want to miss something.
PUSH YOURSELF
You are in charge of your career and your growth, while your mentor can mirror back your progress and help get you where you want to go, the success of your mentoring relationship actually relies on you. Unless you push yourself to grow, you won’t bloom.
BE OPEN
Be open about every aspect of your mentoring. Share what you are looking for within your relationship in terms of length of time and what your creative needs are. Be open about what career directions you want to take and what your goals are. Be open to the suggestions and feedback of your mentor. And try the suggestions, projects, and resources your mentor makes, even if it’s something you normally wouldn’t try.
SUPPLEMENT SUPPORT
Your mentor will do everything in their power to assist and help you, but don’t be afraid to find additional help. While your mentor will be skilled in their media and certain business areas, every artist has strengths and weaknesses. Seek out areas where you and your mentor don’t have strengths so you can be sure to strengthen these career areas. Informational interviews and coffee dates with other industry people, attending workshops, consultations, classes, and conferences can be supplemental material to support your career.
AN OPPORTUNITY
What Art School Didn’t Teach You has a mentorship opportunity for artists, creatives, and small business owners who are ready to commit. More information can be found on the Mentorship Page. Take some time to review the opportunity and let’s schedule a call to see if this is a good fit.