The A4C Origin Story

Art For Creatives started as an idea born out of frustration at having the same conversations over and over among creative friends at the end of 2022. The key takeaways of those conversations included three hard truths:

1. As professional or aspiring creatives who are used to scrappily creating our own opportunities, we inevitably lose time and energy trying—and failing—to do all the things, regardless of whether those things/goals have any real value or meaning to our individual aspirations.
2. Furthermore, the joy of creating freely which drives so many of us to try our hand at creative entrepreneurship in the first place inevitably evaporates under the relentless demands of Capitalism which encourages us to monetize our passions and commodify all our hobbies.
3. Many creative entrepreneurs feel alone in our struggles (and our celebrations).

These frustrations speak to some deeply unmet needs in local and wider society.

As a direct response to all of this, the initial shape of Art For Creatives was formed in early 2023; an organization committed to challenging the notion of what it means to be “creative” by creating spaces and opportunities for adult creatives of a variety of levels and aspirations to create, connect, and explore—without agenda. We hosted 9 events for (and in collaboration with) the Missoula community in 2023. Within the first few months of 2024, we hosted more events than we did in the previous 11 months.

After learning many lessons in our first official year of operation, we took a step back from hosting community events to evaluate the scope of our mission and better serve our community going forward.

Starting October 2024, we aim to serve professional and aspiring creatives by providing unique resources and opportunities to support creative and professional development within Montana’s rural communities—and beyond.

We believe creative development is community care.

So…What’s the plan?

Going forward, we will continue providing opportunities for professional and aspiring creatives to step into their power and unleash their creative potential. We plan to focus more on creating or curating products and resources, while still providing access to the periodic collaborative community events that were the core of our outreach from the start. 1-1 coaching and other collaborative offerings will expand our individualized or group support for creatives struggling with identifying or making progress to big goals, by providing clarity and accountability to identify their goals and achieve success on their terms.

Whether you’ve been to one (or every one) of our events, spread the word about our offerings to your friends, or simply been supporting us in spirit from afar, we are so grateful for your continued investment in the growth of this community.

Simply put, Art For Creatives would not exist without YOU. THANK YOU for helping make this community what it is, and for shaping the ways we will all continue to grow in the future.

What resources or opportunities would you like to see from us? How can we support your growth as a professional or aspiring creative? Leave a comment below.