Honoring Artists: Ethical Sharing in Creative Communities

Send us a text

Ever wondered how artists can honor each other's work while still sharing techniques with new audiences? Dive deep into the transformative power of ethical collaboration as we explore what happens when creators support each other with integrity and purpose.

Through my recent partnerships with artists like Natasha Smart and Ali Kay, I've witnessed firsthand how respectful collaboration creates ripple effects throughout the creative community. When Natasha graciously allowed me to teach her wet felting techniques in my U.S. studio, every student received her book and joined her private Facebook group—ensuring her work reached new admirers while maintaining her connection to the process. Similarly, Ali’s Fresh Paint approach has empowered countless beginners to discover their artistic voice, inspiring me to develop simplified techniques that make painting accessible to younger students without expensive materials.

These partnerships reveal an often-overlooked truth: ethical collaboration strengthens the entire creative ecosystem. By recommending original artists' preferred suppliers, maintaining memberships in their groups, and properly crediting their influence, we support multiple small businesses while honoring creative origins. The real magic happens when someone learns something they never thought possible—watching that transformation is why I'm planning a multi-day creative retreat next year in Ohio, bringing together diverse artists to share their unique perspectives in person. Whether you're into wet felting, fiber arts, painting, or sculpture, there's something incredibly powerful about learning directly from passionate creators who want to see you succeed.

Ready to explore collaboration in your own creative practice? Reach out to artists you admire, maintain transparency about your intentions, and find ways to ensure they're properly compensated for their knowledge. Follow along on social media or visit Brewtifully.com to see our upcoming classes, including more wet felting in October and our new after-school programs. Whatever your creative journey, remember that meaningful partnerships can open doors you never imagined possible!

Support the show

Catch the doodles on YouTube

My socials:
Sign up for my monthly newsletter
Portfolio website: Brewtifully.com
Instagram: /Brewtifully
Facebook: /brewtifully
TikTok: GettingSmallwithGrandma
LinkedIn: Tracy Dawn Brewer

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:06):
Hello everyone, welcome back to Brutally Made.
I am in the studio here andanother part of my mural in the
celebration room you can seebehind me, and just wanted to
say hello and talk a little bitabout collaborating.
I love working with otherartists and just finished up a

(00:32):
series of lessons based onNatasha Smart her beautiful, wet
felting on a ball class andwhen I saw the book was
available and she's in the UK, Ireached out to her to ask if I
could, you know, share her work,get a book for every student

(00:56):
work with the suppliers that sheuses to offer these in the
studio here in the United States, and she said yes.
She said to add all of thestudents into the private group
that she has on Facebook, and soI really want to thank her for
allowing me to collaborate thatway.
Part of that lesson is you geta copy of her book.

(01:21):
I always want to make sure thatthat, going back to her,
because she was so graciousenough to allow us to do that
here and practice that beautifulmethod, and I just love how
artists open up their heart andlet other people work along with

(01:42):
them in ways that makes whatthey do accessible and sharing.
Another person, allie Kay, whoI've done lessons with remotely.
Everything's been online.
She has her Fresh Paint groupand she is very open to hey, I'm
going to show you how to dothis and you can, you know,

(02:03):
paint it in your your way,following my directions.
Show you how to do this and youcan paint it in your way,
following my directions.
If you sell it, you sell it.
Another approach to the artworld that is unexpected and
that opened the door for a lotof people sharing their
paintings for the first time andthey're always talking about
that in the private group how itjust broadened their horizon

(02:28):
and they're entering contests orthey're entering galleries with
their work based on her style.
And I've developed a real quicklittle painting technique based
on what I've learned from her,allowing any age to paint very
loosely and freely.
We don't do any paint mixing.
That's a science that may be alittle intimidating to a younger

(02:52):
crowd.
So I keep it with even craftpaints.
We don't even use the reallynice expensive acrylics.
So a different spin on ittotally, but still using those
broad strokes, layers, lots ofcomplementary colors and having
fun and bringing that back intokind of like your art practice,

(03:14):
and so just keeping that openmind if you are sharing
something that you're doing andtry your method and share it
where they live.
Consider that because it is.

(03:36):
It's just like life-changing tosomeone when they learn
something that they didn't thinkthat they could do.
And I think that it's wonderfulto have that open, the openness
and the willingness to to dothat.
And so I'm in Allie's FreshPaint.
You know I support her by beingpart of that group, so I think

(04:00):
that that is something reallyimportant to me when I continue
to.
You know I don't really paintany of the projects that she
shares, but I still am part ofthe group and Natasha's work I
you work.
Like I said, I purchased herbooks.
I really wish I could get themsigned.
I know I could order them.

(04:20):
I don't even know if I'd beable to get them from the UK now
with everything going on, butyeah, it'd be really great if
they were signed.
But I'm not, I'm just gettingthem direct to get them into the
student's hands.
And then Living Felt is thesupplier she suggested to use
here in the States and so boughtall kinds of supplies from them

(04:41):
and supporting their company bysharing that work as well.
So it really has a trickle downeffect to other small businesses
and I think that that's reallyimportant to keep in mind how
that community can broaden justby one person's willingness to

(05:01):
share what they do and allowingsomeone to you know, continue
sharing that kind of in a waythat honors what they do and
still supports them as well.
You know, this is not at alllike wanting to tell you that
you see something that you likeand you're just going to do it
on your own and not, you know,compensate that original artist.

(05:26):
Don't do that.
That's not what I'm saying atall.
You know.
I'm wanting to make it veryclear that you know you include,
you get permission, they knowthat you're doing those things
you share.
Transparency is very important,so but yeah, consider that If
there is someone that you admire, someone that's doing something

(05:48):
that you would love to contactthem about, opening the door to
doing that practice where you'reat, because maybe they're not
local reach out and ask and ifit works out to where it is that
you're teaching that method ormaybe you're crediting them, I

(06:08):
would love to arrange some sortof creative retreat and having
all of these different wonderfulartists here teaching them in
person.
That's a dream of mine and thenext year a goal of mine is to
hold a multi-day event to havepeople come in and showcase what

(06:28):
they do and people attend andthere's beautiful places around
here to stay and just make it abig creative event here in my
community.
I think that that's reallyimportant and I hope to do that
soon.
It's a beautiful destination.
There's a lot that we can offerhere in Ohio and I want to

(06:48):
showcase it for sure.
So I just wanted to talk alittle bit about the
collaboration and check out mysocial media posts, where we
made our wet felting bowls andvases, and we do have another
class in October and people aregetting excited.
So, and I can't wait to do morefelting, I have some other

(07:09):
projects that we're going to do,and then we have a fiber arts
guild and they're working on apainting with fiber class that I
think will be fun.
And again, in this studio we doall kinds of things, from
painting to fiber arts, totrying different sculpting and
more.
So it's very it's full ofexploration.

(07:31):
That's important to me.
It's not just one thing, it'sall kinds of things.
So people, can you know, enjoybeing creative in multiple ways
and there are a lot of beautifulpeople out there in the world
that do a lot of great thingsand include them in your plans,
make them part of yourcurriculum, reach out to them,

(07:52):
tell them you admire them, tellthem that you, you know, would
love their assistance, support.
How can you make sure thatthey're um equally compensated
and uh honored with uhnotification that you, you're
using their methods or orhowever you need to to word it,

(08:13):
but it's, you know, it'ssomething to help that community
and that networking grow.
So I hope you have a beautifulFriday and I cannot believe
we're heading into a new seasonhere soon and a new month.
Oh my gosh, it is coming fast.
So this year is flying by,flying by, but take care, and I

(08:36):
will talk to you again and Ican't wait to see what you do.
If you're having some uniqueclasses, let me know.
Um.
I share what we do all the timeon my social medias and on
Brutiflycom.
I always have my calendar upthere.
You can always see what we'redoing.
School's starting, so I haveprivate art lessons, I have
homeschooling lessons, we haveafter-school programs.

(08:58):
It's my first year doing thingslike that and I'm very excited
about them.
So take care, have fun.
Stay brutally made because youare here's a moment to be free.
Thanks for listening.
Talk to you later.
Bye.