How Creative Support Networks Can Improve Well-Being
- Adilla
- Nov 14, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 8
In its nature, creative work can be isolating. Each part of a creative project also has its own specialisation and skills that don’t typically mix with other creative skills.
For example, in an animation project, each process of an episode is separated and segregated into different sections to prevent dependencies that could jeopardise the flow of the project. Hence, isolating each part of the project from different creatives from one another.
This isolation could lead to feelings of self-doubt, which is unfortunately a common trait among creatives. Where they tend to seek perfection and compare their abilities to those of other creatives.
Thus, this leads to why a support network is essential for creative well-being.
Table of Contents
Definition of Support Network
By definition, a support network is a group of people, whether informal or formal, that gives a person emotional or practical support or both. The reason why there are different support networks is that each provides different ways to help, and depending on your needs, informal help might be more suitable or vice versa.
To specify, formal support networks are professionally trained and typically paid service providers that assist individuals and groups, like doctors, therapists, social workers and nurses.
Meanwhile, informal supports are people who give care or comfort by choice and are not legally or financially paid to do so.
How Strong Support Can Help Boost Productivity
Research indicates that individuals with a support network have a positive impact on their overall well-being and job performance. However, creatives’ support network does more than just that, and with the isolating nature of creative projects, a supportive social network is essential.
Social and Personal Development
When you have a creative community to fall back on, the isolating feeling from your creative work will feel less so. Connecting with like-minded people in a shared creative space fosters a sense of community, creating a supportive environment that helps develop both personal and social skills.
This strengthens your willingness for open communication, sharing ideas and providing constructive feedback.
Spark Inspiration and Ideas
With a creative community, throwing ideas and inspiration with one another comes naturally. Not only will you see perspectives you’ve never thought to consider, but you will also learn new ways to approach ideas.
Thus, this encourages creatives to approach challenges in their work, boosting their productivity.
Increase Confidence for Improvement
A support network boosts your confidence in your creative work, and the feedback you receive from the people you trust and know is more likely to help steer you in the creative direction you want to go.
Hence, encouraging your productivity at work involves a willingness to take risks and seize opportunities.
5 Steps to Build a Supportive Network
Finding a creative community that would fit you can be challenging. However, by seeking like-minded individuals, forming ‘your people’ can be effortless.
Step 1: Socialise Curiously
For most creatives, socialising is hard. But passion overrides the fear, shyness or the feeling of not wanting to be perceived.
For example, when you go to an art fair, you would be in awe of the artwork that’s displayed there. If you were given the opportunity to speak with the person who created the artwork, would you?
Your passion for art and the curiosity of the thought process behind the art would override the social fear when you’re in a crowded setting. So, if you want to build your creative community, go to gatherings that match your interests, and you might find an unlikely friend.
Step 2: Build Trust
When you do have your own community, trust can be built by encouraging ideas during sharing sessions. Rather than thinking with logic, ideas can be worked around or refined through suggestions and alternatives. Careful not to dismiss others' ideas as you do.
Step 3: Share Your Struggles
If you’re struggling with a creative block or worse, a creative burnout, share with your community. The feeling of wanting a community to fall back on can start with you.
By being the starting point for the rest of your creatives to follow, slowly it will become the support network you want it to be.
Step 4: Seek Opportunities to Work Together
Collaborating with your fellow creatives will build a stronger network. It fosters a chance to connect and explore each other’s ideas and develop something that you would be proud of together.
If working directly is too much for you, consider doing a creative work where you can pass it to each other and add on their creative take as they receive it. For example, if your creative community is more towards visual art, try passing different processes of creating art to one another.
When sketching out your work, pass it to your friend to do their own take on how the line art would be and then pass it on to another friend for their take on colouring it. This way, everyone has an opportunity to showcase their skills while being able to collaborate indirectly.
Step 5: Participate in Creative Spaces
There are a variety of creative events and spaces that you and your creative community can take part in. In a way, it fosters a natural way of building friendship and new creative ideas as you take part in them. With consistent gatherings with your creative community, your support network will only grow in time.
Key Takeaways
By having a support network, you will learn to cope better when struggling with issues, especially in a community with similar creative fields.
Seeking support and help shouldn’t be a last resort either, as with the consistency of a supportive community, it will prevent you from facing issues like burnout.
If you’re unsure where to start to seek your own creative community, we have our own community who are passionate about art and creativity and aware of the importance of mental wellness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why does creativity boost productivity?
Creativity boosts productivity by enhancing focus and motivation, which is the psychological effect of fostering a space for innovation and problem-solving. Thus, making work more engaging and fulfilling.
What are other ways to boost productivity?
Other ways to boost productivity are by utilising apps catered for it. By learning how to implement apps for your tasks to improve productivity, you will also prevent burnout in the long run.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything, from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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