When Community Correlates with Calling
As creatives, we are often reminded to collect our work, curate a portfolio and represent our talent and experiences in various ways. An interview is beyond a time of questions based on our resume and seeps into the realms of how we’ve used our experiences to grow in our talents.
But as creatives, it’s incredibly difficult to hone our talents while marketing ourselves and seeking new opportunities.
You might have an incredible portfolio or resume but feel stuck or lost in how to attract the right employers. Or, you might feel that you have talent and a desire to learn but feel stuck, not knowing how to start creating or building connections.
There will never be ‘just the right time,’ but you can always take steps to cultivate community and learn and grow.
As Christian creatives, it’s hard to know how to market yourself or services in ethical ways that first promotes the glory of God. We can look to social media, print mediums, or other ways to grow our network.
But there’s always a place to start.
Develop Your Calling & Confidence
To develop your calling and your confidence in it, ask friends and family what you’re good at or what skills they see you have or use in daily life. Pray about those skills and gifts, and ask the Lord if these are skills He is calling you to use and/or develop. Then, find people to learn from in those industries. LinkedIn is a great tool to find people in creative industries, who are interested in networking.
HubSpot Account Executive, Carl Ferreira, suggests connecting with marketing professionals you look up to, and then comment and like their posts. This is how you gain visibility and grow your network, as LinkedIn notices your activity and suggests connections similar to these people. When you connect with someone new, always write them a message to say thanks. This can be as simple as “Hi! Thanks for connecting. I’m passionate about writing, project management, and marketing for nonprofits, and I’m excited to join your network!”
Ferreira shared, “You will be pleasantly surprised at how many people God will put in front of you to help you!”
Look for Ways to Engage
Networking doesn’t have to be as intimidating as making a print ad or billboard for yourself and your services. It can be as simple as connecting with new marketing professionals on social media and LinkedIn, and the intentionality and purpose behind strategic partnerships!
Rebekah Viola, a Lancaster-based photographer, shares 3 tips to develop an Instagram strategy:
Think of ideal hashtags you use or want your ideal clients to use (and use them on your social posts!)
Go to the hashtags you use, click the “recent” tab, and engage on the posts that were posted most recently, which will allow quicker replies and engagement
Interact authentically with like-minded people, clients, or businesses. Like or comment on 3 of their most recent posts.
Rebecca Viola’s strategies develop the principles of continuing conversations and engaging with people who are already in your community. As a marketing professional, you already have a following or community around you - at your workplace, from your academic institution, and even family and friends.
Keep Humility at the Forefront
As you grow and learn, remember the importance of humility. It’s often difficult to navigate the balance between networking and building on your experiences, while remembering it’s God who you strive to glorify.
Peter reminds us, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever services, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies -- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11).
Peter goes on to say, “You who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility towards one another, for God ‘opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (2 Peter 5:5-6).
As you continue to grow and network and connect and learn, remember that it’s God who enables you to work. It’s God who has given you these specific gifts and talents, and He never lets a good gift go to waste. He is always working -- for His glory and for our good (Romans 8:28).
Whether you use your gifts to serve God through freelancing, through a position working for corporate America, through a local or international nonprofit, or through simply using your gifts for fun, God is using you.
You can engage with community and strive to network, continue to pursue the Lord and His calling. He who promised is faithful.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:23-25).
Focus on Your Identify in Christ
Your work reflects your identity. Your work is not your identity. Your work reflects who you are - a beloved daughter or son of God, the one true King. Your work is simply a means to reflect God in the gifts He has given you. You might ask, “how does this connect to building a resume or networking?” I’m glad you asked. Because every opportunity or experience you have is part of the journey that God has set before you - and as you network, it’s critical you remember to build on those experiences. God has called you for such a time as this.
Let your work reflect who you are - a beloved child of God. Let who you are reflect who you represent - a God who is love, who is truth, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
As the Psalmist wrote, I pray this is true of us all as we continue to create:
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices” (Psalm 16:7-9).
Keep working to connect with others and develop your skills as a Christ-focused creative.
