Going it alone is easier. There’s less coordination, fewer decisions to negotiate, and no one else’s timeline to work around.
That’s exactly why it’s our default.
But in this episode, I make a clear case: the lone-artist habit keeps you small.
After decades of studying artists whose shows sell out, whose reach keeps growing, and whose work accumulates meaning over time, I’ve noticed a pattern. These artists almost never go it alone. They don’t just accept collaboration when it falls into their lap, they seek it out. They look at a project and ask: Who else belongs in this story?
Who else
belongs in this story?
That question is a habit you can start building. And it’s one that changes the scale of what’s possible.
Why collaboration is worth the effort
The practical reasons alone are compelling. When you collaborate, you’re not carrying everything alone. You have real people to brainstorm with. There’s built-in accountability, because others are depending on you to follow through.
Every collaborator also brings an existing audience. Cross-pollination of mailing lists, networks, and attention is something you can’t manufacture on your own — no matter how large your following already is.
But perhaps the most important reason goes beyond logistics.
When you’re seen working with other artists, you become part of a larger dialogue. Curators, gallerists, and collectors find it easier to place your work in context. Their shows capture what’s happening at a given moment in time. Work that speaks to other work gets noticed.
What it actually looks like
Here are two examples from the archives that show how far this thinking can go.
Both artists prove that when you open your process, your art stops being just an object. It becomes a living experience.
Sculptor and installation artist Jill Powers (episode 27) builds entire collaborative ecosystems around her environmental themes.
For a show on ocean ecology in landlocked Colorado, she partnered with chefs and mixologists to create seaweed menus and signature cocktails, ultimately raising money for a youth-led marine conservation group and landing major coverage in the Denver Post.
She also brought in a university geologist who led 60 people on a hike to find ancient seashells embedded in Colorado rocks.
Jill’s work and approach to sharing it blur the line between art and the rest of the world.
Marilyn Artus (episode 30) created a nationwide collaboration titled Her Flag to mark the 100th anniversary of women earning the right to vote.
She partnered with 36 women artists — one from each state that originally ratified the 19th Amendment — intentionally mixing book illustrators, graphic designers, and fine artists. She insisted on paying every collaborator.
She turned the assembly itself into a live public event, sewing each state’s stripe of the enormous 18-by-26-foot flag alongside local poets, musicians, and historians.
What makes a collaboration work
The key is clarity before you start. And I mean real clarity, put in writing, even with friends. Especially with friends. Ambiguity and misguided expectations kill collaborations faster than almost anything.
Beyond that:
- Define roles and leadership upfront. Who is responsible for what.
- Make sure everyone is genuinely committed before you proceed. Don’t try to talk anyone into it.
- All sides have to see the benefit clearly.
- Acknowledge everyone who contributes, generously and repeatedly.
None of this means collaboration is easy. You won’t always get your way, miscommunication is real, and the pressure of knowing others are depending on you takes some getting used to. But that pressure is worth it with the right people and clarity in place. The creative, professional, and relational growth on the other side is real.
The reason you probably aren’t collaborating more is probably because you’re too busy going it alone. Being busy. Consider this your nudge.
Listen
Take a moment to think about your current work or an upcoming project.
Who could bring a new perspective, audience, or energy to it? Sit with that question before you decide your next step.
Alyson Stanfield Quotes
- “It’s key that your art drives what you do, who you collaborate with, where you show it.”
- “Working alone is just easier. There’s less mess, there’s less coordination, less communication, less negotiating.”
- “They look at their projects and ask, who else could be part of this? Who else belongs in this story?”
- “If you think about it, every time you show your art in public, you’re collaborating.”
- “When you are seen working with other artists, you become seen as part of a larger community of artists. You become part of the dialogue.”
- “The artists who stay small often aren’t making conscious decisions to stay small. You’re just defaulting to what’s easiest.”
- “Ambiguity kills collaborations and friendships faster than almost anything.”
- “Credit is not a finite resource. Share it generously and publicly acknowledge everyone who contributes.”
Related Episodes
More episodes featuring collaborations.
1 thought on “Why the lone artist mindset keeps you small (263)”
Turning the nuts and bolts of an artistic endeavor can result in a beautiful and enticing buffet of creativity.
As a gallery owner i’ve been the chef that’ stirs the pot of creativity and watches the eye catching results. occur.
Thanks for this opportunity to share and for the insightful and supportive discussion.