Mentorship
This month, I was awarded a mentorship grant, and I'll be collaborating with an established artist whom I deeply admire. I'm incredibly thankful for this opportunity. Over the next year, I'll be meeting with her once a month to discuss my art practice, identify areas for improvement, and explore topics that will help advance my work in a positive direction.
What is Mentorship and How Does It Work?
Mentorship is a relationship where a more experienced individual supports someone with less experience. In this scenario, I am the one gaining experience.
Here are some key roles a mentor can play:
Provide Advice and Counsel: Offering guidance and insights based.
Share Expertise: Imparting specialized knowledge and skills.
Offer Encouragement: Supporting and motivating the mentee.
Foster Accountability: Helping the mentee stay focused and on track.
Supply Resources: Providing tools and information relevant to the mentee’s growth.
Answer Questions: Addressing questions and concerns that may come up.
Build Confidence: Helping the mentee develop self-assurance in their abilities.
This is just a partial list, but it gives you an idea of the purpose of mentorship. As a mentee, I am committed to engaging fully in this process, which will allow me to grow as an artist. The mentor-mentee relationship is build on connection, communication, and collaboration.
But mentorship is not just for artists. The process has long been used in businesses, organizations, and personal relationships. When we talk about mentorship, we are referring to a structured process, but look at those descriptors. If I think of mentorship, not as a formal process, but as a relationship between people, I can see so many mentors in my life.
There are people in my life I turn to for so many things that are listed above. I’m not thinking of one person who does everything, but many people in my life I turn to for support, direction, and expertise. I am grateful to each and every one of these people who are such a positive influence in my life.
Who are the mentors in your life?
Artully,