The Introvert's Guide To Building A Creative Community

Networking is the worst. Especially if you’re an introvert. 

Unfortunately, if you’re a creative who makes stuff, it doesn’t ever go away. Everyone seems to agree on this fact – you “just have to do it”. As a friend of mine put it recently, “How else can you tell people about your stuff if you don’t figure out how to promote yourself?” 

Mmm-hmmm, that’s so true, so true, really good point. Also, I hate it a lot.

If you’re anything like me and glad-handing feels sleazy and overwhelming, there’s a trick I’ve found that helps some. (Okay, it’s not so much a ‘trick’, more like a whole mindset shift). And while technically it includes a very light dusting of something that looks similar to that good ol’ Dale Carnegie-style networking, it’s also a lot less creepy and awkward and painful. So what is this magical panacea? 

Building up a creative community of people I legitimately like and want to support, who also want to support me.

How did I build up this group of fantastic humans? Haphazardly and mostly by accident, to be honest, at least until the last couple of years when I’ve been trying to do it more intentionally. Which is why I wrote a free guide that’s, ahem, sort of written for other people and also sort of written for myself called The Introvert’s Guide To Building A Creative Community. It’s 27 pages and a series of checklists and templates about how to socialize and connect with fellow creatives without sinking neck-deep into that lonely cesspool we all call ‘Networking'.

What you get:

This is a 27-page PDF with checklists and templates about everything from how to prepare for going to events (things to remember to pull together beforehand, some things you can do after), examples of emails to send out to people you don't know, methods for clarifying your personal brand and how you can use that brand when submitting to competitions, how to say no to opportunities without being a jerk about it, and some basic guidelines for preparing for one-on-one general meetings. All written with a focus on how you can do them to build a stronger creative community.

Plus, by downloading this guide you'll also get my weekly free newsletter that links to other tools I've found (or made) for creatives, weekly coworking sessions, and rambling tangents about life as a creative for when you want to productively procrastinate. (Okay, semi-productively...). Hopefully useful and simple to opt-out of at any time.

About me:

Hi! I’m Toby. It’s great to meet you.

I’m a screenwriter and playwright living in Philadelphia and I’ve been working as a creative for over a decade. I write LGBT coming-of-age scripts about well-intentioned humanists figuring out what they value in a world that’s hard for them to navigate. My scripts have placed in Austin Film Festival, Screencraft, Script Pipeline, and Roadmap. For the last few years I’ve also been working as a coach and consultant helping others with accountability and their writing, and I have led various workshops along the way.

What other people have said about working with me:

“If you're looking for a script doctor, Toby certainly has those diagnostic chops, but more empowering to writers is the foundational approach he takes. Through a series of questions he will open up your script for you so you can get in there and see for yourself. A session with Toby gives you access to your own play that you didn't realize you were locked out of!”

–Sharon Black

“Toby offered me insights which were devoid of ego and keyed into the nature of my own voice… by posing questions that helped me to find my own way, encouraging me each step of the way.” 

–Jessica Kahler

“Toby has an extraordinary ability to listen actively, communicate effectively, and integrate diverse perspectives… he fosters a positive and productive collaborative environment, demonstrating a commitment to collective success and a genuine respect.”

–Veronica Reyes-How

“I have been fortunate enough to receive constructive feedback from Toby on multiple screenplays. His positive and supportive nature is contagious… If you’re thinking of Toby for your script feedback process, I would say do it!”

–Adrian Prospero

FAQ

This sounds great! And also maybe a little… overwhelming…

Yeah, I get that. Here's what I'd say – this guide isn't meant to be read straight through like it's a book. The checklists are something you can reread and reuse as they come up, and there's a Table of Contents to help you find whatever section is relevant to you right now. And if you save the PDF is some easy-to-find location on your computer (or print it out if you prefer the old-school method), it should be there when you need it.

I'm not an introvert – I actually like people. So it doesn't feel like this guide was written for me

I like people too! You're right that this is mainly intended for introverts, but that's only because if you're an extroverted person it's much more likely that you already naturally do a lot of the things that are recommended in this guide on your own. And just so we're all on the same page on our definitions:

Introverts like people (well, most people), we just often find that being around others gradually drains our energy. So we build up stores of energy by spending time alone and then when we go out into the world to interact with others the energy slowly seeps out of us, like a battery losing its charge.

Extroverts also like people (well, most people), and they often find that being around others gives them energy. So if introverts store up energy like a battery, extroverts are like a solar panel gathering up rays of energy simply by being around other people.

Hermits don't like people. They avoid others and often go off to live alone in a cabin in the woods. The battery analogy completely breaks down here. If you're a hermit who for some reasons wants to find a way to build up a creative community, that's the subject of a very different guide.

So that's all to say that if you're an introvert with limited energy to socialize with other creatives, this guide is for you – it's meant to help you find simpler methods for building up a stronger creative community. And if you're an extrovert with plenty of energy to socialize with other creatives, that's amazing – take a look at the guide, you still might pick up some tidbits that are useful. If you're a hermit living alone in the woods avoiding all human company... honestly I don't think this guide will help you much, but I'm thrilled you considered it.

If I download this guide and I don't like it, can I get a refund?

I... no? As I said above, it's free. At that point I think I'd just be giving you money, which doesn't sound quite right.

I have a question that's not here. What can I do?

Email me! Please reach out to me at toby@tobytieger.com – I'd love to hear from you.