The Creative
The Creative · № 09

Collaborated With Another Artist

Made a finished piece with another creator as a true partner, both contributing to direction and execution, neither just executing what the other handed down.

The idea

Collaboration's hardest move is killing your own idea for the partner's better one. Have your kid practice saying "yours is stronger, let's go with it" out loud before the session. Collaborators who can't do that produce two parallel pieces, not a real collaboration. The real test isn't whose name goes first. It's whether the finished thing is better than either of them would have made alone.

Steps
  1. Pick someone whose skills don't overlap yours.
  2. Set the deliverable and deadline before starting.
  3. Practice giving in. First time their idea is better, take it.
  4. Finish the piece together. Don't split it into halves.
What counts

A finished piece where both contributed to direction and execution. A photo of the finished work is plenty.