The Art of Living in NYC as a Creative of Color

by Yolanda Stewart

There’s usually one place that comes to mind when most people think of a mecca for struggling artists. Its universal alias, ‘The Big Apple’, is the highlight of most films, where dreamy-eyed creatives migrate in relentless pursuit of their life-long passions.  

After all,  the motto is: If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, right?

If you really want to make it NYC, then hustle should not be the only motive. It’s really the drive that keeps starving artists from literally starving. 

To build credibility or an authentic following, the best thing to do in this city is to get out there and explore what it has to offer.  Not all of us are blessed with the fortunes of nepotism or magically have opportunities appear at our doorstep. Sometimes you have to meet your opportunity halfway, in order for it to find you. 

As a creative, I battle with self-promotion and building up the courage to attend events. Nonetheless, I still get out there and connect with other creatives. So far I’ve encountered the most success at attending social events including, networking events, workshops, art shows, dance classes, and game nights.  I often find these opportunities on my social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook. Also, having friends who host the events helps out too. I understand these options might not be an interest or the type of scene some creatives are into, but it’s possible to find like-minded individuals in the most unique places.

Event curators and artists are always posting events happening throughout the city. This is even more of a reason to slide in their DMs and ask about the events they’ve posted. Friends or not, don’t be afraid to go alone. It’s likely that fate might lead you to meet new friends or business partners. 

The important part of meeting creatives is staying in contact. Nothing is worse than walking away thinking damn, “I should’ve got their name and number.” Be sure to exchange social media handles or other means of contact, i.e, business cards, phone numbers, email, or website. You don’t want to come off as pushy, but it’s always good to express your interest in wanting to collaborate or support their brand and vice versa. This is something NYC creatives don’t shy away from, especially when they’ve invested time in getting to know about you and your brand. 

I’ve had the most success with finding events on Eventbrite, Time out, Instagram, and an app called WhatsTheMove. The internet is taking over the world, but traditional ways of finding events in the city without having to aimlessly scroll down your timeline in hopes of finding something that sparks your interest still exists.  

Neighborhood business

As convenient as it is to camp out for hours at one of the many Starbucks strategically placed on every-and I mean e-ver-y block in NYC, you should look into other options, such as local neighborhood coffee-shops, juice bars or bookstores to support. They love seeing fresh new faces. It’s likely you’ll meet interesting creatives like yourself. Practice self-promotion everywhere you go, no matter how uncomfortable and surreal it may feel when you mouth the words, ”Hi I’m ____, nice to meet you.” 

Side gigs

Side gigs are usually great ways to get your foot in the door while earning a paycheck.

Local community organizations in every borough, including after school programs, churches, and nonprofit youth centers are always looking for creatives willing to give back to the community by teaching students. Most of these programs are looking for musicians, dancers, writers, artists, graphic designers, etc. 

For example, I remember working at the Metropolitan Opera in the world-famous Lincoln center. I wasn’t and still am not a fan of opera. Among the aspiring opera singers, I was the odd one out of the bunch. Despite my disinterest in the genre, I admired my colleagues for aligning themselves in a position, which allowed them to build interpersonal connections at work and make time for auditions/ training. Every day, I saw their passion for opera grow and it made me think of just how much we complain about not being where we want to be, without realizing that sometimes exactly where we need to be in the moment to progress to our destiny.

NYC doesn’t promise to produce artists, but artists with promising visions and committed drive have the power to create their own buzz. And so much more.

Author Bio

Yolanda Stewart (Yolee) is a creative: content creator, freelance writer, and a dancer at heart, from the Bronx, NYC. As a writer, with aspirations to pursue journalism, she often draws inspiration from her cultural/familial roots, the experiences of black/brown people, pop culture, media, and her life experiences, which she expresses through poetry. Yolee plans to continue her work as a freelancer and content creator, her current project 1st Generationerz is an ongoing YouTube series which explores the lives of 1st Generation American born and/or raised young adults (to immigrant parents) discussing their challenges of self-identification with national and cultural ties.