Part 3: Communicate with Creative Constraints
This is Part 3 in my 3-part Series: How to Create Arts & Health Partnerships. Read Part 1 here, and Part 2 here!
If you’ve landed on this page, you’re probably an artist, creative, or changemaker who KNOWS that your work supports well-being. You want to grow that work so it can help even more people, but you’re not sure how. Who do you talk to? How do you make partnerships? How do you get them interested?
This blog series gives you three big HOWs so you can grow your work. They’re really 3 “superpowers” for creating partnerships, and we’re on #3:
Communicate with Creative Constraints
Okay, many of you feel like you’re great at imagining new partnerships and all the good you could be doing together. You’re nailing it.
But when it comes to actually initiating contact with potential partners? CUE ANXIETY. “What do I even say? And how do I say it? Where do I start?”
If this is you, you’re not alone. MANY artists and creatives get stressed when it comes to communicating with new would-be partners (WBPs).
And I have good news: The Communication Stress you feel isn’t just the anxiety that comes from doing something new. Instead, Communication Stress happens because you don’t have any creative constraints. And we can fix that!
Creative constraints??
YES. Go with me here: Most artists won’t face a blank page or canvas without some kind of prompt or topic. Many of us even experiment with limiting our tools, time, or space. (Ever taken on challenges like these?→ “write a 1-minute song,” “tell a story in 200 words,” “paint a scene with only 1 brush”).
These are all “creative constraints.” Artists use them because when we have too many options, our creativity shuts down and we freeze up. It seems counterintuitive, but when we give ourselves limitations, we actually take more action.
The same idea applies when you’re communicating with potential collaborators. If you just ask, “What do I say to people? How do I say it?” …you’ll feel like a writer staring at a blank page and asking, “What should I write?” It’s too wide-open. You’re going to freeze up.
So to get you moving toward communication (to get you taking action toward those would-be partnerships!), we have to dial down your stress, and dial up your creativity. And that means giving you creative constraints.
I’m dropping 4 valuable constraints here. Using them won’t take away ALL the anxiety that comes with trying new things… but you won’t feel stuck and directionless. You’ll take action.
Ready? Read on:
Constraint #1: STOP TRYING TO SAY EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE
This is one of the most common communication mistakes – and it’s probably causing most of your stress. Some signs you’re making it:
☐ You try to pack EVERY SINGLE benefit of your program/work into EVERY report, presentation, publicity opportunity, etc.
☐ You’re sharing basically the same information with everyone
☐ You think of communication in really general terms (like trying to “raise awareness” or “reach everyone”)
☐ You’re more aware of what you want to say than of how it might sound to your listener/reader
If you checked any of these boxes, here’s a quick way to dial down stress: Stop trying to say everything to everyone.
Instead, WHAT and HOW you communicate should always be determined in part by WHO you’re communicating with. You want to ask:
Who’s my intended, priority audience right now?
What do they value, and what are their goals? (see Superpower #1)
How can I help them reach those goals? (Be very specific!)
What do they need to learn (what do I need to tell them) in order to agree that I can help them?
That may seem like a lot to think about, but this kind of specificity is your new best friend.
Why? Because it takes the big, abstract, messy task of “communicating” and breaks it down into a straightforward, step-by-step process you can run through for every would-be partner (WBP). That's the magic of creative constraints.
When you customize your communication, you can aim your creative energy at a clear task. You get to work, and get results.
Constraint #2: Get Clear on What You Offer…to YOUR WOUld-be partner (WBP).
Now that you’re ready to customize your communication for each WBP, what’s the message you’re customizing?
Well if you’re trying to create a partnership, your message is the value of what you do, for the person or group you’re communicating with.
❌ Not the general value of what you do.
❌ Not the value to certain participants or customers.
❌ Not merely your mission or vision statements.
✅ You want to home in on the value you offer to the person or group you’re directly communicating with. Share how your offerings pair up with their needs.
When communicating about the value you offer, get as specific and concrete as you can: How and why is what you do beneficial to the person you’re communicating with? In what specific ways?
Hot Tip: If your answers to these questions could apply to a bunch of other organizations or services, keep brainstorming. For example, if you answered, “We help people feel better” or “We contribute to a greater quality of life” …that may be true, but the same could be said of a nutritionist, therapist, stylist, clinic, drug company, dog sitting service… In other words, it’s too general.
So what do you do, specifically? And why will it matter to the particular person or group you’re communicating with at the moment? What is your value to them? As I tell clients: “Get as specific as you can. Then get more specific.”
This week’s workbook helps you drill down to specifics! Grab it here.
Constraint #3: MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE
Once you’ve figured out specific, concrete ways you can help your WBPs reach their goals, it’s time to craft a message about it. I can’t offer a whole how-to here about messaging, but I CAN offer a big creative constraint: Meet them where they are.
Creating new partnerships means reaching out to people in different sectors, disciplines, or industries. This means they’re often going to have different backgrounds, priorities, and perceptions than you. If you don’t take this into consideration when you communicate, your message isn’t going to get through. You have to meet your WBPs where they are.
There are MANY ways to do this!, but a quick start is use language they “get.” Think about the terms, stories, and even formats your WBP is used to… and use those. (Don’t know what they are? Do some quick research!)
You might also imagine what it’s like to be your WBP, going about their day-to-day life and then encountering a message from you. How can you craft that message so it’ll make sense to them in the context of their world and priorities? (See Superpower #1.)
Think of this as translating across differences, or making yourself “legible” to people who aren’t used to you or your work. You can get creative!, but you want to start from what they recognize—and bring them with you. Meet them where they are.
Constraint #4: ZOOM OUT, BASED ON CLEAR GOALS
Sometimes creatives worry about Constraints #1-3. When they do, it’s almost always because they’ve given themselves a constraint I don’t recommend: They’re only communicating with a few groups (or even just one!).
I know, I know. We’re talking constraints, and now I’m suggesting you need MULTIPLE collaborators?? Yes! But hear me out:
Imagine that the only thing you ever publish about your work is an annual report for a funder. If that’s your only publication and only “audience,” then you’re going to feel compelled to squeeze EVERYTHING about your program into that one report. After all, it’s your one chance to tell your story!
So when you hear me talk creative constraints, you might worry that customizing your report for that one partner will mean you never get to tell your full story. But the solution is NOT to keep dumping everything into a single report! The solution is to zoom out and link your goals with new WBPs.
Rather than relying on a single partner to help you reach ALL your goals, collaborate with the various folx your work is relevant to. Ask: What all am I aiming to do? And who can help me do it?
Quick example: Project Uncaged is a trauma-informed creative writing program for incarcerated girls. Its most obvious goal is to support girls’ wellbeing while they’re incarcerated. But our broader goal is to help girls influence the systems, policies, and decisions that affect their lives. That’s a big goal!, so we’ve had a LOT of partners helping us. How did decide who to contact?
First, we got VERY clear on our goal (increasing girls’ influence), and broke the program down into the different facets that help reach that goal. Then we brainstormed who’d want or need to hear about each of those facets.
Young folx writing poetry? Book publishers, bookstores, local press. Justice-involved youth sharing about their lives? Mayors, city councils, legislators, advocacy groups, local press. New creative writing from under-heard voices? Professors of creative writing, women’s studies, and youth development, as well as book publishers, advocacy groups, and orgs that celebrate youth arts. Girls sharing specific insights and opinions about the justice system or local resources? Policymakers, judges, researchers, advocacy groups, local press. Of course, all of these overlap a lot!
This isn’t a formal list from our work, but it gives you an idea of how communicating with multiple “partners” helps us reach our goals. And bonus: we never feel like our message is squashed, because every facet of our program is seen and heard by someone.
The takeaway: If you’re worried that creative constraints will constrain you too much, it’s time to zoom out. Never limit yourself to one partner or one chance to tell your story. Don’t keep yourself small.
What new audiences could help you reach your goals?
If you believed you could reach more WBPs, what new goals might you set?
NEW WORKBOOK ALERT! To truly get clarity and take action toward communication, you have to apply these 4 constraints to your specific situation. To help you do that, I’m breaking one of my own rules and sharing parts of a communication workbook I provide to clients… I know y’all need it! Grab the new free workbook to help you 1) stop trying to say everything to everyone, 2) get clear on what you offer, 3) meet WBPs where they are, and 4) zoom out. Don’t miss this one!
Wrapping Up
Ok quick review. If you want to grow your work by making new partnerships, you have to find out what your would-be partners value (Superpower #1), embrace imperfect partnerships (Superpower #2), and communicate with creative constraints (Superpower #3).
Creative constraints help you back away from the abyss of endless options. They’re your path to action!
❌ No Constraints: “I have to ‘spread the word!’”
✅ Constraints: “My goal is to connect with ‘Audience X,’ whose goals are Y and Z, and whom I can help because I offer A, B, and C.”
Did you just sigh with relief at how simple that got? I know. The magic of constraints.
And now here we are, y’all. This series has shared 3 Superpowers to help you create new partnerships between arts and other sectors.
Each post in this series comes with its own free workbook! Be sure to get your copy.
As a creative, you’re wired to think outside the box. You can use that talent to imagine new connections that grow your work and reach new goals! And now you have new powers to move you forward.
Use them fiercely and wisely, my friends. Can’t wait to hear what you create!
PS. If you need help with a partnership (figuring out what they value, finding common ground) ...or if you want to bring a communications or arts+health talk to your org or community, book a 1:1 call or check out the workshops page here.