As a creative, joining or being part of a creative community goes a long way in your creative journey, it helps you grow, network, create, learn, and become a disruptive thinker taking your creativity to another level where you can be internationally recognized.
Every creative needs an environment to harness their creative skills, in different ways without limitation both in their mental space, physical space, material space, etc. These communities are created to help them spot their core gift and areas which they function and can perform maximally. They also help them discover their creative expression. One very huge advantage of these communities is that they help to curb social vices which mostly calls the attention of creatives, leaving their talent space empty and unexplored.
However, there are copious creative communities for all creative genre be it photography, art painting, creative writing, poetry, fashion, etc.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE CREATIVE COMMUNITIES YOU CAN JOIN
Kuta Art Foundation: This foundation encompasses all genres of art. Located in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, the foundation is a non profitable organization that creates an enabling environment for artists and other creatives to showcase and improve their talents, exhibit and promote their works and ultimately impact their community by speaking through art. This community uses her creative space to help creatives in general grow, explore and put them on the creative industry map most of which her creatives have exhibited in top-notch galleries and exhibition centers around the world. http://@kutanigeria
Nubuke Foundation: A Contemporary Art and Culture Institution based in Accra and Wa, Ghana, it serves as a nexus for arts and culture across the country while supporting the artistic practice of Ghanaians: young, mid-career and experienced. They work to make the appreciation of art, culture, heritage and history accessible to all. The artistic programming includes exhibitions, readings, talks, film screenings, performances, seminars and workshops for the culturally curious. http://nubuke_foundation
Lagos Photo: Launched in 2010, LagosPhoto is the first international arts festival of photography in Nigeria. In a month-long festival, events included exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations, discussions, and large scale outdoor prints displayed throughout the city with the aim of reclaiming public spaces and engaging the general public with multifaceted stories of Africa. LagosPhoto aims to establish a community for contemporary photography which will unite local and international artists through images that encapsulate individual experiences and identities from across all of Africa. LagosPhoto presents and educates about photography as it is embodied in the exploration of historical and contemporary issues, the sharing of cultural practices, and the promotion of social programmes. http://lagosphotofestival
Native Photography Foundation: While the journalism and documentary industry struggle with issues of diversity and representation, Native wants to change visual journalism to be representative of diverse talent from across the globe. We connect emerging journalists, documentary makers and visual storytellers from underrepresented regions and communities with major publications and introduce them to a global audience. Our core activity is the organization of regional festivals and workshops geared towards informing and nurturing photographers, helping them navigate the documentary industry and build a collective community. They led an additional two-year mentorship programme organized with Everyday Projects. Their goal is to help change the industry and transform it into one that better reflects the diversity of the world as well as the people whose stories they document. http://nativephotography
