Artist Support Networks: Implications for Future Creativity Support Tools

Abstract

The artist as a solitary genius does not reflect the reality of art-making. To enable art-making, artists are supported by many other people—subcontractors, collaborators, etc.—who collectively form an Artist’s Support Network. Through an interview of 14 artists, we map the space of relationship types, provided support, interactions, failures, and successes of human support relationships. Moreover, we identified the patterns by which these aspects relate to each other in different support relationships. As technologically-driven Creativity Support Tools (CSTs) emerge to augment and automate portions of the artist’s support network, the detail of these interactions becomes critical. Existing sites of collaboration in support networks invariably shape artists’ expectations. How a CST fits within existing interaction expectations will shape the design, the artist’s understanding, and ultimately, acceptance. With this lens, we reflect on how a CST’s design–and in particular, those support collaboration and AI-driven variants–will mesh with the artist’s support network.

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