Why you need an artistic mentor (That’s not AI)

I was going to write this blog just about the importance of mentors, but then I realized that these days, people are using AI as a type of mentor. At least, in the sense of providing inspiration (and content) and maybe, if the person is very clever and determined and very well trained in using AI, they might ask for feedback or clarification of an idea. But of course, this isn’t mentoring at all, and the AI is trained to make you feel good anyway, so if it does have anything critical to say, it’ll be couched in a flowery flop of flattery.

So let me start by saying, AI isn’t a mentor. If you read this article and think, “gosh, well I don’t know anyone like that but I can use ChatGPT!” then I’m sorry to say, you’ve missed the point.

Okay, with that disclaimer, let’s talk about mentors, and how utterly crucial they are in the growth of an artist.

What do I mean by artistic mentor?

Cambridge University defines mentor as “a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time.” When I talk about an artistic mentor, it’s someone who provides advice specifically about your artistic work, approach, or understanding of the field. An artistic mentor usually knows your work well and generally comes from the same field or medium. While it’s possible that a visual artist could be an artistic mentor for a performing artist, it would likely be a visual artist that works with theatricality or movement or some related theme in their work.

The “over a period of time” part is important as well – a mentor is not someone who once saw your performance and gave you feedback. It’s a longer relationship where you are able to work with their advice and continually return for further critique. A key element of mentors is that they aren’t “fans.” An artistic mentor may enjoy your work, but they provide critical feedback and guidance for how to keep improving. Some mentors may try to shape their mentees into proteges, but I would argue that those aren’t really mentors. An artistic mentor doesn’t have opinions – they just offer their perspective based on their experience.

But besides just offering critical feedback on your work (which, don’t get me wrong, is essential), they do more:

Mentors expand your thinking

It’s unavoidable: as an artist, you are influenced by the things you’ve seen in person, the teachers you’ve had and their styles, the kind of education you had, where you grew up, etc. Even if you try to solo dive into the world of YouTube or academic papers or books, it’s hard to know what you’re even looking at and how it fits with your own context.

Because of their experience, mentors are able to take what you already know and then expand it. They offer a perspective you might not have thought of, while still connecting it to what you already know.

When I was in South Korea, my mentor HeJin introduced me to a whole world of dance studies and an academic approach to choreography that I had never known about. She recommended a few different books that spoke about choreography in a whole new way, such as Exhausting Dance by Andre Lepecki, as well as books that spoke about movement, art, and the modern world such as The Radicant by Nicolas Bourriaud. I had never thought about dance and choreography in such ways, and, mixed with the feedback she gave on the works I was creating, it exploded my horizons in a way that never could have happened without her.

However, the thing about mentors is that, while they show you the way…

Mentors let you do it yourself

HeJin never did anything for me, nor volunteered. She sent me websites to look for jobs, and applications for festivals, and she’d look at the application after it was written if I asked. She sent me an audition notice. It was up to me to figure out what to do and how. Recently on a call with my mentor here in Dubai, James, he ran through what wasn’t clear about my latest Storytelling in Motion methodology document. He had nothing to say on what it should be, or how to fix it, but he was able to identify clearly what wasn’t working or wasn’t clear, offering advice on where to look for and what to read to fix it.

Working in the performing arts can be very confusing, and having someone point you in the right direction – or just in any direction – is absolutely invaluable. But just as necessary is doing it yourself, even if it feels big and uncertain. That’s how we grow. That’s also why AI cannot be a mentor – it wants to do things for you. That’s how it’s been designed.

Artistic mentors provide new paths of thinking, new approaches, and new knowledge tailored for your context and existing knowledge. They point you towards resources and opportunities relevant for you that you may not be able to find or know exist. And they reflect on your creative outputs with a measured critique that reflects both their experience and their interest in helping you grow in your own artistic voice.

I would not be the artist I am today without the mentors I’ve had along the way. I believe that all aspiring (and professional) artists can benefit hugely from an artistic mentor, even if they change regularly. Most of my artistic mentorships have been informal, and start with a simple question: What do you think about this piece? If you don’t have a mentor, ask yourself, who around me really knows their stuff and works in a way that is similar to me – and then ask the question and see what happens! You might be surprised at how much more there is to learn.