How to Cheer Other Artists On
Most artists don’t quit because they weren’t good enough—they quit because they felt alone. Here’s how to be the reason someone keeps going.
The Imaginarium Fund is a community-driven fund that gives micro-grants to one or more artists each month using 100% of subscription profits. It’s more than funding—it’s a belief that art isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. If you create, dream, or build, you belong here. Apply for funding, support fellow artists, or simply be part of something that helps keep imagination alive.
There’s something almost holy about being seen.
Not followed. Not analyzed. Not algorithmically boosted. Just… seen.
For who you are. For what you’re making. For the effort behind it. The vulnerability. The courage to keep going even when no one’s asking you to.
And while we often focus on how we can feel more supported as artists, there’s a quiet power in turning that question around:
How can we become the kind of artists who support others well?
How can we cheer each other on—genuinely, generously, and with intention?
Because here’s the truth: most people quit not because they weren’t talented…
but because they felt alone.
So if you want to be part of something deeper than self-promotion, if you want to build the kind of creative world you wish you could live in—here are a few ways to start.
1. Celebrate loudly. Compare quietly.
It’s natural to feel that flicker of comparison when someone you admire releases something brilliant. Or lands the deal. Or goes viral. Or just seems to be doing the thing you haven’t quite figured out how to do yet.
Feel it. Then let it pass.
And instead of letting comparison silence you, let it transform into praise.
Leave a comment. Share the post. Tell them, “This hit something in me.” Be specific. Be sincere. Be louder than the voices in their head that are trying to talk them out of it.
Because no matter how successful someone looks—every artist still wonders, “Does this matter?”
You can be the one who answers, Yes. It does.
2. Engage with art like it’s a conversation.
We scroll through so much content that we forget art isn’t content—it’s connection.
Next time you read a poem, watch a short film, hear a song, or see a painting online… pause. Think about what it’s saying. What it’s risking.
Then respond.
Even a simple, “This made me feel less alone,” can be a lifeline.
When you treat another artist’s work as something worthy of response—not just reaction—you remind them that they’re not creating into a void.
3. Share generously—even when there’s nothing in it for you.
You don’t need a platform to share someone’s work. You just need a voice.
A text to a friend: “You’d love this.”
A story post with a caption: “This made me cry.”
A link in your newsletter. A mention in a conversation.
You never know how far that little echo might carry. Sometimes one share is all it takes to help a piece of art reach the person it was made for.
And sometimes, the artist you cheer on is the one who turns around and cheers for you when you need it most.
4. Remember: supporting someone else is not a distraction from your own path.
Your voice doesn’t get smaller when you uplift someone else’s.
Your success doesn’t shrink when theirs expands.
Your dream isn’t delayed because theirs arrived first.
The truth is: your creative energy grows when you use it to water others.
And when you create a space where more artists feel safe to share, to speak, to try—you create the kind of community where you’re more likely to thrive, too.
5. Don’t wait to be asked.
You don’t need to be someone’s best friend or longtime collaborator to cheer them on. You don’t need to have the “right words” or credentials.
If someone’s art moved you—tell them now.
They may never know what that piece meant to you unless you say it. And you may never know how badly they needed to hear it.
Sometimes a comment keeps someone going for another week.
Sometimes a message is the reason they don’t give up.
Sometimes your voice fills the exact silence they were starting to believe.
You never know.
And This Is Why We Exist
At the Imaginarium Fund, we believe in radical encouragement.
Not performative networking. Not empty compliments. But real, heart-deep, sustaining support—the kind that artists give each other when no one else is watching.
Every month, we offer a no-strings-attached gift to one artist—not just to fund their work, but to remind them: you’re not doing this alone.
And we hope you’ll join us—not just by applying or supporting the fund, but by becoming a lighthouse in someone else’s creative storm.
Cheer for the brave.
Celebrate the quiet.
Uplift the strange.
Echo the overlooked.
Be the reason another artist keeps going.
With full hearts and open hands,
The Imaginarium Fund Team
Here to support artists—and help artists support each other.
Want to learn more about the fund? Check out this post for all the details on how it works, how to apply, and how to support fellow artists.