Support your creative friends
By Cecilia Camacho, founder and editor of CC/magazine
There’s a phrase that’s been repeated so often on social media it might sound like a cliché, but it still holds true: “Support your creative friends.” It sounds nice. It sounds easy. But the reality is that very few people truly understand what it means.
Supporting someone who creates—whether it’s a magazine, a book, a ceramic collection, a podcast, an illustration, a clothing brand or a song—isn’t just about giving them an automatic “like”. It’s about recognising that behind each project there are countless hours of work, self-doubt, costs, sleepless nights, constant learning… and an inner force pushing them to keep going, despite the uncertainty of whether their work will stand on its own.
Creativity is not a hobby for many of us. It’s a profession. And like any other, it deserves to be respected, valued, and paid for. Those of us who create don’t just offer something visually appealing or thought-provoking: we offer perspective, language, sensitivity, and a way of seeing the world that, more than once, has saved us. And sometimes, it saves those who receive it too.
Still, it’s all too common to hear phrases like: “Can you send it to me (for free)?”,“can I get a little discount?”, “can I pay with exposure?” We get it—sometimes people don’t mean harm. But it’s worth remembering: that book took a huge amount of effort and hours to write and produce. That ceramic piece didn’t shape itself. That photo shoot involved many people and long days. That magazine cost money to make. That music didn’t just appear magically…
The creative process is often invisible until it becomes something tangible you can read, touch, or hear. But it existed long before that—in the form of an idea, a spark, trial and error. Supporting your creative friends means understanding that journey and honouring it.
So how do you support them, really? By buying their work when you can; by recommending it with sincerity; by sharing what they do with genuine enthusiasm; by naming them when they inspire you; and by not asking for it to be free.
Because every gesture counts. Every purchase, every word, every intentional mention plants a seed that strengthens a creative path. And when you lift up a creator, you’re also helping to nurture culture, critical thinking, beauty, and the soul of the world we live in.
It’s not just about consuming art, design, or ideas. It’s about building a community where creativity is not an exception, a luxury, or a favour—but a pillar. A necessity. A dignified profession, as legitimate as any other.
Supporting your creative friends is also a way of telling them: “I believe in what you do.” And, though it may not seem like much, that can make all the difference.
