In creative work — whether you’re an artist, producer or maker of any kind — how you show up matters. By “showing up,” we mean the small, consistent ways you make yourself and your work visible to the world: the conversations you have, the work you share, the spaces you choose to be present in, and the impression you leave behind. Too often, “visibility” gets talked about as posting more, networking more, being everywhere all the time. That’s exhausting and it rarely feels like you.
Instead, what if presence was about intention? What if it was about showing up in ways that reflect what you care about, what you stand for and how you want others to understand your work?
This was at the heart of the Unlimited DEVELOP session, delivered in collaboration with China Plate and Culture Central.
What We Mean by Values-Led Presence
When you share your work, or introduce yourself to someone, you are communicating more than what you make. You are communicating why you make it and why it matters to you. When that comes through clearly, your presence becomes an invitation. It helps others understand you, connect with you and remember you.
Values-led presence isn’t about being seen everywhere. It’s about being consistent, thoughtful and true to yourself.
A Few Questions to Start With
When checking in with yourself about how you show up, it can help to let go of any preconceived ideas about how you should be. Networking, visibility and presence often come with unspoken expectations about confidence, charisma or constant activity. Those expectations don’t fit everyone, and they don’t need to.
Give yourself some space. And when you’re ready, gently explore a few open questions:
- Where do I currently show up – online platforms or in rooms, events and workshops?
- How comfortable do I feel in those spaces?
- Does how I present myself reflect who I am and what I value?
Noticing where you are already gives you a starting point. This isn’t about perfection, just awareness.
1. Introduce Yourself Through What Matters
When you write a bio or introduce yourself in conversation, try including what drives your work, not just what you do. This gives people something to connect with.
In the session, participants reflected on prompts such as: What three values guide your work? What project best represents you? If someone described your work in one sentence, what would you want them to say?
These kinds of questions can help you move beyond job titles and towards intention. For example, rather than only saying “I’m a producer”, you might say: “I’m interested in work that brings people into meaningful conversations.”
2. Share Your Process as Well as Your Outcomes
Online, posts that show how something came to be — the decisions you made, the surprises you encountered, the questions you’re still asking — often resonate more than just finished outcomes.
In person, talking about what you are curious about right now can open up connection more naturally than a rehearsed elevator pitch.
3. Make Presence Accessible and Considered
Accessibility isn’t separate from presence. It is presence.
Online, this might mean adding image descriptions, captions or clear contact preferences. In person, it might look like checking in on access needs, sharing information clearly and considering how people can participate in the spaces you occupy.
And this works both ways. Showing up is harder, and sometimes impossible, when the spaces themselves are not accessible. Many traditional networking environments still fall short here. Asking for your access needs to be met is not an added extra. It is a reasonable expectation. Finding spaces that genuinely work for you, rather than forcing yourself to fit spaces that don’t, is a valid and important part of building a sustainable presence.
4. Prioritise Meaningful Connection Over Quantity
Connections grow through engagement, not just visibility.
Online, that might look like leaving thoughtful comments, sharing resources or sending a direct note to someone whose work you admire. In person, it might mean aiming for a couple of meaningful conversations at an event rather than rushing through introductions.
You might also reflect on how you hope people feel when encountering your work. Do you want them to feel challenged, comforted, curious, seen? Being clear about that intention can shape how you speak about your work and how you show up in shared spaces.
5. Build Confidence Gradually
Showing up doesn’t need to be overwhelming. It might begin with a small shift – revising your bio, posting once with more context, or following up after a conversation.
Presence isn’t about perfection. It’s about alignment.
Presence Online and In Rooms
Values-led presence works across different spaces. The aim isn’t to choose one over the other. It’s to let your presence in all spaces reflect what matters to you.
- Online spaces — Instagram, LinkedIn, a website, Zoom/Teams meetings — are tools that help you share your work.
- In-person spaces — events, meetings, workshops — are where trust and memory are built.
Both matter. Both can reflect your values. And in both, knowing your limits is part of showing up well. Recognising your personal boundaries when socialising in person – and setting them when navigating online spaces and social media – is just as much a part of values-led presence as anything else.
Moving Forward
If something in this blog resonated, you might sit with it for a while. Notice where you already show up with intention. Notice where something feels slightly out of alignment. Presence evolves as your practice evolves. Sometimes it starts with a small shift in language. A clearer sentence in your bio. A more honest conversation in a room.
Want More Practical Tools?
Below you’ll find two downloadable resources from the recent session. They offer practical prompts and reflections you can use at your own pace to build your presence in a way that feels authentic and sustainable.
If you are interested to find out more about Unlimited and Culture Central, here are links to their websites:
weareunlimited.org.uk
culturecentral.co.uk
Photos © Hayley Salter
China Plate’s Creative Drop-In event at Zellig, as part of Digbeth First Friday.