Since you want to focus on one-on-one engagement, here are some ideas on how to build relationships with your audience one-on-one:

1. Connect with one new person per week. Take them out to lunch, email them, or set up a phone call.
2. Focus on the select few who seem more supportive.
3. Connect to a colleague and thank them for how their work inspired you.
4. Interview those who do what you would love to do. Then share the interview to promote them and become aligned with them publicly.

References

Blank, Dan. Be the Gateway: A Practical Guide to Sharing Your Creative Work and Engaging an Audience. WeGrowMedia, 2017.