ALRIGHT, HERE IT IS.
THERE IS A GENERAL BELIEF THAT ARTISTS ARE BAD AT MARKETING. I BELIEVE ARTISTS, IF THEY CHOOSE TO, ARE GREAT AT MARKETING - THEY JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT IT. I'M BASING THIS ASSUMPTION ON MY OWN PREFERENCES. LET'S CALL THIS A SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF ONE ARTIST'S DISLIKE OF MARKETING.
EVERY BIT OF TIME I SPEND ON "MARKETING" (BRAND IDENTITY [OR PERSONAL IDENTITY IN THE CASE OF ARTISTS,] FIDDLING ON THE COMPUTER, CONNECTING WITH BUSINESS-Y INDIVIDUALS) IS TIME AWAY FROM MY ART, BUT MORE THAN THAT, IT'S TIME AWAY FROM ALL THE THINGS THAT MAKE ART POSSIBLE; THAT WHICH INSPIRES. IT'S TIME THAT I CAN'T SPEND REPLENISHING MY MIND AND SOUL: READING, SITTING, THINKING, EXPERIENCING, DISCUSSING, MAKING.
IT FEELS LIKE BRANDING A PERSON AND THEIR CREATIVE INTEGRITY IMMEDIATELY DIMINISHES IT'S VALUE. IT PUTS SOMEONE IN A CATEGORICAL BOX. THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE KEPT SECRET ABOUT ART AND INSPIRATION.. LEFT FOR THOSE WHO CAN ACCESS IT WITHOUT THE HYPE AND FEATURES OF THE INTERNET AND GALLERIES THAT HOST GALAS FOR BENEFACTORS. THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE SOLITUDE AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT GOES INTO ACTUALLY MAKING A WORK OF ART THAT MAKES ONE WANT VIEWERS TO HAVE THAT SAME TYPE OF EXPERIENCE WHEN LOOKING AT IT: AN HONEST EXPERIENCE FREE FROM GIMICKS AND PRIDE.
IT'S THAT VERY WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY AND SUPERFLUOUS SOCIETY THAT I AM TRYING TO DISCONNECT FROM WHEN I CREATE. IT'S NOT ONLY A PERSONAL REPRIVE BUT A KIND OF DHARMA.
SO HOW WILL THE ART ACTUALLY BE ACCESSABLE WITHOUT ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE? I HAVE NO IDEA. THAT'S WHY I'VE BOUGHT INTO IT. THERE IS THE POSSIBLITY THAT A PART OF THIS HESITANCY COMES FROM FEAR: OF JUDGEMENT AND MISINTERPRETATION, OF HAVING TO ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT PROCESS, PHILOSOPHY, AND METHODOLOGY THAT I PERHAPS DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS TO (AND PREFER NOT TO ANALYZE, FOR THE SAKE OF KEEPING MY OWN CREATIVE INTUITION INTACT.) WE'RE GETTING INTO PSYCHOLOGY NOW.
THE POINT IS, AFTER ALL THAT, HERE I AM WITH A WEBSITE, A BLOG, A FACEBOOK PAGE, AND TWITTER AND INSTRAGRAM ACCOUNTS.
AND A COMMITMENT: TO MAKE, TO POST, AND TRY TO MAKE THIS ART LIFE HAPPEN, WHILST KEEPING MY SOUL INTACT. YOU ARE ALL HERE TO KEEP ME HONEST AND KEEP ME MAKING.
SO, PLEASE ENJOY, WHOLEHEARTEDLY. CONNECT AND SHARE. MAKE THIS PROCESS WORTH IT.
J
