Awhile back someone on an artsy email group I belong to posted a "rant" about blogs. It has taken me a few days to recover from her post and to gather some thoughts.
It seems to me that a lot of people use their blog as one great big buy my stuff ad. I hope they have the success they seek. It is their blog to do with as they please. If their blog is offensive to me I click off and carry on.
All artists are on a different path, a different time table. Exploring along as they go. That's what makes art art and not industrial production. My art is a product of my experience ( this sounds SOO 60's ). If you are interested in my art then you should be interested in my experience, UNLESS , and here is what I think of as the "clinker", you are only interested in art as a "trade".
Is your art an expression of what you feel, see and do? Is it your hearts desire to convey a thought, to pass along a joy or shout out your fleeting tragedy?
Or is your art your desire to be recognized, to be seen and acknowledged? To be compensated for your labor? To show your credentials?
These 2 ideas also intercept and run parallel . An artist who seeks to express himself often is recognised for their effort and labor. An artist who seeks to sell their work is often expressing a moment from their lives.
Also, Is this just a difference in where the artists is on their journey? Is he beyond the I do because I must and a little more towards I do because I have been practiced at doing.
Their is no one path, Praise the Lord! If there was we would step on each others feet more often and be very restricted. Can you imagine if there were even just 4 artists out there on the same path? Especially now with the infamy of the Internet. Posting the same stuff at the same time? Yikes that would stink.
My blog is part of my art, mostly a way to catalog what is going on now. A place to share me and mine. My faith, feelings, and family.... dogs and all. It also is my art, look if you want, please click off if you don't.
Here is my end point,
I am glad I am on the path that I am, at the place I am.
I honestly hope you are too.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I write my blog for me and those interested in me...you have to take the personal with the art...cause that is how I work.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you are alone in those thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI like to catalog my work, I get excited about things that I do, my personal stuff is usually in e-mails to those whom it matters to. I just want people to ENJOY what they see on my blog.
Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy blog was started because I wanted a place to show my art quilts. I started it [with encouragement from a wonderful quilt artist] bfore I had actually made a 'real' quilt. The first year it was mostly about quilts with a few quotes and little personal stuff. NOW it is seldom about quilts because medical problems have interferred, yet it is still about my Journey which was [and is] the title of my blog. I had NO idea when I started my blog that it would look as it does today = mostly quotes and recipes. However, that is OK. It is still about my journey. It is my place to share me with family, friends, and a few folk who stumble upon it.
I really appreciate your blog because it is about Y O U, not what you are selling or how famous you are, etc.