Doing something that I have been meaning to for quite awhile!
I did something today that I have been thinking about doing for a long time. Everytime I post some of my art on the various sites I belong to many of the same people invariably make really nice comments about it. Being human I am naturally flattered and pleased and to be honest often astonished. I always feel really grateful too because nobody is forcing these people to say these great things. There is some element of ' if you flatter me, I'll flatter you back,' but I have read enough of these comments about my art and other peoples art to be able to separate the genuine from the fluff. I have never pretended to love someone's work when I honestly thought it was god-awful either. If I feel I really must comment there is always something nice I can honestly say.
It's a lonely job being an artist and perhaps lonelier for digital painters because we don't as a group have the access to workshops and courses with other artists that traditional painters do. That is starting to change I am happy to report. I have participated in a few online all day digital workshops and shorter digital painting webinars in the past year and have really enjoyed the experience.
My point is that artists need feedback and need to feel connected to a larger artistic community. It helps us grow as artists and not just in ways that make us better artists skill-wise. It's a tremendous confidence booster when other artists (and non-artists too of course) tell you they like your art. It helps gives you the courage to keep on trying to improve, to not throw in the towel, to not get discouraged by your seeming lack of progress, or inability to master certain fundamentals.
It's also a basic human need to feel that we belong to a group, be it our own small family, or a globally connected group of people all interested in art and the creation of art. It's part of the attraction and reason for the success of groups such as Flickr, Imagekind, Red Bubble, ArtWanted, PainterTalk, WetCanvas, Cafepress, Etsy, and FineArt America to name only some of the many such groups available online. There always seems to be a new one coming out too. They are not just meant as a place to try and sell your art, in fact many don't have anything to do with selling art...they are for sharing art! Some of them are almost like a place to hang out with your friends. I have met some really wonderful people online this way and when I began doing this I never expected such obvious benefits. I pretend to myself some days when I'm cruising around looking at other people's stuff and having a blast that I'm 'doing some marketing," when a lot of the time I'm simply having a good time! I do it for recreation too!
Life is hard sometimes, everyone has problems, scary things are happening in our world, but art is such a positive force (does that sound too flaky I wonder?) that I believe every single human being on this earth has a need for art! It elevates us from the mundane, takes us to a place that gives us a few moments of joy and peace, expresses the inexpressible, and triggers a memory. It makes you ponder, makes you wonder, asks a question, tells a story and restores our faith in mankind. To me that makes art a powerful thing!
Which brings me to what I did today and why I am doing it. The fact that my art can move people in any way is a really good feeling and I wanted to thank all the people who faithfully follow my art and comment on it. So, today I emailed all the people who do, and informed them that I am am entering their names in my little contest to win one of my paintings. I will be chosing three names and giving away three paintings. The draw will be held on July 1st. The winners will be notified by email and I will also announce the winning (first) names and identify the paintings they have chosen to receive on this blog. It's not a big deal, but at least it's something I can do to say thank you for the support and encouragement. I wish they could ALL WIN! (Maybe when I'm a famous artist and making money someday I will be able to give away more art hah! hah!) I was pleasantly suprised at how many emailed back to say thanks and expressed the thought that it was a good and generous thing to do and hoped they would win. Some even have their favourite painting picked out already! So, this is turning out to be quite fun and it helps me get to know people better, which is a pretty far cry from painting alone and never seeing or talking to other people all day! Thanks again everyone!
For discussion:
I would love to hear what art means to you. Do you share your art online and why do you do it? It's easy to use the comment form below!
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Posted in Artistic Growth. Updated July 1st, 2010. 4 comments so far.
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Elaina said:
Joan, this is an incredibly generous offer. What a wonderful way to share your art with others.
Elaina