My Social Media Sabbatical

Ah, the life of an artist.

Lately, I have been feeling like I’m going down a stream, with one foot on one boat, and one foot on another boat.

I have started my new Archeology Art series.

I have also had a very busy show schedule, all focused on my Film Noir Art series.

A tiny doodle from my journal.

One boat is Film Noir, the other boat is Archeology.

One boat is public-facing promotion, the other is private art practice.

One boat is a confident beating of the drum, the other is diffident exploration.

Look! I'm somebody!

Over four months, I had FIVE different shows.

• In total, I had 4 group shows and a solo show.
• I spoke on stage.
• I was filmed by our local community television station.
• I had an artists salon.
• I won an award.
• My art was on the cover of an online magazine.
• All the while, I executed a social media BLITZ about each and every bit.
  

Meanwhile, I was carving out an hour here or there to do some deeply challenging experimentation in the studio.

With my new series, I feel particularly sensitive because I’ve never done anything like it before.

The result is, I've totally stalled out on my social media posts.

Behind the curtain...

Like a lot of things, posting on social media is easier the more you do it, and the less you do it, well... the less you do it.

Social Media- a blessing and a curse.

Having a social media presence is practically a must for an artist these days.

I have long since came to terms with the fact that I am not, and probably never will be, a social media sensation.

My Instagram Page

Nevertheless, for an artist like me, posting regularly is almost like a portfolio in itself. It lends "legitimacy" to an artist, like a calling card, showing prospective collectors or gallerists that you are active, responsive, interesting, and aware of your public.

There is even a rule of thumb about having a certain percentage of "work in progress" (WIP) content, finished artwork content, and "slice of life" content to have on your social media page for maximum engagement.

Typically, I document the intimate details of how I develop a piece of art with photos and videos, and post them on social media as I go along.

But you know folks, I just can't seem to make myself do it.

Despite of, or maybe because of, having to appear confident for all the shows I've been having, I have been particularly reluctant to show my process like I normally would.

What I need to do, is start afresh.

A Social Media "Sabbatical"

How about if I let it all go for a while? What if I trusted my "audience" will still be there, even if I am not constantly trying to grab their attention?

What if I gave myself a break?

Remember when? Remember before social media when we went about our days without that constant buzz in the background?

Fortunately, I am old enough that I do remember those times. Bringing back a bit of that peace and privacy may be exactly what I need.