The following article was written by Debra Keirce, a regular contributing author to The BoldBrush Letter.
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TMI
This month I am hoping to start a discussion about something I think we all struggle with.
Too Much Information (TMI)
As creatives with art for sale, we are advised to be vulnerable and to share our personal stories. We know our audiences will relate to us and eventually feel invited to support us. I believe it is truly the best way to identify the art lovers who enjoy connecting with us as individuals. Since art is a very personal choice, it makes sense that we need to do more sharing than if we were selling cookware, or carpeting for example.
I recognize that many artists have to work hard to interact and share. On the opposite end of that spectrum, I am constantly trying to curate the information I put into the world. I have a tendency to overshare whatever is going on in my head. What exactly IS too little or too much information?
It’s the Goldilocks story, right?
In our technology age, our knowledge, art trends, and even advice WILL ALWAYS change. But once we post our thoughts, they are trapped in the cloud. The internet doesn’t go away. Images and text can pop up in searches even decades after we think we deleted them. What we post today is the best we know now, but more than likely we would say it differently in ten or twenty years.
So, do we care? I have so much out there that I wish I could take back. Yet, it’s part of my journey. I have not devoted any time to trying to wipe my history on the worldwide web. I figure I will just let the spiders do their work, spinning my past exploits up into cocoons and sucking all the life out of them so they hang there in oblivion.
But if anyone goes digging, there’s always a good chance they will find things I wish I had not posted. It’s like the aunt on Facebook who posts the pencil drawing I did of my grandparent’s dog when I was twelve. All I can respond with, is “I got better.”
Do you think past and current vulnerable shares hurt your marketing or maybe even help it? If you are an instructor, I suppose you could use work from the last century to show how far you’ve come. But if you said things that 20 year olds could relate to as you struggled with adulting, do you want your now 50 year old collectors to ever gain access to those videos?
On the other hand, it’s important, I think, that we don’t always paint ourselves in the best light. That gets so boring.
How much of our failures should we post online about? I keep a lot of what I am doing private, until I’m sure there is an audience for it. Here’s an example - In my studio, there are so many technique and marketing experiments that are not fully vetted. I don’t like to share until I figure out if they are working for me or not. Then, even if they fail, occasionally especially if they fail, I am happy to share the results. For instance, there was that time I thought I’d paint on little wood boxes that can hold pencils or fake flowers or whatever. It turns out people don’t use pencils or artificial flower decor much anymore. Lesson learned. The experiment ended with a few housewarming gifts. None of them are online.
In short, what do you think is oversharing and what do you think is not being vulnerable enough? Is it different for everyone? By now, if you follow me you know I love lists. So here is my list of things I think about when I share with the public. However, in those moments when my forceful personality kicks in, I definitely ignore my lists. I’m absolutely sure these lists are like snowflakes. Yours can never be the same as mine. Please add your thoughts in the comments!
What to Share:
My constructive feedback in specific art situations
Any art knowledge I feel has helped me to improve in my craft
Successes of my peers in the art world
Venues with shows, teaching opportunities and events others can benefit from
Vendors with products I find useful
Humorous experiences
Struggles in the art world that resulted in growth
Sales, juried shows I participate in, new works, awards - not to brag, but to provide data in case others want to apply, or get a feel for where they might succeed with their art
My personal passions and inspirations
Travel experiences
What to NOT Share:
Politics
Religion
Commissioned works, unless the collector specifically asks me to share, which is maybe one in twenty times
My personal finances
ANYthing that would obviously make people feel a negative emotion. (I can’t be responsible for painful memories that my happy art incites though, and this too has happened.)
The personal struggles of others
Gossip
Pretty much anything I doubt after I put it in writing. If I’m questioning whether to hit send, the answer is no.
Unsolicited critiques
Anything that is not family friendly, unless the family is the Osbournes.
Grey Area, Where I’m Not Sure if I Should Share:
Products I’ve used and found fault with
Discussions on how I think someone else’s art should be priced
Advice about whether another artist might do well if they enter an exhibition. (I find that venues are very specific to the individual)
Knowledge that contradicts another person’s post, but could be advantageous to them
What do you share, and do you think before you do?
Debra Keirce
www.DebKArt.com
Join me each month for free updates on this art adventure at
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Wouldn’t You Love to work with a website hosting company that actually promotes their artists?
As you can see, at FASO, we actually do, and,
we are the only website host we know of that does.
Click the button below to start working
with an art website host that actually cares about art.
Stop worrying. Be real. Your feelings are important, but your audience is sacred...If your art does not lead them into positivity, does not encourage them, don't share it. If art is not Fun and Beautiful, it's worthless. I hold myself to these premises. Politics is a blackhole, you're right. Religion is, too. Religion is distorted humanity's attempt to monetize The GOOD News. If you've GOT good news, shout it from the rooftops!
I really like this article Debra.