I have a question about how much of your story you should share on social media. I am a childhood trauma/abuse survivor, and that definitely informs my art. Really a big part of the "why" of my work. I'm thinking of doing a video on instagram, just saying that. Any feedback appreciated.
Almost every Art Business book, podcast webinar and course I have done lately say the why and who you are is the most important factor in getting sales because it is how you make connections. I have to work on doing it myself but I have been too chicken because of people's reactions to things I shared online in the past, not related to art posts but talking about my personal struggles with health and mental health. But I have been practicing by sharing in Artist groups on a Facebook where the audience is smaller than than all of Instagram and it has been helping build confidence and see in other people's posts how to be yourself, and share your story without oversharing I think it is important to not overshae some of your personal experiences in order to protect your own psyche from the internet trolls and to keep healthy boundaries. But there is a way to tell your why without looking like a victim by showing how you survived. For me Art was a huge part of my survival.
I also had a chaotic childhood/teenage years. On top of that I have always been a spiritual seeker and I follow the path of bhakti yoga. My art is connected to my yoga journey, and it has taken me a very long time to find my voice, and to find the courage to be vulnerable. I am still in the process. I believe you can wrap your story into a digestible form without making it too dramatic. It looks to me that you can be honest and raw, people like that, but it also important how you present it. Artstorefronts has given me a lot of confidence. Art helpers descriptions of my artwork is very poetic and beautiful. If a machine can appreciate my art, why not humans.
The photo of the waterlilies are so very beautiful: The colors, the composition and the contrast. Excellent.
Right! If Arty can see the value of our work why can't humans. It feels sad sometimes because the Ai gets it more than my closest loved ones get my Art lol. However ArtHelper is building my confidence too.
That 'why' is the most powerful part of any artist's work. When you share it, you're not just telling your story, you're giving people permission to connect with their own. I think the video is a beautiful idea.
This is such an important question, Cheryl. Your story is yours to share when and how it feels right. I think the artists who connect most deeply with their audience are the ones who let us see the real person behind the work. Whatever you decide, know that your courage in even asking this question is already powerful.
I think the question is whether sharing that context helps someone see the work differently or just becomes its own story. My early flower work came from wanting to control something small and beautiful after years of not controlling much at all, but I don't lead with that because the images need to stand without it. If the why is genuinely in the photographs, maybe the video gives people permission to see what's already there.
I love the water lilies. On occasion I would see some. Always beautiful. One August I visited the Botanical Gardens in Wichita Ks. Walking along the pathway, heading towards the pond to try to photograph the dragonflies, I was surprised by a mass of all these water lilies in bloom. Different colors and sizes, and joined by Lotus flowers. I was captivated. I did not get many photos of dragonflies.
That is a tough one. I grew up hearing that personal and business needs to be kept separate. Hard to get past that. I have a few pieces that are directly tied to my history. I would share those things. I think some of those things focus on the healing process. Still unsure on how to share some of the things relating to trauma. It is my past but I don't live there anymore. Things pop up, triggers happen but it does not have the same impact on me. I recognize I have a choice on what I think, feel, or respond to.
Cheryl great job I really like this with the reflection, nice low composition!
I spent years not saying anything about why I started shooting landscapes, the way those early morning drives into the Blue Ridge were as much about getting away from things as they were about the light. When I finally mentioned some of that in a small artist statement, the response surprised me. People connected differently. That said, it took me a long time to figure out how much to share and when, and I still don't always get it right. What helped me was testing it small first, seeing how it felt after I posted, whether it changed the way I thought about the work or the way people engaged with it. There's no single right answer, but if it's part of your why, sharing some version of it might let the work land the way you want it to.
Yes, Malcolm, it's hard to know what to post. I wasn't even aware this was the case, until many people at art fairs talked about how calming and serene my images were. I had a very chaotic and unpredictable childhood, and now I do everything in my power to reverse that in my later years. But...I don't ever want to be seen as a victim, because I'm anything but. I am a survivor. I have beat the odds, and am stronger for the experiences. Thank you for your insights. 😊