I believe that right now there are more artists on this Planet, more writers choosing to self-publish or just posting their stories on blogs, more painters selling prints and original artwork on deviantart, etsy, and the likes, more sculptors, more singers and aspiring movie makers trying to get more subscribers on YouTube than ever before.
And I believe this is a good thing. Modern day technology allows us to achieve our most secret of yearnings: to share our art with the world. Maybe you’re reading this post and you’re telling yourself that you don’t make art for that. You create art just for yourself. But for that to be true, you’d never want anyone to read your stories. You’d be the only one who knows you’re a writer or painter or singer.
But who can fight the urge? I know I can’t. When I write something I think it’s good, I want to share it with the world. I want to inspire in people what the words, as I wrote them, inspired in me. I want to show people a world that’s different, and yet so similar, to the one they live in.
This has nothing to do with others having to validate your art. Or having to like it. The matter of fact is that art doesn’t have to be pretty, doesn’t have to be understood by everyone. But if has to be shared, it has to be viewed, listened to, or read.
And that’s what makes the Internet such a great tool for artists. Social media allows us to reach out and find the ones who are truly interested in our art. We get to share ideas and we get to connect and interact with like-minded individuals.
We can do all this for free.
I can’t deny the fact that without an Internet connection, without being able to sell my books on Amazon, without this blog, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today. When you can’t find someone to read your stories… it doesn’t take long before you run out of confidence.
When you make your art… you’re all alone. And most people will never be able to understand you or your passion. You want for people to feel something about your art. That’s all you want. Even if they hate it, it’s still better than to be invisible.
I’m the product of the 21st century. Living so far away from the vast majority of you… and yet, I’m able to present my ideas and thoughts to you, I’m able to share my art with you… truth is, you can’t put a price tag on that. You can’t buy the feeling you get when someone e-mails you and tells you they’ve loved your story.
Your words.
Your vision.
Your passion.
Your hard-work.
Some people say that in this life we’re all alone, that we can’t count on anyone else for help. We need to be strong enough to survive on our own. Yes, this might be true, but we also need others. We’re social creatures. That’s what made us into the dominant species on this planet in the first place. We want for others to understand us, to feel the same way we feel, we want to know we’re not alone, that we’re just as crazy in love as someone living a thousand miles away.
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Creating art is an isolated journey, we celebrate with viewers and readers when complete.
that sentence was art itself
You know you're Pole when you read "Poland" instead of "Planet". Sometimes it makes me crazy :D
Great post anyway, Internet is a great tool to help to become famous, but you have to know how to use it. Otherwise it won't help you at all.
So true Cristian!
I have only recently "come out of the closet" with my art. Although it hung on the walls in my home I never let anyone know it was mind. My kids were forbidin to tell ppl that "mommy made that" because I was afraid of rejection or the fact that they would want an explanation and I tend to loose ppl when they get a glimps inside of that part of me. Fear no more! I say. And let the lovers and haters feast on my works.
Cristian, thank you for your encouragement and knowing I am not alone. :-)
thank you for sharing. It is very true what you say my dear. Alesia
Excellent and thoughtful post :) The internet has opened things tremendously – there's been an explosion in all forms of art and our ability to share it. This is a wonderful thing. The downside of course is an extremely oversaturated market – it's hard for people to stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Sometimes it's enough to have a really product, but not always. But it's like everything in the zero sum game of life, the upsides have downsides and vice versa. I simply embrace the good and deal with the downsides as best I can.
Reblogged this on filmcamera999.
Absolutely.
This was so true and so beautiful. You are correct, when you create your are, you are all alone. Within every creative act, the underlying energy is to share and connect. Thanks for your inspiration.
Well said. The creative process may be solitary but we need the interaction for inspiration and you give that. :)
I believe we are entering into a new season where art will be appreciated and celebrated more than ever. The freedom of expression as well as the creative process is like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.
It's too easy to say "I only do it for me", but you're right. The truth is we share our art with the word for validation. I make jewelry, paint, draw, write, sew, and crochet because it makes me happy to create something. It's a piece of myself permanently placed in the world. It makes me even more happy when people appreciate the time and effort that went into the piece. When people tell me that what I do makes them happy, or is beautiful, creative or has impressed them, it means the world to me. It's truly encouraging to keep going. Ultimately, we all crave support and encouragement in the things that make us happy, even if that support comes from bloggers hundreds and thousands of miles away.
Thanks for putting into words what so many of us have experienced in our onlnine communities. It truly is a wonderful blessing.
Exactly…
I'm not an artist, but I do love drawing since I was little, and I can relate to this post…I mean even when I was a child, the next thing I used to do after finishing a drawing was showing it to somebody :)
I love being able to share my writing, that's why I started blogging. And the fact that people from all over the world read it and enjoy it enough to follow or comment is such a thrill. And all it costs me is my time and effort.
I hope someday I'll be able to share my work with everyone, which is why I'm working so hard now to finish up Snake and get Reborn City out to the world.
There is a great deal of validity to your post, but I do believe some people need their art, visual, or written to heal themselves and publishing it to one or thousands is not necessary. I have often painted, written, performed my music, and danced for nothing but my own heart. Sometimes I do share.
so true
Art has always been such a solitary pursuit. Now, it's quite the opposite – it's how I connect and I am profoundly grateful.
Love this post, Christian.
I never want to be invisible, even if sometimes I say that I do.
In the end we just want to be accepted for who we really are. At least those of us who don't use the Internet to hide.
Amen! Although it took me a year to show my poems to anyone at all, another four months to self-publish, and then finally, another four months to start a blog (and two months after that to start posting as I write). Now I can't imagine living without it, and I LOVE that I have readers from all over the world. It's simply amazing.
This is a two faces issue…one face is the one that you wrote about…the other is that the saturation provided by the connection sometimes don'l let you see the real good job…not everything is fine enough to be shared, sometimes people doesn't work hard and even share…I don't know…can't define my feelings about this.
I'm happy I decided to start a blog, even though I'm still getting my feet wet and may never get the hang of it. Keep writing – I enjoy reading your work ;)
I think both of these things are true, that it's cool to share your work and it's also cool to do it without anyone else even knowing about it. If you love doing it, that's reward in itself.
Loved reading this……I'm just joining this world and it feels great. You eloquently describe what a special time and place it is for creative people.
What a tremendous representation of what we as artists experience on a daily basis sharing our creative expression. You truly inspire the confidence and desire to move forward to share in our creative endeavor another day.
We all want to belong. Great post.
Internet allows us to share our artistry, life and its beauty. Social media is the greatest tool there is. I like this post!
And long may it continue…! Great post Cristian.
Great post as always Cristian, very true
Reblogged this on My Etch-A-Sketch Life and commented:
Interesting topic and article that was well written that I'm sharing. Something to consider on self publication for sure and this new opportunity of free form internet for artists, writers, bloggers, journalist, and entrepreneurs.
What inspirational words. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read them. This solitary journey is best fed with a helping of connection with others. Thank you Christian
Great post, Christian. Indeed, the art creates the audience. The audience does not create the art. The internet is fantastic tool to do this.
If not for the internet, I would never have 'e-met' you, nor would I have ever heard about irevuo, nor would you ever have been able to create it. Without the internet, I would never have heard of NaNoWriMo, and my book would still be languishing in pre-first-draft limbo, rather than waiting in cool-down-before-revision limbo (yes, they're different). Without the internet, I would have long ago lost all contact with most of my friends, since I'll email but i won't write letters and I don't usually like phone calls because they hurt my ears. And without the internet, we wouldn't have all those incredibly moving, emotionally fulfilling things to take in and share with those we love, like LOLcats and epic fail vids.
So very true – we do need others in a multitude of ways. "No man is an island."
I liked the post…echoed some thoughts I have had so far….and it is true…when one feels connected, one feels more confident of the art one does…
You're right; more of us are saying our piece (or painting it or whatever). But how many of us have time to hear it, read it, or see it? A million small voices can never equal one great writer or artist…
I love your pages and your form of self-expression, it is a pleasure to have you share your gifts through your pages Thank you. I have nominated you for blog of the Year please visit my page Blog of the year awards and nominations Thank you! Revised
Posted on December 9, 2012
Very nice article, thank you for sharing, it is so much true !
These words are art themselves; an artistic expression of truth, understanding, and inspiration.
It does have to come out, this creativity. Some love the written word, some love drawing and painting, whatever it is it has to come and it is truly all worth it when someone else, acknowledges it. This is so true. Especially someone you don't know. Excellent observation!!!
Excellent article! I agree that Internet is providing endless opportunities to us and it's only the matter of hard work, talent and desire which help us to achieve something.
I used to think art could be lonely, but it's really a conversation. It's always a product of the time and aesthetic (and philosophical/political/everything else) context of the world
I agree, Christian! I have been an artist since the 1980's, before the internet had such a wide audience. I took a drawing class and created graphite pencil pieces for gifts. After a while, I let other interests and college take over my free time. Except for my journal, I didn't write much outside of work until 2009 when I finished my degree. Writing my blog amped up the motivation because I could share what I wrote. At the end of 2011, I rekindled my artisitic passion by entering a drawing contest that led to an opportunity to show my work in two venues, one of which is long term. This past spring, my sister asked me to draw cherry blossoms and add a little color. I just couldn't create beautifully vibrant cherry blossoms in black and white, even with a little color. Instead, I painted my first watercolor piece. The reaction I got and the excitement I felt sharing the painting with my sister spurred me to paint more. Last week, I submitted 10 of my pieces to a call for artists. I don't know what will come from taking this risk, but I know sharing my art has brought me much joy this year! I also write about my art on my blog, so I get to share both passions. The internet has played a wonderful role in resurging and expanding my creativity.
Reblogged this on theapplestar.
Yes! That is very, very true! I absolutely agree with you. I don't need to say anything else. :)
Spot on!
When I first began to write songs in 1979, the only hope I had of being heard outside of my local circle of listeners was by submitting material to publishers through the mail in hopes of impressing one of them enough to sign me to a publishing contract so that they could peddle my music to artists or record companies that might be interested in covering what they deemed to be a prospective "hit".Talk about long shots. I'll take the over saturated web any day. At least I have some control of where I can be heard and who can hear me, not to mention that creatively, I am not restricted to the mainstream, hit making formulas that record executives would prefer their writers stick to so that they can make the highest margin of profit. I can write what I want when I want. and I can invent and re-invent myself as I grow. I gave up becoming rich on what I do a long, long time ago. I do it for the love of the game. My premiss has always been, if my work affects, influences, or inspires just one listener, then I've done my job. I plant my seed in as many places as I can and hope for the best. And through the years, many valuable connections have been made…connections that would never have materialized if it weren't for the internet. It has leveled the playing field between the music industry's hit factory and the nobody's of this world. I now have more opportunities than ever to be heard around the world, and I can keep hoping and trying, as I have been, to find ways of standing out in the crowd just long enough to get one more hit…one more listen…one more connection.
Like this post and the responses to it. At over 60 I still say I'll get to, or back to, my art…maybe be a Grandma Moses for music or writing. Or maybe I'll finally get to take visual art lessons or just mess around, enjoy and share. Nice to know others' are accepting of the concept to create and share your creation without fear.
And then there is the vantage point that shows us all the Internet artists from about 2000 mile straight up – from "outer space" – from there they appear as nodes in a huge network that Teilhard de Chardin called the Noosphere – the thinking layer of the Earth. So we all as part of the organs of expression of this Being called the Earth are speaking, writing, painting to tell ourselves about ourself, because otherwise we can't know ourself. And on goes the story…