Blah, blah, blog…
By Amy Williams
“What is blogging?” one of my friends recently asked after seeing my name listed as a blogger in the paper. “It’s kind of on-line journaling,” I told her. “Less objective maybe and more personal opinion.”
As a therapist, I have teenage clients who frequently show me their blogs. You can find blogs covering all kinds of subjects online now. When Charly Hamilton and I considered blogging for the Gazz, we realized that as working artists it could be dangerous territory to write about other artists and art in general. In our short time blogging, we have already offended people and been warned by other artists how any criticism might not be received well.
Fortunately, we decided early on that our purpose in blogging and writing the occasional review for the paper (whether online or in print) was to get the word out about what’s going on in the art world. The now defunct Cranky Artist, along with Gazette reporter Bob Schwartz, hold the role of critics. Cranky probably hit more nails on the head, as he/she was anonymous.(Watch for the revival of Cranky-style blogging soon at thegazz — gazzeditor) Charly and I (and probably even Bob) are often more discreet, and usually our criticism is what we choose to write about and what we do not.
At least we are working artists — creating, showing, applying for grants and juried exhibits. I like it when people who practice something are the ones who write about it. It’s not that we’re experts, but we are definitely understanding of what other artists experience in the creation process.
While blogging hasn’t completely caught on in West Virginia, it’s still a powerful way to share news, opinions and throw challenges out there. In Robert Genn’s online and e-mail artist newsletter (www.painterskeys.com), a recent article on blogging talked of the benefits of writing art blogs. Is blogging a way to market yourself, to get your art out there? Art is about both the work and the artist themselves. Some artists have great followings, and it seems their persona is a key factor (and their friends). Of course, there are great artists who don’t market themselves at all (and performers, too, who let their work speak for itself).
Maybe it’s a delicate balance of creating art you are proud of and engaging other people in believing in your work. One thing Charly and I defintely agree upon — we are attached to our art work and are often sad to see it go. We want to know where it is. But neither of us like to create in a vacuum either. It’s always great to be included in an exhibit or to find someone who wants to pay you for a piece of work you’ve created.
We also want to link up other people, to profile other artists and their work. We want to continue creating a community where art is better appreciated and collected. In our world of daily stress - war, political infighting, the healthcare mess — we have personally found solace in art, both our own art and others. What better way to share that good news than through the power of the blog?
At www.blogger.com they define the word: “A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.”
We need more bloggers on LocalArt - of all age groups and interested in all kinds of art. If you like what we’re doing, hurrah! BUT if you don’t like what we’re doing, then tell us about it… we’ll listen!
