Why Blog? Well to start , I will let Victor Hugo describe the condition I was doomed to play out if I did not find an outlet for my melodrama. In this passage he describes Ursus, my most favorite character in all of literature in the book “ The Man Who Laughs”...
“Ursus was great in soliloquy. Of a disposition at once unsociable and talkative, desiring to see no one, yet wishing to converse with some one, he got out of the difficulty by talking to himself. Any one who has lived a solitary life knows how deeply seated monologue is in one's nature. Speech imprisoned frets to find a vent. To harangue space is an outlet. To speak out aloud when alone is as it were to have a dialogue with the divinity which is within. It was, as is well known, a custom of Socrates; he declaimed to himself. Luther did the same. Ursus took after those great men. He had the hermaphrodite faculty of being his own audience. He questioned himself, answered himself, praised himself, blamed himself. You heard him in the street soliloquizing in his van. The passers-by, who have their own way of appreciating clever people, used to say:
He is an idiot. As we have just observed, he abused himself at times; but there were times also when he rendered himself justice. “
It is in the spirit of stopping my mental self abuse and seeking justice that I have sought and found an outlet in Blogging. I have sparred my wife and friends the disabuse of cornering me and gently smiling as they escort me to a nice white house with large men in white bath robes. Come this way Frank, this is where angst ridden artists rest and seek solace as we premix tempera colors for you. Please don’t lick the brush. Now sit here at this corner. Smell the crocus.
Blogging has also been a cheap medicinal outlet instead of paying for much needed psychotherapy and the expensive use of psychotropic drugs and stimulants. Would I have been lobotomized? Quien sabe...Art can drive you crazy and it almost did me in. Stop me someone when I dash out onto the street naked like Nietzche. Art has Narcissism in its operating system and we must be on guard so that we don’t believe or disallow all the views and comments aimed at our efforts. Since mastery in the arts is so difficult, we artists can easily get wrapped up in our own worlds and have no idea that the house is on fire. Just think if Van Gogh had a blog. We could have helped him and praised him and maybe stopped him from over thinking and fretting so much. Forget about Gaugain ...you will surpass him Vincent...trust me.
It is in the spirit of communal sharing and comraderie that Blogging can have a healthy and beneficial outcome if the pitfalls are recognized.
So this brings me to Mary’s question which I will now share.....and my response along with some embellishments.
An old illustration. When the internet bug hit, I signed some of my pieces with my then email address. It was amazing to get feedback on my illustrations from fans. Check out all that old hardware.____
HI Frank:
Sorry to bother you - I know how busy you are. But I was thinking about your suggestion for me to write a blog. I have thought about it before, but really, I can't think of what I could write about that would be of interest to anyone else - there are so many blogs out there that I follow because they are so interesting and informative (like yours) - but I don't feel I could add anything new. Also, it seems so time consuming.
Do you find it hard to keep up with writing a blog? Does it seem like it is just one more deadline that you must meet? Or do you really like doing it? It is so nice to talk "art" with people all over the world that I have never met - so I really enjoy that part.
I guess what it boils down to is that I am afraid that it would infringe on my already short painting time. Do you feel that way?
Hey Mary,
Its been a pleasure meeting fellow artists like you in the digital world. I was thinking about your question for awhile now as a few of my fellow art friends have asked me the same question. And since at the end of this month I will have been blogging for a year...its seems that your question is very relevant as I have been in the mood to reassess why I did this in the first place.
For one, there is an embedded isolationism in the field of art. Although you can paint in a group setting, for the most part its not like being on a sports team . Artists pretty much swish the brush alone. Having a blog connects you to other artists struggling and grasping after this thing called painting. It really is a difficult craft and getting honest feedback is very helpful. Also, the encouragement goes along way. In the real world, I have enjoyed plein air painting with a friend and then afterwards having a beer and talking art. Its the best. Blogging is a close second.
Also, there are some artists like Jim Gurney and Stapleton Kearns, that are gifted writers and artists accomplished in their fields who also have a desire to share their vast knowledge of art and also have a teachers heart. A Blog is really conducive in helping and directing aspiring artists to locate good art and good training, even though it may not be hands on. Also, some just share what's going on in the art world where others share artwork that needs to be seen and addressed to this generation that has long been overlooked and discarded.
I've also seen artists that just want to chronicle what they have painted and share a digital notebook. I have found , as I look over some of my past posts, that I have seen growth in my own work and it helps me to climb up the ladder of development of my artistic skills. Hey, I say to myself...that wasnt so bad after all. Also, by posting, it keeps me accountable to a small group of followers. You can kinda tell when you have produced a stinker as well as a hit. But no matter, the process can be enjoyable and by keeping a digital diary we can connect to other artists who are traveling on the same dusty path.
It's also a great way for potential and current clients to get familiar with you. I have secured sales and commissions by having potential clients read about my goings on. Others have Blogged as a mere source of income such as the Daily Painters. In fact, I often times hear that question from an outsider...Can you make any money with a Blog? Many have...it depends on your talent and marketing skills . Also, Media has shed the spotlight on some Blogs and the artists harpoons the giant whale. Bill Guffy's Blog comes to mind.
Also, since I paint sacred art, it is a way to share the gospel and encourage others in their walk. I can't and should not put my light under a dark closet of canvases. I try to avoid being preachy although when you are opinionated like me, it can be almost impossible. I is what I is.
I am REALLY very hyper active so posting is almost a neurotic activity for me. But I have also seen artists post once a week or infrequently with good results. People want to know that there is a real feeling person at the other end. We don't have to be alone. We can share the joys, the struggles, the breakthroughs and surprises. I have also found, and this is between you and me, that the older the artist the more interesting the blog because they have just plain lived a bit more and life has dealt them a reality check. So their experience is priceless.
So, to answer some of your questions. Yes, I enjoy blogging. I don't do too much TV so blogging is a constructive use of time for me.
Frank
I also want to add some other points. Blogging has made me more productive and aware of how I produce my paintings. Being in the Blogoshere opens up the door to see how others have achieved good results. I remember getting a magazine called “ Step by Step “ Graphics and I was always amazed how artists shared their secrets. Now you can go straight to the source and get it unedited from them! Unbelievable! Let’s face it and be Frank. Artists by their very nature desire the approval of their peers. Even Macchiaveli was smart enough to figure out that man has a deep desire to be respected and recognized and to be loved. That’s why the “ Godfather” resonates with men when the mafioso says...” You show me no respect” .
Also, I have never liked the term “ Lurker” to a person who does not comment but reads and looks at Blogs. It sounds a bit creepy. I would rather hear the term “ Sideliner” . It means that you are part of the team but are not in the game. Yeah, some comments sting at times, but isn’t that a good thing as it makes us stronger and better as people as well as artists?
Also, Blogging has exposed me to artists that were shunned as a result of the tyranny of the Modernists. I am blessed to read about all the amazing talent that went unrecognized for so long. So many Bloggers have a vast inventory of knowledge that they are sharing. It really is amazing and beautiful how artists have collected and learned about so many other artists past and present.
Well there you have it. Some thoughts that you may consider. If some of you have found other benefits I sure would love to hear them and I am positive that others are interested as well!
blessings
_________
oil on linen
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