I find myself struggling the increasingly contentification of pretty much everything, esp as an artist. on one hand, being on social media would allow me to have some channel for creativity. but on the other, it's very challenging to become visible and it eats me that i have to spend so much time, energy, and even have to feel as though i have to begged for attention (which makes me feel sad because i dont want to feel the audience they're being deceived)
right now, I've been staying away from social media. And I'm thankful that I'm focusing on having fun with drawing again and find the intrinsic motivation for wanting to do this. And improve on my craft. But I still fear that I'd still have to participate in this algorithm-driven, with attention as precious commodity. For i still crave for that validation, for wanting to feel I'm connected to someone. that deep inside, i want to feel I'm not the only one that enjoyed the fruits of my labor.
I still don't know how to go about this. I fear that i will be trapped again in feeling invisible or that lack of likes and engagement is somehow indicative of my failure as an artist. Or that something like art needs to justify its existence by the material goods, or the opportunity it could provide. i want it to be the reason, not only of what it could provide me. and im really sad about that
“At a time of inflation and economic precarity for many people and jobs worsening in quality, there is certainly a sense of scramble and bleak girlbossery.” This bit made me think of the ICYMI episode Should Influencers Unionize? where they talk about influencing’s roots into the 2008 financial crisis & how it resurfaces in new models (blogging to vlogging to tiktok) recession after recession - if you haven’t listened it’s an interesting one!
I haven’t listened to that specifically but have def heard something similar come up related to regulation in the context of protections for child influencers the way California has laws about child actors
Thank you so much for this Anson! You pinpointed a lot of the thoughts I was having, including monetization on Substack, and the pros and pitfalls of influencing and capitalism. Loved this :)
I find myself struggling the increasingly contentification of pretty much everything, esp as an artist. on one hand, being on social media would allow me to have some channel for creativity. but on the other, it's very challenging to become visible and it eats me that i have to spend so much time, energy, and even have to feel as though i have to begged for attention (which makes me feel sad because i dont want to feel the audience they're being deceived)
right now, I've been staying away from social media. And I'm thankful that I'm focusing on having fun with drawing again and find the intrinsic motivation for wanting to do this. And improve on my craft. But I still fear that I'd still have to participate in this algorithm-driven, with attention as precious commodity. For i still crave for that validation, for wanting to feel I'm connected to someone. that deep inside, i want to feel I'm not the only one that enjoyed the fruits of my labor.
I still don't know how to go about this. I fear that i will be trapped again in feeling invisible or that lack of likes and engagement is somehow indicative of my failure as an artist. Or that something like art needs to justify its existence by the material goods, or the opportunity it could provide. i want it to be the reason, not only of what it could provide me. and im really sad about that
“At a time of inflation and economic precarity for many people and jobs worsening in quality, there is certainly a sense of scramble and bleak girlbossery.” This bit made me think of the ICYMI episode Should Influencers Unionize? where they talk about influencing’s roots into the 2008 financial crisis & how it resurfaces in new models (blogging to vlogging to tiktok) recession after recession - if you haven’t listened it’s an interesting one!
I haven’t listened to that specifically but have def heard something similar come up related to regulation in the context of protections for child influencers the way California has laws about child actors
Just spent all day subscribing to about 100 newsletters so I can start ignoring Twitter and everything else as much as possible.
Tired of new age gods being in control of my content.
Thank you so much for this Anson! You pinpointed a lot of the thoughts I was having, including monetization on Substack, and the pros and pitfalls of influencing and capitalism. Loved this :)
thank you!!!! I’m glad it resonated :)