Why it's Pinteresting to me
I get that Pinterest's appeal is a mystery to some. Click on the image and then what?
Well, here's the main reason why I use Pinterest: for the same reason most artists have a Stash. Something about the image (or the idea behind it) appeals to me, and I want to put it in a virtual pocket to use later.
Also, pins take up a lot less room than my real-world paper stash.
Other reasons:
Things I've Learned While Pinning:
Seductive little hits of dopamine for our brains, and some of us are more vulnerable to it than others. "I can stop whenever I want to. I just don't want to."
Why do you -- or don't you -- use Pinterest? Tell me in the comments.
Also, pins take up a lot less room than my real-world paper stash.
Other reasons:
- rifling through other people's
brainsboards. Kind of like when you're a kid visiting a friend's house and you get to see what their room looks like. - as a low-key Look What I Made billboard for friends I haven't met yet. And if I'm lucky, they'll say "hey! That's really cool!" And "Can I have one of those you made?"
- finding thought-provoking quotes styled in eye-catching typography -- pretty and smart
Things I've Learned While Pinning:
- wow, does Pinterest ever slow down around 5pm (in any time zone). Quittin' time must be pinnin' time!
- spammers like to use "bit.ly" as an pin image source. Also, they don't seem to realize randomly-titled boards, with less than five pins each, featuring a scantily-clad girl in the profile photo, are red flags.
- some people think "my style" means "my products for sale" and "crediting sources" means "plastering my business URL in every image description." Yeah... no.
Seductive little hits of dopamine for our brains, and some of us are more vulnerable to it than others. "I can stop whenever I want to. I just don't want to."
Why do you -- or don't you -- use Pinterest? Tell me in the comments.
Hurray for art collectors!
You might remember one of my collectors (I love that word) fell in love with "Greener," the artwork based on stories about my mother. Let's call him the mysterious Mr. T. (That's him painting a sketch for the Sketchbook Project.)
Mr. T and I worked out an installment plan to purchase "Greener," and recently he just delivered the final payment! Whoo-hoo! He just graduated college, so his funds are a bit limited, but art is important enough to him to include it in his budget.
Speaking of collectors, I also want to thank two other collectors: Janine Shea and Glenda Hoagland, who between them added four smaller pieces to their own collections. Hopefully they've received their thank-you notes.
Speaking of collectors, I also want to thank two other collectors: Janine Shea and Glenda Hoagland, who between them added four smaller pieces to their own collections. Hopefully they've received their thank-you notes.
Artfest: Lessons for the future
Artfest has been such an important part of my artistic development that its end almost feels like I've lost an eye I didn't even realize I had.
It gave me a new way of looking at my world and my art, even when I wasn't surrounded by my Artfest peeps.
A few valuable lessons I've learned from four joyously creative Artfests:
Ask for help, early and often. Of all learning environments, this was the place to ask for help when I needed it, but no. When I fell behind, I panicked and made things worse by not asking for help. Not this year. And voila -- no meltdown. Only took four years to learn that one.
No one can buy your art if they don't know you're selling it. Each year, I'd brought art to sell in the Artfest gallery/showcase; each year, I brought it home when it didn't sell. So I assumed my friends knew I wanted to sell mini-collages there this year... and didn't tell anyone about the artwork. They only found out when I mentioned I'd have to take the unsold collages home. One person bought a mini-collage right then and there. Another bought three more later that day. [holsters gun to stop shooting self in the foot]
People will find money for what they really want. See that piece above? A recent college graduate -- and budding art collector -- is purchasing "Greener" on an installment plan. No, he's not making a lot of money right now. But he decided he wanted to have "Greener" because he liked the story behind it, and because it will remind him of me. Well, that's ten different kinds of awesome right there.
I once read when you create a piece of art (visual, written, or otherwise), the work will reveal things about you that you'd never intended to show. The prospect of that kind of exposure is still unnerving. But you know... Artfest also taught me those revelations are valuable to others as well as myself.
I once read when you create a piece of art (visual, written, or otherwise), the work will reveal things about you that you'd never intended to show. The prospect of that kind of exposure is still unnerving. But you know... Artfest also taught me those revelations are valuable to others as well as myself.