Your Art Is More Than Metrics
Resisting the Digital Reduction
Kind reminder: Social media wants you to keep pumping content out.
It isn’t making you feel this way because it supports you.
It is, in fact, only trying to keep people glued to their phones.
It doesn’t care about what inspires you, or the ideas you yearn to try.
In fact, it will likely make you feel like you need to pick a lane and stick with it.
You are told to pick a niche, build your personal brand, and don’t come at me telling me you don’t need a niche anymore.
And what is a brand? It is a promise.
I know this because I help build them as a designer. Thought, research, and time go into crafting their voice, visuals, persona. I help write entire decks dedicated to this. For a brand to evolve, thought and strategy are used.
It is for this reason I think I have struggled with the idea of my own personal brand. Over breakfast this week, my partner asked if I felt pressure to build a personal brand as I work towards my longer goals of selling my art and writing. My visceral response was instant; I do not want to care about my personal brand. I had a second anti-brand tantrum. I was annoyed. Why?
I am human. I am an artist. I don’t want to promise to stick to a niche. I don’t want to only focus on one style, one modality, one way of expression.
It feels claustrophobic. And I am not interested.
It doesn’t mean I don’t want to grow as a photographer or return to painting. I practice writing every week. I have topics and themes I like to explore. And I know through this, you can argue I have a brand or a niche. But I need the space to follow ideas and grow.
Which brings me back to social media. As a photographer and creator, I like to share my work. But I have to remind myself that reach does not mean my work is not good. My follower count does not reflect my value as a photographer or writer.
Social media is simply a way to capture an audience's attention to sell them ads these days.
I recently saw a post on Threads that Meta sent a survey out about paying $149.99 to get more exposure.
They don’t care how good or bad work is. They don’t care how much content you made so they could sell ad space. Remember, it isn’t about you. It is about making shareholders money. And that means selling to the creators what they trained them to crave: reach, attention, exposure. Selling our attention to brands in the way of ad space.
I write this for myself just as much as for you. I am a photographer, of course I want my work to be seen! I am human, of course I notice metrics. But I cannot obsess over them. I have other things to think about, like my art. I do not want to be confined to a narrow lane.
I sometimes think of artists whose studies and works are collected, wondering how they would have grown and evolved if they had been preoccupied with some phone app. Take Georgia O’Keeffe as an example. When I think of her work, I think of flowers, but she also painted skyscrapers, abstractions, the desert, and skulls.
Artists, no matter the medium, need space to try ideas, build worlds, and be unsuccessful, so they can try again.
“To create one's own world, in any of the arts, takes courage.” ― Georgia O'Keeffe
So remember, social media isn’t a reflection of the value of your art and work, it is simply a reflection of how well content can be manipulated to maximize engagement and profit.
Our creativity is not merely a commodity to be monetized but an expression of our humanity.
What I am reading this week
The essay on self-reliance
by Emerson, Ralph Waldo
In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s "Self-Reliance" is a call to arms for the individual to trust themselves, follow their own instincts, and embrace their personal uniqueness, free from societal conformity. Emerson argues that being true to oneself is the key to personal fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment.
You can read it in the Internet Archive HERE.
Artist you should know (because drama + art)
This week, I started watching "Ripley," a series filled with tension, beautiful visuals, and captivating storytelling. At one point, they mentioned Caravaggio—the painter whose works I've admired since my first art history class. Intriguingly, it was noted that he murdered a pimp. This was certainly not covered in my art history class, which led me to digging into the drama and his life.
Caravaggio, born Michelangelo Merisi in 1571, lived a life as dramatic as it was controversial. Orphaned at a young age and later moving to Rome, he found himself amidst both the splendour and the squalor of the city. His art, known for its raw realism and emotional depth, earned the admiration of wealthy patrons and the critical eyes of many.
His fiery temper matched his artistic genius. His life was marked by frequent brawls and escapades, including a notorious murder that forced him to flee and live as a fugitive. Yet, amidst this chaos, he continued to produce masterpieces that blurred the lines between the sacred and the profane, infusing biblical themes with a vivid, earthy humanity.
Caravaggio died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 38. Despite his brief and tumultuous career, he left behind a legacy that continues to resonate through the centuries, marked by a deep understanding of human nature and a relentless pursuit of artistic truth.
Personal Work
I sunk four serene hours into exploring the enchanting grounds of Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra.
If you are curious about the estate, it features a Romantic palace and chapel, along with luxurious gardens, lakes, grottoes, and enigmatic constructions, like the famous Initiation Wells.
Here a selection of images from the grounds:
Hey, you made it to the end! I have a little secret for you!
I started rucking again this week, and I am very sore! With my summer hiking goals in mind, I remember that last year my biggest challenge was lugging around a heavy bag packed not just with camping gear but also my camera equipment. To better prepare for this season, I’ve begun rucking daily.
Now, even the morning dog walks see me decked out with a full hiking backpack. So yes, I am the strange person ‘hiking’ their dog walk.
