Put down the bird and just walk away
Good evening and Happy New Year to all members of The Tribe!
Lots of interesting things are happening around my place lately. My husband, Keith, who is a poet, recently got introduced to Twitter. I have had an account for quite some time. To say he is enjoying it is an understatement! It began as a way to promote his upcoming third book of poetry -- "Lifelong Road." (He's good, ya'll. Once it's released, you will definitely want to check it out.)
He set up the Twitter account to promote his book -- the same reason I set up mine. However, he found that he has enjoyed networking with other poets, writers, and music artists. My husband LOVES music (as I do -- it's one of the many things we have in common) and he enjoys finding new prog rock bands to check out.
Allow me a moment to step away from my main point as I have to state what should be obvious to all Tribal folks out there. The obvious is the the fact that everything is changing. Indie bands/musicians/writers/artists are getting strut their stuff these days. People are expressing their creativity in new and exciting ways and there has been nothing like it on this scale before -- ever.
Does that make it tough to promote one's work when one is just a drop in a sea of artists? Well, yes it does. However, it seems to me that some chance of being noticed is better than no chance at all. Before, we were only exposed to a select few who had "made it." Now, we get to see a wider variety -- some of these artists are admittedly raw. However, I think it's rewarding to see the defects get ironed out. To watch raw talent get polished into something amazing is so exciting. Being a writer, I am thrilled with the possibilities for small publishers and indie artists these days. There are co-ops and all sorts of options now.
Okay -- that's my deviation for the moment. Back to the point -- social media.
I recently had a direct message from a writer I was following who asked me why I "Tweeted." I said it was to promote my upcoming book and I enjoyed networking with other writers. I asked him the same question in return. He said he wanted to sell a few books at first, but that Twitter had taken over his keyboard.
My husband and I have discovered this same distraction. I want to remind all of you creative folks out there that cultivating a following and/or audience is important, BUT the most important thing is your art -- whatever your chosen medium might be. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other forms of social media are fun, but sometimes when you want to tweet, you just need to put the bird down and walk away.
Dole out that time carefully. Your book, your art, your latest album is NOT going to get finished while you are distracted by these things. Learn how to shut the world out ... slow down ... get in that creative zone. You know the one ... go to that place where the magic happens. C'mon. You know what I mean. Don't be coy. All of us Tribal folks know exactly what that place is and most of us have cultivated our own maps to get there.
Speaking of which -- I need to get out of here and get back to work and so should you.
I hope your New Year is filled with health, blessings, and prosperity. I hope you see dreams become a reality.
Hugs are on the house.
Until next time,
LA
Lots of interesting things are happening around my place lately. My husband, Keith, who is a poet, recently got introduced to Twitter. I have had an account for quite some time. To say he is enjoying it is an understatement! It began as a way to promote his upcoming third book of poetry -- "Lifelong Road." (He's good, ya'll. Once it's released, you will definitely want to check it out.)
He set up the Twitter account to promote his book -- the same reason I set up mine. However, he found that he has enjoyed networking with other poets, writers, and music artists. My husband LOVES music (as I do -- it's one of the many things we have in common) and he enjoys finding new prog rock bands to check out.
Allow me a moment to step away from my main point as I have to state what should be obvious to all Tribal folks out there. The obvious is the the fact that everything is changing. Indie bands/musicians/writers/artists are getting strut their stuff these days. People are expressing their creativity in new and exciting ways and there has been nothing like it on this scale before -- ever.
Does that make it tough to promote one's work when one is just a drop in a sea of artists? Well, yes it does. However, it seems to me that some chance of being noticed is better than no chance at all. Before, we were only exposed to a select few who had "made it." Now, we get to see a wider variety -- some of these artists are admittedly raw. However, I think it's rewarding to see the defects get ironed out. To watch raw talent get polished into something amazing is so exciting. Being a writer, I am thrilled with the possibilities for small publishers and indie artists these days. There are co-ops and all sorts of options now.
Okay -- that's my deviation for the moment. Back to the point -- social media.
I recently had a direct message from a writer I was following who asked me why I "Tweeted." I said it was to promote my upcoming book and I enjoyed networking with other writers. I asked him the same question in return. He said he wanted to sell a few books at first, but that Twitter had taken over his keyboard.
My husband and I have discovered this same distraction. I want to remind all of you creative folks out there that cultivating a following and/or audience is important, BUT the most important thing is your art -- whatever your chosen medium might be. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other forms of social media are fun, but sometimes when you want to tweet, you just need to put the bird down and walk away.
Dole out that time carefully. Your book, your art, your latest album is NOT going to get finished while you are distracted by these things. Learn how to shut the world out ... slow down ... get in that creative zone. You know the one ... go to that place where the magic happens. C'mon. You know what I mean. Don't be coy. All of us Tribal folks know exactly what that place is and most of us have cultivated our own maps to get there.
Speaking of which -- I need to get out of here and get back to work and so should you.
I hope your New Year is filled with health, blessings, and prosperity. I hope you see dreams become a reality.
Hugs are on the house.
Until next time,
LA
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