Now that I have full control over the direction of what I write and -especially- show on my own website, it feels like I am free again. The online thought police is influencing creative minds in a negative way and puts much pressure on its users to deliver content as much as possible. Additionally, we already know that hardly anyone truly reads our contributions due to an excess of information. After all, everyone wants to be seen and fighting to be on the frontrows, right? It is good to distance yourself from the idea that everyone can look constantly over your shoulder. It is even better not to have to read someone else’s unsolicited opinion and be influenced by all kind of trends and temporary hypes.
Artists are often lost in their own thoughts
Being an artist is quite a lonely pursuit. The internet has changed that in the last 20 years, but generally, artists are often lost in their own thoughts. They need this time to come up with new and original ideas, to reflect on things from the past, and to take time for a lot of research in what they are interested in and what they want to create. Artists spend a lot of time processing ideas and improving their skills. The current modern technological society gives them less and less time for these essential and crucial matters. Self-reflection cannot be done online.
Promoting has become an activity for the masses
The emphasis is increasingly on promoting and selling our creations, and everyone wants something from you. In my opinion, promoting has become an activity for the masses. We think we can do it ourselves with all these technological tools. Not so! I believe that many artists (and people in general) are wasting a lot of their time with all these ready made tools. Time that could be better invest in improving your actual profession. So, for the moment it is not a bad idea to stop striving for online visibility, because we didn’t really saw each other anyway!