In the past, I have tried to have separate social media accounts for "business" and personal - so information about and pictures of the custom stationery designs I did through Invites by Andrea, and watercolor paintings or colored pencil illustrations I'd completed and was looking to sell, would be posted to or tweeted from a specific "Invites by Andrea" Facebook page or Twitter account. And all the other things I did that were not specifically art-related (like retweeting pictures of adorable puppies or awesome feminist zingers; or commenting on political articles my impassioned husband posted to his Facebook wall; or sharing photographs I'd taken on vacations), I did from my personal account.
And maybe for some people that system works. And maybe that's the way it should work. Maybe I'm wrong now, in deciding to step away from that model. But (at the moment) I don't think so.
Artists and writers put their personalities into their work more than many other professionals do. When I create a story around a certain character, you better believe that protagonist has at least something in common with me, and has a story to tell that I relate to, or envy, or fantasize about, or actively fear. And when I paint or draw, even if it's something seemingly innocuous, like a teacup or a bouquet of flowers, you can bet the end result is influenced by my current mood, my past insecurities, my dreams for the future. It's not like I sit down and consciously decide I'm going to write a story about my high school friends, or create a watercolor emphasizing the pale lavender and bright yellow of my childhood bedroom decor, but personal details about me have a way of eking out of my pores and dripping into my work.
And if I can't keep myself out of my work, why should I keep myself out of the internet presence I'm putting out there about my work? And if I'm putting all of myself out there, why not use my real name, why not just use my personal accounts to also conduct my business? It's a hell of a lot easier for me to just manage one Facebook page, one Twitter handle, one Pinterest, than juggling multiples of each.
So here we are. This blog uses my real name (because that is the name I sign to my artwork). And if you want to find me on Twitter, or Instagram, or Pinterest, you can find me on my personal accounts: @afrownfe. (The name comes from the automatic email address I was given as a student at Eastern Michigan University - the first letter of my first name and the first seven letters of my maiden name.)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/afrownfe
Instagram: https://instagram.com/afrownfe/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtworkByAndreaArbit
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afrownfe/
Hope to see you soon on social media! :)
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| Speaking of sharing photographs from travel, here's a pic of the view out the window when I went to Denver for an interview in May earlier this year :) |
And maybe for some people that system works. And maybe that's the way it should work. Maybe I'm wrong now, in deciding to step away from that model. But (at the moment) I don't think so.
Artists and writers put their personalities into their work more than many other professionals do. When I create a story around a certain character, you better believe that protagonist has at least something in common with me, and has a story to tell that I relate to, or envy, or fantasize about, or actively fear. And when I paint or draw, even if it's something seemingly innocuous, like a teacup or a bouquet of flowers, you can bet the end result is influenced by my current mood, my past insecurities, my dreams for the future. It's not like I sit down and consciously decide I'm going to write a story about my high school friends, or create a watercolor emphasizing the pale lavender and bright yellow of my childhood bedroom decor, but personal details about me have a way of eking out of my pores and dripping into my work.
And if I can't keep myself out of my work, why should I keep myself out of the internet presence I'm putting out there about my work? And if I'm putting all of myself out there, why not use my real name, why not just use my personal accounts to also conduct my business? It's a hell of a lot easier for me to just manage one Facebook page, one Twitter handle, one Pinterest, than juggling multiples of each.
So here we are. This blog uses my real name (because that is the name I sign to my artwork). And if you want to find me on Twitter, or Instagram, or Pinterest, you can find me on my personal accounts: @afrownfe. (The name comes from the automatic email address I was given as a student at Eastern Michigan University - the first letter of my first name and the first seven letters of my maiden name.)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/afrownfe
Instagram: https://instagram.com/afrownfe/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtworkByAndreaArbit
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/afrownfe/
Hope to see you soon on social media! :)
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