I started this blog six months ago. My (main) purpose in starting it was to utilize another platform to talk about my artwork - a supplement for Etsy, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, where I could write in more detail and show more photographs of my drawings, designs, and paintings. To this end, I have several posts featuring the artwork itself - the physical process that goes into their creation, as well as the finished work.
But I've also been writing posts that are more like standard journal entries - comments on my religious/spiritual beliefs and philosophy, anecdotes about my life (past or present), and "think pieces" on feminism, or feminist issues that I feel compelled to comment on (typically commentary on privilege and oppression, whether strictly feminist or not).
These posts might seem like they have very little to do with art, but they are certainly indicative of the sorts of thoughts that go through my mind, and these thoughts (whether consciously or not) do influence my artwork, simply because they influence me. That is why I include these posts on this blog - because I think they give a clearer picture of who I am as a person who creates things and as a person in general.
I try not to write too many such posts. For one thing, they often take a long time to write (though, some of my other posts take awhile too, especially if there are a lot of photos of an artwork in process that need to be uploaded and discussed). But mainly, my concern is that to do so would be to turn this blog into a daily account of my thought processes or endless think-pieces on feminism, and that is not my true intent. I am an artist. I am also a feminist, yes - and a writer. But there are already a hundred other blogs and websites dedicated to these topics - and written by those with a greater knowledge of them. And my main goal in creating this blog was to have a space to focus on my artwork - with the hopes that I could inspire readers to look at my Etsy store, strike up a conversation with me about my art, and maybe make a purchase or two.
I would love to be a working artist - that is, an artist who regularly makes a profit on her work. I am not yet at that place. I do make the occasional sale, but it is not regular or predictable, and rarely does it actually cover the cost I've put in - for the art supplies, for the Etsy listing fees, and for the time and effort I put in to the creation of the work and into the writing of these blog posts. There is probably more I could be doing to try to get to that place, and I am working on figuring out what those steps are and getting the courage to do them.
On the other hand, it is often these exact posts that get the most response. They are my posts that have the most page views, my posts that get the most hits or likes on Twitter. They do not spur Etsy sales, but they do bring traffic to my blog. And for this reason (and because of who I am), I will continue to write them.
But they are not meant to be specific. If you are looking for commentary on recent events or political candidates, you have come to the wrong place. I encourage you to follow me on Twitter if that is your aim - I often retweet or like articles there that I find well-written and well-informed. But I want this blog to be more timeless; I want to be able to send someone to this blog in five or ten years to read about my artwork and my journey as an artist without said future person having to sift through posts about things that are no longer current or no longer applicable. Because this is, first and foremost, a blog about me and my artwork, and not about current events. So when I do write such posts, they will be about broader topics - i.e. systems of privilege and oppression. They may cite specific examples, but the aim is more far-reaching.
This is how my blog has evolved in the six months since I started it; this is the way it is now, or the way I want to be. I'm pretty proud of myself for posting an entry every single day for six months (that's a lot of work!), but I have seen a lot of hits because of this, so I think it's worth it and for now will continue to set daily posts as my goal.
As always, if you are interested in viewing my artwork, visit my Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/ArtworkbyAndreaArbit. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram at the handle @afrownfe.
Thanks to all of my readers! I love seeing my page views climb!
But I've also been writing posts that are more like standard journal entries - comments on my religious/spiritual beliefs and philosophy, anecdotes about my life (past or present), and "think pieces" on feminism, or feminist issues that I feel compelled to comment on (typically commentary on privilege and oppression, whether strictly feminist or not).
These posts might seem like they have very little to do with art, but they are certainly indicative of the sorts of thoughts that go through my mind, and these thoughts (whether consciously or not) do influence my artwork, simply because they influence me. That is why I include these posts on this blog - because I think they give a clearer picture of who I am as a person who creates things and as a person in general.
I try not to write too many such posts. For one thing, they often take a long time to write (though, some of my other posts take awhile too, especially if there are a lot of photos of an artwork in process that need to be uploaded and discussed). But mainly, my concern is that to do so would be to turn this blog into a daily account of my thought processes or endless think-pieces on feminism, and that is not my true intent. I am an artist. I am also a feminist, yes - and a writer. But there are already a hundred other blogs and websites dedicated to these topics - and written by those with a greater knowledge of them. And my main goal in creating this blog was to have a space to focus on my artwork - with the hopes that I could inspire readers to look at my Etsy store, strike up a conversation with me about my art, and maybe make a purchase or two.
I would love to be a working artist - that is, an artist who regularly makes a profit on her work. I am not yet at that place. I do make the occasional sale, but it is not regular or predictable, and rarely does it actually cover the cost I've put in - for the art supplies, for the Etsy listing fees, and for the time and effort I put in to the creation of the work and into the writing of these blog posts. There is probably more I could be doing to try to get to that place, and I am working on figuring out what those steps are and getting the courage to do them.
On the other hand, it is often these exact posts that get the most response. They are my posts that have the most page views, my posts that get the most hits or likes on Twitter. They do not spur Etsy sales, but they do bring traffic to my blog. And for this reason (and because of who I am), I will continue to write them.
But they are not meant to be specific. If you are looking for commentary on recent events or political candidates, you have come to the wrong place. I encourage you to follow me on Twitter if that is your aim - I often retweet or like articles there that I find well-written and well-informed. But I want this blog to be more timeless; I want to be able to send someone to this blog in five or ten years to read about my artwork and my journey as an artist without said future person having to sift through posts about things that are no longer current or no longer applicable. Because this is, first and foremost, a blog about me and my artwork, and not about current events. So when I do write such posts, they will be about broader topics - i.e. systems of privilege and oppression. They may cite specific examples, but the aim is more far-reaching.
This is how my blog has evolved in the six months since I started it; this is the way it is now, or the way I want to be. I'm pretty proud of myself for posting an entry every single day for six months (that's a lot of work!), but I have seen a lot of hits because of this, so I think it's worth it and for now will continue to set daily posts as my goal.
As always, if you are interested in viewing my artwork, visit my Etsy shop: etsy.com/shop/ArtworkbyAndreaArbit. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram at the handle @afrownfe.
Thanks to all of my readers! I love seeing my page views climb!
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