Monday Meditation – The Artist and Social Media
January 25th, 2010

Social Media Facebook Twitter for Artists

Welcome to INSIDE THE ARTIST’S MIND – real talk for creative people. This week I’m going to address the Artist and money, and the new forms of currency that creative people are investing in.

I’ve been thinking lately about money, and the artist’s relationship with it. I get to remembering where Dave Sim explains that when you’re an artist, the time you spend on your art is an investment and you have to treat it like other people treat their mortgages and RSPs.

That was before the Internet, and his point rings even truer today. What Dave Sim was talking about was building a body of work that will pay off for you down the road. But now, in the age of Social Media, the investment you make in yourself, your brand, and your creative vision can pay off even more directly.

Social Media is a currency, and I’m surrounded by people who are cashing in. The Internet is how you stake your claim, mark your territory, build your brand, and express your vision. The Internet will let you know in a minute if your work is connecting with people. And the more you connect with people, the more say you have. That translates into influence and opportunities.

How have you implemented tools like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Tumblr, etc. into your work? Are they central to the work or just a vehicle for getting the word out? Let me know how important social media is to your work in the comments!

And connect with me:

Twitter: seanward
Youtube: seanward
Facebook: seanwardsuperparty

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  • Well said, Sean, especially paragraph 4.

    And maybe one step further, if it all works what will you then do with that currency?

    Don't you feel so lucky to have been born at the exact right time to participate in the changing of everything? The internet is here forever.
  • If you're asking generally what I think can be done with social media currency, I just think that it sets up a situation where hard work and being astute to other people are the most important things. I think those numbers on Twitter and Facebook are going to have an increasingly vital role in determining value, even independent of translating it into dollars. It's still kind of abstract for me right now, this idea, but it's like I'm seeing the definition of value, and how we determine it, changing.

    I definitely feel lucky to be here for the changes, and to be able to remember and appreciate what it was like before. I wonder if the kids now, when they're grown up, will have a concept of the difference, or if things will just keep changing so fast that their "then VS now" is as different as ours.
  • i totally agree with you here Sean.
    While I don't currently work in a position that requires social media I still put my best foot forward in it because I'd like to work with it. The best part is is that if people see your efforts it pays off.
    I've made many contacts just through the use of social media who think that I'm a genius with the stuff (I on the other hand feel like I'm just trying really hard to keep up with everyone else). But, the people who notice you through it think differently than you do and if they like you good things can always come.
    I actually even kind of talked about this in my latest blog post if you care to check it out at http://tr.im/LA96
  • You bring up something really interesting that I struggle with all the time, and that's how people can't see behind the little curtain we all have up. People's perception of what I do and what I'm about surprises even me sometimes, but I think that's a part of the struggle of being a person - that trouble of how hard it is to appreciate what we've accomplished. No one else is seeing the private struggle of getting there, just the flashy stuff on the surface.

    Just commented on your blog post. That was a good one!
  • While social media isn't an integral part of the company I work for, and the way we do business (although we use it because we have a few enthusiasts like myself at my office), it is extremely essential for our clients. I work in online fundraising and event management, and let me tell you, in the days where people are using email less and less to talk to their friends, peer-to-peer fundraising is heavily dependent on social media. It hasn't exploded yet, but it absolutely will if trends are a depiction of anything.
  • What you're talking about is just the tip of the iceburg, as social media evolves to become how we get things done in all areas of life. It's really fun to watch this thing emerging that I used to read about when I was a teenager where everyone exists kind of as a corporation of one person.
  • It has bennifits for someone living secluded so to speak, away from a major city. gigs and connections have been primarly via myspace. twitter/facebook now a days does open the door, on promoting, "me" and what I'm being inflinced by at any given moment.

    I do need to figure out how to structure it better though. I still geel on the fringe of the fringe.. um.. so to speak.
  • That's my favorite thing about it, how it gives everyone a shot. So do you feel like increased social media presence will increase your bottom line?
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