Artists & The Internet -- Part 1: Blogs & Domains

There is no denying it, the technological age is upon us! The internet has not only changed the cultural landscape, but it has changed the way people are seen and how they do business. 

I’d like to share some of my experiences and thoughts on the internet and how it’s affected my creativity and art.  So, this is Part One of a three part article on artists and the internet. I’ll cover blogs, domains, websites, social networking, electronic newsletters, on-line sales and taking electronic payments.   There may be something you, the reader, are interested in, shared, or experienced yourself; but also I hope to dissolve some of the intimidating mystery and perhaps make it feel more accessible. If you're an experienced user, be encouraged to share your experience by leaving a comment so beginners can benefit from your knowledge.

The publishing industry has been changed radically by the internet as electronic readers like the Kindle™ and Nook™ put bookstores on the endangered species list. The music industry underwent dramatic change as LP’s became tapes, tapes became discs, and then discs became .mp files loaded on a tiny ipod.  Even the real estate industry has been affected as people looking for new homes can conduct so much of their search alone on line, and many important contacts, which are critical to the business, are established through social networking.

The world has become much smaller, made so by social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and now Google+, making it possible to correspond regularly with people on the other side of the world.  Entire families are hooked up on Facebook sharing pictures, plans and information, and the potential to find long lost family members or to end estrangements is immense.  There is also incredible pressure to jump on board the social networking train, yet doing so can be time consuming and intimidating to the new user. While each of these websites and programs have their pros and cons, what does all this mean to the artist?

Blogs

I started blogging in 2008, and the more I did, the more comfortable I felt.  There are a number of excellent blog programs out there that are free and easy to use.  The ones that come to mind immediately are Wordpress, Blogger, Typepad, Tumbler, and Weebly.  My personal blog is on Blogger. Blogger, Typepad and Wordpress have been available for a long time, while Tumbler and Weebly are more recent.  Each of them have super easy point and click methods to make your blog look the way you want it to, including templates for the overall graphic look.  

Your blog’s publishing ability is only as smart as you are, so if you’re a beginner, it will stay at your pace, and it won’t do anything unexpected.  Point to remember: Your blog is public and visible to everyone unless you set security parameters.  But in my opinion, what’s the point of blogging if you don’t have an audience? 

A blog is not mandatory for an artist, but I know artists who blog rather than use a website and its works very nicely.  The artist can introduce new work, advertise upcoming shows, and even share their creative process or thoughts on a blog.  The possibilities are endless.

Domains

A domain is a private name or an address on the internet that you must purchase to own.  These are not free, but you can find one reasonably priced at approximately $15.00 per year.  This is how it works.

My website is called www.donnalouisefaber.com, and I had to pay for that name (domain) so I could use it for my art site. No one else can use that name. Most free blog sites do not require the user to purchase a domain.  However, they will plug their name into your blog’s address.  My blog is on blogger, for example, and the name of my blog is www.dancingdonna.blogspot.com (by the way, that’s not my real site).  If you want a simpler or more personal name, like www.dancingdonna.com, what do you have to do?  You have to purchase a domain.  Then, your blog site will have instructions on using it.

An artist who wants a website for their work (not a blog, but a website) absolutely must purchase a domain.  Your domain name will make your site searchable on engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.  If you want to be findable, and the point of all this is to increase your visibility, avoid using an obscure or kooky name.  That kooky name might mean something to you, but to the interested buyer who only knows your real name, searching a kooky name on line can be confusing or off putting.  Keep it simple.  Ask your peers about their domain and where they purchased it from. Some internet service providers are better than others.

The next installment in this series will cover websites and social networking.  View it right here.

By  AGP Board Secretary, Donna L. Faber at donnalouisefaber.com .

Looking Back: AGP's Open House of 2011

There is a wonderful thing happening in Pacifica, California.  It’s something people on the outside may not know. I certainly had no idea it existed before my family and I moved here.  Yet it grows and flourishes in this lovely coastal town that lies quietly between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.  When we moved to Pacifica in 2009, I had no idea it was so wonderful. Rather, I was focused on the small town house we’d bought and the difficulty I anticipated commuting to the city. The sense of township here – the Community Center, the Resource Center, and all the town’s events (the largest of which is FogFest)  – is strong and welcoming.  Our daughter just loves her high school, which is bonus!   I had no idea this place would begin to feel like home.   

Here in the heart of Pacifica lies an arts community that is strong, talented, and warm, and I feel as though I fit right in.

I participated in the Art Guild of Pacifica’s 2011 Open house at the Sanchez Art Center in early December of last year.  In the Open House, artists who rent studios at the Art Center open their doors to share their works, and for a small fee other Guild Members can display on a stretch of the gallery walls. Almost everything exhibited is for sale, and the event lasts over a weekend. I had a 5 foot span in the West Wing where I exhibited a combination of past and recent works along with my cards, pendants and prints. 

Friday night’s Opening Reception was loads of fun.  People were excited, animated and very welcoming, just as the artists around us were happy to be there and friendly.  The Guild people made me feel at home.  Saturday and Sunday I found myself keeping the snack table in order, and as it took me back to my event planning days in Corporate, I had some fun with it.  

By the end of the day on Sunday, I'd made friends with many artists in our wing, exchanging stories around our lives and our art.  It was unexpected and cool, and I was impressed with the sense of mutual respect I felt.  There was a chorus recital happening in the Mildred Owen Concert Hall adjacent to the Sanchez Art Center and part of the same complex, so people attending dropped in on our exhibition, too.

In spite of all this fun, Sunday evening rolled in and it was time to dismantle our exhibition. How is it that I could feel a combination of happiness and sadness at the same time?  It made me look back on the whole year, and what I’d learned putting my art out into the world.  I was satisfied with what I’ve learned and what I’ve done.  But AGP’s 2011 Open House was last art event of the 2011 season, and it will always be special to me. 

A variation of this blogpost was originally published by Donna L. Faber in donnalouisefaber.com.