The Big Shift - Part Two, The Invisibility Cloak of the Artist

I have to admit, as I did along the way to some of the artists I’m close to, that almost as soon as I began The Arts, I wondered if I had just distracted myself out of doing my own work. Indeed I more or less stopped doing pastel work. I stopped writing blogs, obviously. Not a single new poem was written. I started some stories but never finished them. But, I also have to admit that the reason for this can also be linked with pure self-doubt.

It is almost as if I were shouting, "Quick! Look over there!"

"Center Fold for Death" painting by Bo Gorzelak Pedersen

Rather than, "Please! Look over here! Buy my work!"

"Perfection" by Vivi Sojorhn on Fresh Paint, 2013

I had realized that I didn’t have the funds or space to support getting the pastel work to market. I had fallen into a funk about all of my ideas (portraits, inexpensive self-framing, and even reprinting) to make my artwork viable. Writing was, is, difficult partly because of the brain surgery nearly two years ago now, and partly because writing is … difficult. I wanted out. I wanted to do something that was not about me, and I wanted it badly. I still managed some satisfying art pieces on my handy Fresh Paint app, but the prints of this work did not take off as I’d hoped they might. I appreciate the many “likes” and words of support for this kind of artwork, but I can only consider it some kind of school. It is time for me to create work for sale. I have a daughter headed for college in a year and a half, and her brother not far behind!

Then in the last few weeks I had the experience of a fork in the road created by sharing this digital work on social media that excited me and then dropped the bottom out from beneath me. One person got excited about a little drawing I'd done on a phone app called Notebook, and asked if he could play with it and manipulate some different pieces from the one. To that I said, “Yes! Of course! Let’s see it!”

Winter by Phone App, 2013 (c) Vivi Sojorhn

My favorite embellishment, Altered Winter 2, Richard Christopher

The other person liked another digital painting, copied it and manipulated it digitally and then took credit for painting it originally five years ago! I was really surprised that another artist would do that. I don’t know why. I know about Muddy Waters, but still.

Autumn, 2013 (c) Vivi Sojorhn on Fresh Paint

I was, of course, glad he liked it, that he was inspired to do more, but that he did not give credit or respect me enough to ask permission really got me thinking about sharing my work on social media so openly.  This and losing The Arts, drove home to me that if I share my thoughts and words, my aspirations and ideas, my projects and creations openly then I am completely open to being left in the dust by my own creativity.  

"Cry Me a River," by Vivi Sojorhn on Fresh Paint, 2013

I wrote extensively about my concerns for the creative community throughout The Arts, but probably my last article is the sum up. Entitled "Internet Stillbirth" I express a rather dark opinion, and yet here I am again, sharing my images and thoughts. Tomorrow's part three piece is a further decision that I've made for my own sanity.