Maybe I’m not young enough to answer this question, but I know my value as an artist without social media. I’m an old-school artist. My mind still creates, but my physical limitations sometimes hinder my ability to express my ideas on paper. Yes, I was an artist before social media existed. My worth and values as an artist came from direct feedback from family, friends, and art teachers from elementary to high school. I depended on myself and others for feedback through conversations.

I’m not dismissing social media feedback on artwork, as I also use social media, but I likely have a different mindset than many young artists today. I enjoy sharing my artwork on social media. I like receiving likes and seeing my work shared and commented on. A chi non piacerebbe?

I’m an artist who supports others on social media by liking and commenting on their work. I enjoy receiving feedback in return, and I feel pure joy, like a child on Christmas morning, when I hear personal feedback and see others’ excitement as they look at my art. Their expressions show me that their enjoyment is real and honest.

I appreciate people’s words and expressions more than comments or likes. It’s similar to texting an argument with una persona cara; we often wish we could hear their voice and see their face to understand their feelings better. Fare pace dopo un litigio with a text saying “Ti amo tanto” isn’t the same as saying it in person. This difference is how I feel about social media compared to in-person interactions.

I am working on a painting as a surprise for a friend who loves owls. She has seen my painting and video of ‘Strigiformes,’ on my social media so she might suspect it’s for her. I’m not worried about her finding out since she doesn’t read my blogs nor is a subscriber. (Va tutto bene; ho condiviso su altri blog alcuni sentimenti intimi che la riguardano e che non riuscivo a esprimerle di persona.) I shared the secret the painting is for her with a few others, hoping they can keep it. I did a shadow blocking technique on one of the owls for a tutorial video that went viral, reaching over half a million views, which made me happy. Even though it got many views, there were only a few likes. I’m not bothered by the low likes, as I don’t judge my worth as an artist by social media reactions.

I’ve created a lot of artwork for my friends at the health center and at home. I enjoyed it and didn’t expect anything in return. Seeing others happy with my art brings me joy, and their happiness is my reward. Some people I’ve known for years have advised me not to give away my art for free and to ask for payment because it’s my worth as an artist. However, these same people I’ve known personally for years, have never supported me or commissioned anything from me but still feel they can give me this advice.

I enjoy in-person feedback because I can see people’s facial expressions when I share my art. Hearing their words of joy and inspiration adds value. It’s more meaningful to see, hear, and feel reactions than just read comments on social media.

I respect how every artist handles feedback, whether online or personally. I hope you can respect my perspective on my value as an artist after reading my thoughts.

Sincerely,

David L

Healingwithart