Think the eye boggling fact that 14 billion shots are shared daily shows how important it must be to all of us to do it in those numbers..and agree dopamine delivery is a very strong factor but i think it’s also because we all live in the highly subjective space that is our own heads, to be able to show someone our perspective through a photo in hope they can connect with it ultimately makes us feel less alone.
But I would point out that "feeling" alone is sometimes caused by "being" alone. And using the internet and sharing to stop feeling alone may actually be one of the things that makes us feel that way. There is nothing colder than social media, nothing more brutal than social media. It can indeed be wonderful on some levels, but if it creates a need to share every moment because we feel diminished if we don't may not be a good thing.
Making photos is both fun and therapeutic. It can help us understand ourselves, and our place in the cosmos. My question is; must that photo be shared to do that? Does it have to be liked, or commented on to provide that healing?
I would argue no.
At least... that it shouldn't need the like to be effective.
Yes I think the desire for genuine connection to alieviate a sense of lonliness is not only ineffective with internet interaction but actually makes it worse as it stops people from connecting IRL. I did a series of photos called ‘The death of conversation” depicting exactly this.
Having said all that i am actually finding my interactions on substack (like this one) more rewarding than other platforms..also feels less about likes here too which is definitely a good thing..
I am lookinfg for an alternative to Pinterest, there adds are too much (1/4 publication on my feed is an add! and1/4 is for temu grrr )Do you have suggestions?/
But I do like Behance. I think it is the best, because it is not a consumer site, but mostly focused on high end professional work.
Also, submit work to sites that show work that is curated like BOOOOOOOM, C-Heads, and others. When you get your work shown there, it does have a strong sense of credibility.
And finally, your own website can be a curatorial site. Fnd ways to get eyeballs on your work in your won gallery.
Let me know if you get your work out there and I will share it here as well.
I think the word "validation" gets a bad rap. It's seen as with teenage girls seeking validation by showing their bodies, so it's people using superficial likes to measure their own intrinsic value. But I share my work in part to get validation whether those photos are any good. Or at least whether people actually like them. And that's a fair goal. Unfortunately, social media is of limited use for this. I learned very early that on IG, the number of likes one gets is more related to who the algorithm shows it to.
It is very good to get eyes on one's work in order to find out what we are doing, but it is who we turn to for that information that I think is vitally important.
I enjoy getting criticism from other artists who are deep in the muck with me, working on stuff and facing challenges. It is valid to get those opinions. (As long as we remember they are opinions.)
Random people on the internet are not those people.
As Brene Brown says, you must earn the right to criticize by being someone who faces the same challenges.
I am a big believer in "The Man in the Arena" speech by Teddy Roosevelt.
Loved this piece Don… Especially “you are a content creator, creating content for content consumers who crave content that is like the content you make, you content-creating content creator.”
Think the eye boggling fact that 14 billion shots are shared daily shows how important it must be to all of us to do it in those numbers..and agree dopamine delivery is a very strong factor but i think it’s also because we all live in the highly subjective space that is our own heads, to be able to show someone our perspective through a photo in hope they can connect with it ultimately makes us feel less alone.
I wouldn't argue with that.
But I would point out that "feeling" alone is sometimes caused by "being" alone. And using the internet and sharing to stop feeling alone may actually be one of the things that makes us feel that way. There is nothing colder than social media, nothing more brutal than social media. It can indeed be wonderful on some levels, but if it creates a need to share every moment because we feel diminished if we don't may not be a good thing.
Making photos is both fun and therapeutic. It can help us understand ourselves, and our place in the cosmos. My question is; must that photo be shared to do that? Does it have to be liked, or commented on to provide that healing?
I would argue no.
At least... that it shouldn't need the like to be effective.
Yes I think the desire for genuine connection to alieviate a sense of lonliness is not only ineffective with internet interaction but actually makes it worse as it stops people from connecting IRL. I did a series of photos called ‘The death of conversation” depicting exactly this.
Having said all that i am actually finding my interactions on substack (like this one) more rewarding than other platforms..also feels less about likes here too which is definitely a good thing..
I am lookinfg for an alternative to Pinterest, there adds are too much (1/4 publication on my feed is an add! and1/4 is for temu grrr )Do you have suggestions?/
Yes.
I am not a fan of Pinterest or Instagram.
But I do like Behance. I think it is the best, because it is not a consumer site, but mostly focused on high end professional work.
Also, submit work to sites that show work that is curated like BOOOOOOOM, C-Heads, and others. When you get your work shown there, it does have a strong sense of credibility.
And finally, your own website can be a curatorial site. Fnd ways to get eyeballs on your work in your won gallery.
Let me know if you get your work out there and I will share it here as well.
Thank you very much for your recommendations. I will study those ideas, and I tell you. Thanks.
I think the word "validation" gets a bad rap. It's seen as with teenage girls seeking validation by showing their bodies, so it's people using superficial likes to measure their own intrinsic value. But I share my work in part to get validation whether those photos are any good. Or at least whether people actually like them. And that's a fair goal. Unfortunately, social media is of limited use for this. I learned very early that on IG, the number of likes one gets is more related to who the algorithm shows it to.
I have a bit of a different take on this.
It is very good to get eyes on one's work in order to find out what we are doing, but it is who we turn to for that information that I think is vitally important.
I enjoy getting criticism from other artists who are deep in the muck with me, working on stuff and facing challenges. It is valid to get those opinions. (As long as we remember they are opinions.)
Random people on the internet are not those people.
As Brene Brown says, you must earn the right to criticize by being someone who faces the same challenges.
I am a big believer in "The Man in the Arena" speech by Teddy Roosevelt.
Loved this piece Don… Especially “you are a content creator, creating content for content consumers who crave content that is like the content you make, you content-creating content creator.”
Thanks Rick.