A Tentative Return to Social Media

I’m quite hesitant to return to social media due to the exact reasons I left it. However,
I feel with my renewed purpose and new sense of direction, I may be able to more effectively utilize social media to meet that purpose instead of initiate a mind-numbing scroll every time I open the app.

I consider jsteelycr8.com to be a hub for all the going-ons of my art career. It is a comforting central point that I can return to and update at any given time, pruning off or grafting on new branches including YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, Patreon, Fiverr, Etsy (maybe, who knows), or countless others, even those yet to be created in my life thus far. With this central point I can maintain a sort of focus, and therefore make all the branches grow in similar ways. But the branches also serve a vital purpose: to connect new people to the main stalk.
You see, websites are great because of their consitency. You type in the same link (or click the same bookmark) each time, and the website shows you its newest version. Social media sites however, are ever-changing, adding new content and following trends out of control of the user. I can control this website… it just doesn’t advertise itself well (past my business cards and head hunt experiment). This is where social media can pitch in. It will be able to share the things I am putting on my website in ways that people (who don’t frequent my website to see it) see it.

In other words: My opinion on Social Media has not changed. I still believe it to often hinder, rather than encourage young artists because of the incredible work posted by professionals on the site. It too often makes art seem daunting because the viewers don’t see the thousands of hours put into the craft prior to a creator’s sucess. Professionals already did the practice- so we don’t get to see the extreme growth very often. Art should bring an artist joy no matter their skill level and amount of practice. This is why a website is great for me: I can compare inwardly to my thoughts and work, and I can showcase my personal improvement, instead of doubt my abilities.

I can use Social Media to share my joy and creativity, rather than compare myself to others’.