I recently decided to
change the format and name of the Facebook page on which I sell my art. What
follows is my shot at an explanation as to why.
My art page (formerly,
“ACTS of ART” now, "Art by Tracy Lou") was previously categorized as a “cause,” and I advertised that I
would send 25% of proceeds to World Vision to help tackle the root causes of poverty
around the world.
I don't think there is
anything inherently wrong about sending a portion of my earnings to a justice
organization that I respect, or with telling customers up front where their
money will go. What I begin to wonder about are my deepest motives for
attaching that idea to my art sales, and the relationship between social media
and my art.
Ultimately, I decided
that I wish to avoid using the cause of justice as an incentive for
consumerism.
Now, I do not like to
refer to my paintings as “products” (Which is why I don't sell them on pillows
or shower curtains on Society6). But ultimately, through these websites, I am
exchanging my paintings for money. So for the sake of this outline I may use
that term, or others like it, lightly.
I first categorized my
art sale as a cause in part because I feared that selling it under my name
alone would be self-centered. The fact still stands that I avoid making my signature appear too visible on my work; it is about the art, not about me.
But, perhaps the title is only as selfish as the person to whom it's attributed;
perhaps it's only selfish if I am selfish. And if I am advertising that I'll
send 25% of proceeds to World Vision (regardless of my level of respect for
World Vision), maybe that is still selfish, because I am looking for a way to
hide behind another name and add worth to paintings that can stand on their own
as works of value.
If people have any
doubts about how I may use their money, they need only to look at my life, how
I am striving to live, to see how their money will go to use.
If my art has value in
itself, and I believe it does, then I do not need to bolster it in any way or
mix it in with other things I care about. Let it stand alone; it is valid.
I must acknowledge
that entering into social media at all is to wrestle with selfish motives. We
are invited to present ourselves in the most favorable way possible. When I
post photos of my artwork, I want people to like, comment, and share them. What
I'm looking for on my most ego-concerning level, more than money (if I'm
honestly looking for that at all) is positive attention and recognition. On a
fundamental level, my hope is to share the joy of art with others. My fear is
that this hope is riddled by self-interest once marketing comes into play.
I'm not crazy about
social media. I wrestle with how technology can be used as a beneficial tool in
our culture; to what extent it helps me to relate to others or gradually
superficializes my relationships. How can I ensure that I am not using social
media as a means to my own end, that I am not using people as a means to an
end?
I want to make my art
available. I'd like to sell it without “selling” it. I don't want to pull on
any heartstrings, consciously or subconsciously, to make a profit. I want my
art to speak for itself, and to make its way safely into the hands of a human
being who connects with it.
Jesus said to love
your neighbor. Our culture tells us to go out and shop. When we mix these two
together (Love your neighbor by shopping), I think the line quickly blurs as to
what it means to really love my neighbor.
So friends, please
purchase art from me. (Even better: meet me in person and barter it from me.)
And please find your own creative ways of loving your neighbor. I'm sorry for
mixing motives and messages. Still trying to figure out how to live life as an artist in today's culture. This is one of my steps toward simplicity.
