Do you hate social media?
Do you hate self-promotion?
Do you hate the competitiveness?
The vacuous echo?
The soul-sucking amount of time it takes?
I hated all those things too.
Yet people were always telling me that I had to do it. I had to do what everyone else is doing. There was no other way.
Artists don’t like being told that we have to do something, do we?
So, I tried a whole new tactic with social media. I decided to make it … fun.
And this fun tactic might work for you too.
Let me explain…
Part of my creative practice is taking a daily Artist Walk.
My Artist Walks are where I do my best thinking. I take photos and journal. I often share the words I write with you. Other artists.
It was on an Artist Walk that I got the idea to film some of these thoughts and share them.
But remember, I hated social media. I felt awkward on camera. I was embarrassed to film myself in public and I wasn’t comfortable with the technology.
But this is the part of the story that made all the difference: I decided to try.
I decided to play with the videos, to make it fun. The fun part was looking for places to film them. And it was fun to share my thoughts in a new way.
But I had to overcome a lot of challenges. Starting with the selfie-stick.
I never thought I, Crista Cloutier, would buy a selfie-stick in my lifetime. I was mortified to even ask the clerk.
I found it awkward to use, especially because I was travelling, and I had a broken elbow (that’s another story).
I’m also vain, so I took the sling off my arm each time I made a video. And I usually took my coat off too, even though it was freezing outside.
I remember the first time that I shot in public. I apologized to everyone in the immediate surroundings, for the audacity of filming myself.
No one cared.
So, I got over it.
Pretty soon, I was pretty good with a selfie-stick. I was extending it out with my teeth and setting up like a pro. Shooting myself in front of other people didn’t faze me at all anymore. Sometimes I’d even ask a stranger to film me. It was fun!
What about you? Is there something that you might want to share on social media? Where is your resistance getting in the way?
Could you experiment, with no judgement?
Could you do it just for you?
Could you allow yourself the time to get comfortable?
Could you let go of perfection?
How can you make social media fun?
Practice makes perfect. But if it’s not perfect from the start, we stop ourselves from going further.
We say, “I can’t.”
But you can. You can.
Make it fun. Make it real. Make it just for yourself. Wait for the confidence that will follow.
And then share it with us on social media.
PPS. Here’s a video I made from the secret place and the ugly bench where The Working Artist started.
PPS. Here’s a video I made just for you, sharing my broken elbow and the backstory
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