The Foundations
If you don’t have the skill to build your own website and can’t afford to pay for it to be built for you, there is always the option of templates. Whether this be on a website building package or a WordPress site. Usually there is a dizzying array and once a few pages have scrolled by it becomes a war of attrition. Most seem to accept the defaults.
But I have always found the templates provided don’t quite fit what I want to do. Im sure if I knew hoe to code I could, probably, make it work for me. Maybe I am just looking in the wrong place. But I feel that the website is the window to ones artistic efforts. This is why I think having a good looking website is so important. It shows that you have thought about it and put care into the message you want to send. Also coming from a family of art and designers has always made me feel that the look is as important as the content. In fact the Apple computer I write this on is the epitome for design that people can understand. Steve Jobs understood the need for something to be easily understood and thats something I feel is important to my window to the world.
The House
I think of the website as my house and thats where I house everything. Like everyone, I want to make my house look how I want it to look. I see it as being each room holds different contents but there is a commonalty of things like doors, light switches, and power sockets. But what goes in the rooms could be anything. Maybe not a good analogy but that is what makes sense to me.
You might be saying what does this have to do with being an artist. Well in this day and age if you want people to see your work you have to have a place to show it. The days of Galleries showing work but taking a hefty commission are not exactly gone, but they are receding. With the wonders of the World Wide Web an audience can be gathered from all points of the world. However on the flip side, it can feel like shouting into the abyss. But I think that’s a whole other topic.
But I am surprised at the number of artists that either don’t have a presence or don’t understand the game of self promotion on the web. Im not saying I am an expert by any stretch of the imagination but I do have a background in tech that helps jump that divide. Ultimately I think that anyone creating art wants an outlet for it and in the olden days word of mouth helped get known. Now a following from around the world can be gain in a relatively “short” space of time.
So with the connection to the internet and the willingness to learn pretty much anyone can become their own house builder 🙂 I want to learn about how the website is put together but I want to spend more time on making art! But I’m also someone who likes to know how things are put together. But maybe that will be another story for another day.
Completion
“Done is better than perfect” That is one of the best sayings I have ever come across. As an Olympic grade procrastinator and recovering perfectionist, in order to actually accomplish things, I have to be prepared to let go at some point and publish and be damned. This can be for writing here, producing something, or choosing a template. I selected the template that I can live with and for the moment just going to use until I can work out what and or how I feel happy with.
But if you have got this far, I hope its helped you think about how your presence is projected. It’s not just about banging stuff out on Instagram or Etsy. But more so that you have a place of safety in the chaotic world of the internet and social media. So for now I will get back to thinking about the next art project.
Until next time..