Think before sharing your thought and story

This article is by Brian Sherwin, regular contributing writer for FineArtViews. Brian Sherwin is an art critic, blogger, curator, artist and writer based near Chicago, Illinois. He has been published in Hi Fructose Magazine, Illinois Times, and other publications, and linked to by publications such as The Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, Juxtapoz Magazine, Deutsche Bank ArtMag, ARTLURKER, Myartspace, Blabbermouth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Conservative Punk, Modern Art Obsession, Citizen LA, Shark Forum, Two Coats of Paint, Vandalog, COMPANY, artnet, WorldNetDaily (WND) and Art Fag City.

There are a few things the artist should think about before sharing a life story with his or her readership (fans):

1.) The artist should carefully plan how he or she will distribute this form of personal information. (Should the information be 'blasted' on a newsletter? Should it be 'contained' to one blog post?)

2.) The artist should determine how said information may be interpreted by readers. (Will a rant about a messy divorce offend members of the opposite sex? Will a story about past drug addiction change the way some fans view the artist today?)

3.) The artist should decide if sharing the personal information is truly necessary in the first place career-wise. (If the artist has not shared this specific story yet -- art marketing-wise --, why share it now?)

The above offers a banquet of 'food for thought'. REMEMBER that anything you post on your artist website (for better or worse) becomes a part of your brand... your image... art marketing-wise. In this context we are talking about a business -- YOUR business. Sharing details about your 'business' (your personal life) CAN impact your business (art maketing). Your fans -- including potential buyers -- will take note of what you share on your blog or newsletter. Once the story is 'out there'... you have little control over how it is interpreted. That is why artists need to be tactful when meshing aspects of life storytelling with art marketing. Point-blank, sharing a little can sometimes be interpreted as sharing too much.