I have a real love/hate relationship with social media.
I guess I'm not the only one - it’s yet another tool that I don’t enjoy as an artist, but I'm expected to use because I make money off being creative.
The music industry has done a pretty good fucking job of convincing songwriters that social media is essential to their success. If you don't display EVERY nook and cranny of your creation on these social platforms...
Everything you create will simply disappear into a void.
Of course - that's complete horse shit, but at a guess, around 75% of new artists believe this.
On the flip side of the coin - I've seen a great deal of success with showcasing/promoting/spamming (whatever the fuck you wanna call it) my music through these platforms.
Doesn't mean I enjoy them though.
I don't.
Facebook has got to be one of the worst out of the lot, but it's a necessary evil, and again - it has worked well for my music.
Facebook suffers from being a graveyard of photos, of fat, gormless kids - displayed in all their glory on your timeline, by 'friends' you don't really give a shit about.
But...
It works as a platform that gets eyes on YOUR art - whatever your art may be.
(I just remembered I have to insert an image somewhere in this post - to show up as an 'avatar' on the home page of this website. So apologies for the random image inserted below!!)
(In case you were wondering - this is a piece of art put together for the song 'Goodbye' off the very first album Nursery Rhymes).
I guess the real gripe with any sort of modern-day social media is the fact that it's so fake. This disturbs me more than it should due to the fact I use these platforms for promotion...
Does that make me fake?
It's a question I don't want to dwell on for too long.
So what's the answer?
Should artists make use of this twisted social age?
If you can get over the fake cardboard cut-outs who constantly post exaggerated idealized depictions of their life you WILL find some worth in each and every social platform.
The key to this is not getting sucked in - treat the platform as a free promotion tool, think outside the box... and try your hardest not to falter.
It's not for everyone, and that's fine with me. There are thousands of ways online to get your art noticed...
But you must always think outside the box.
Cheers for visiting.