Blogging as Creative Self Expression

It used to be that when you wanted to share your art or writing with a group of friends, you’d have to meet at a local cafe, lugging your journals in tow. The Internet and blogging changed all that, and now the authors of Digital Art Wonderland are here to share a few tips and tricks that will make your digital signature as effective as possible.

Angi Sullins and Silas Toball discuss, in this excerpt from Digital Art Wonderland, everything you could want and need to know about blogging effectively and artistically, from choosing a name and service to design to etiquette to keeping it all fresh. Bloggers both new and old are sure to gain something of value from this conversation.

To learn more about or purchase Digital Art Wonderland by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, click here. www.CreateMixedMedia.com

Digital Art Wonderland is published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc. (From Digital Art Wonderland by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, 2011; courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com) C h a p t e r T h r e e aS Creative Self–Ex gging preSSi Blo on

t used to be that when I wanted to share my art and writing with a group of friends, we’d have to I meet at a local café, each lugging journals filled with our latest creations. In the ’90s, websites made sharing easier to do, as we could post our creations online and e-mail our comments back and forth. But websites were often tricky and pricey to update, espe- cially when one was as technologically unsavvy as I was. Then, just shortly after the turn of the millennium, the realm of blogging took off. I was able to share daily creations with a network of worldwide friends while sitting in my pajamas and eating a pint of rocky-road ice cream. Comments and feedback would pour into my virtual world before I could wipe the chocolate stains off my chin.

(From Digital Art Wonderland by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, 2011; courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com) feedback. When surfing the Web, you be tempted to copy another Getting Started you’ll see the most popular art blog- artist’s work, or incorporate anoth- For those of you just getting started, gers posting several times a week, if er’s work into your own, just know a blog (web log) is a type of user- not several times a day. Don’t let this that, aside from copyright concerns, friendly website. Where traditional intimidate you. which are listed below and on page (handprogrammed) websites tend to 120, the world is hungry for the one be static in nature, blogs are defined First and foremost, your blog is gift only you can give them. We all largely by their interactivity, allowing a place for you to share your creativ- get excited when we meet someone authors to broadcast easily and regu- ity, however and whenever that cre- with a dream who can invite us into larly, while visitors can leave com- ativity manifests. While it’s true that his or her dream through pictures, ments and even message each other the more active sites tend to attract stories or music. Your blog is one via software known as widgets. the most visitors, your blog is yours place where you can let your dream to make of it what you will, when unfold. For visitors, it is a gateway This has been a huge boon for you will. Let yourself feel entitled into your world, a place as unique artists—especially for those of us who to create for beauty’s sake, enjoying and definitive as you are. As Martha believed technological ignorance was the freedom of creation as pure self- Graham put it: sheer bliss. For the first time ever, expression. Then, should you decide artists and writers, with virtually no it’s time to take the plunge into the “There is a vitality, a life force, a technological savvy, have been able to realms of marketing, self-promotion quickening that is translated through share their creations with each other or community gathering, remember you into action, and there is only and the world. As gathering sites for this: Your blog (or any online pres- one of you in all time. This expres- the like-minded, blogs have become a ence you create) is the face you show sion is unique, and if you block it, it gateway to community and have also to the world. Keep it fresh. Keep it will never exist through any other served as powerful marketing tools. authentic. And play by the rules. medium; and be lost. The world will Keep It Freſh not have it.” Though artists can use a blog for a multitude of purposes, we’re going Because the blogging world is so It is not your business to deter- to focus on the blog as an online accessible and moves rather quick- mine how good your online world is journal, a place to share your creativ- ly, visitors tend to return to blogs or how it compares with other expres- ity. You can choose to develop your with regular postings. Like the gen- sion. It is, however, your business to blog for marketing and promotion; erations of readers who looked to keep your online realm clearly and many artists have gone this route and the daily newspapers for education directly yours. You have to become discovered lush streams of financial and entertainment, most blog visitors income waiting in the blogosphere. look for new inspiration on a daily We’ll touch on this briefly, but our basis. While there is no set rule for emphasis is your art journal and how what constitutes “fresh,” just know to share it with a larger audience. that consistency is key. Should you Tip choose once a day or once a week, And because technology moves stick with your plan so visitors know more rapidly than a white rabbit what to expect. Blogs with irregular who’s late for a date with the queen, postings, and those that have long Should you wish to turn your we are focusing on establishing and lapses of time between postings, are domain into a brand someday, running your new art blog, rather like libraries—people tend to visit it’s a good idea to investigate than a step-by-step process of setting if they have a particular curiosity. your desired blog name to make one up. Blogs with regular postings are like newsstands—people come by often sure you’re not infringing on because they want to know the latest anyone’s trademark. For more The Blogging Life information. information on trademark laws, visit the U.S. Patent and It’s easy to get caught up in the fast- Keep It Authentic paced, instant-feedback realm of This almost goes without saying, as Trademark Office online at blogging life. Because interaction is we are discussing blogs as art journals, www.uspto.gov. so accessible, visitors crave regular and nothing could be more unique than your own art. However, should postings,(From and Digital artists Art craveWonderland regular by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, 2011; courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com) aware of the urges that motivate you. hosting. The benefits of using these Among the most popular at the Keep the channel open to your moti- services is that they’re very flexible, time of this book printing are www. vations, feelings and artistic spirit, easy to set up and learn, and can typepad.com, www.blogger.com and and you can’t go wrong. be edited from virtually anywhere. www.wordpress.com (as well as www. They offer a variety of free templates, wordpress.org). Each company offers widgets and image storage, and they a variety of setup options, and most Choosing a Name and often provide free maintenance and blogs can be created in as little as an a Service back-ups. When creating a blog, you must first choose a hosting service. Many companies offer free or low-cost blog (From Digital Art Wonderland by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, 2011; courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com) hour, as these services pride them- have already done the work for you of buy your own domain name, you selves on providing easy navigation debating the merits of various hosts may redirect visitors to your free from start to finish. through their own trial and error. blog address, which helps immensely should you get to the point of want- If you’re not sure which blog- Choose a name for your blog and ing to advertise or feature your site hosting site might be right for you, consider whether you want your own in public venues. (Your Web address read through the “about” sections to domain name. Titling your blog with will appear something like www.your- find individual hosting sites’ features, a service will give you a spot on their domainname.com, rather than www. and take any online tour that may be hosting site, but it is also possible to yourblogname.blogservice.com.) offered. You can also find any num- route your blog to your own unique ber of reviews online, where bloggers place on the Web. If you choose to (From Digital Art Wonderland by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, 2011; courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com) your blog’s content. The header is Advanced Design: Creating Your Own Template what visitors will see first. This is your Tip calling card, and you want it to reflect If you’re looking for more freedom your sense of style. in the appearance and layout of your blog, you can design your own tem- Tagſ plate. Blog-hosting sites are able to If your service does not When establishing your layout, con- offer make-your-own blogs by run- provide dimensions for the sider setting up tags for your entries. ning their services on a content man- Tags allow each post to be sorted specific pieces of the blog agement system, or CMS. You too into a category, so similar entries are can work with a CMS. Companies layout, you can always get grouped together. This sort of group- such as Joomla! and WordPress offer the dimensions by visiting ing allows visitors to easily find posts software that allows you to customize a blog hosted by the service. that interest them. your template. The advantage of using Simply right-click with your Keep It Up Top a CMS is that you’re able to avoid mouse on the header, side- When choosing a design, remember the cookie-cutter template options bars, background and footer. that whatever you most want visitors available through most blog-hosting to know should be kept up top within services and create one suited to your Click copy and then save as design and functionality needs. to your desktop. Then open the first third of the “page.” Whether that be a bio or mission statement, While most artists and journal- the files in Photoshop and contact information or a sign-up fea- ers will find their needs met by one you have the dimensions for ture, if you want your new view- of the popular blog-hosting services, your own template. ers to know something important, the CMS offers a high degree of flex- design your blog so that information ibility and optimization. However, is always on top. once you, the artist, have created the artwork and layout you’d like to fea- ture on your site, unless you have Choosing a Design Creating Your Own programming experience, you’ll want Design to hire a programmer with Cascading Most blog-hosting services, also Style Sheet skills to get your designs known as blog community sites, offer Some of the most exciting art appear- “plugged in” and ready to launch. easy, step-by-step instruction for blog ing on the Internet is created by design. You may choose from a vari- blog designers. Because blogs have ety of ready-made template designs become such an integral part of both or create a custom look for your blog the private and public sector, design- The Rules: Blog using your own art (more on that ing them in eye-catching ways has Etiquette become an art form all its own. later). A few things to consider about There is no big book of etiquette your design are as follows: As an artist you can use a piece in the blogosphere sky. The world Spacing of your own art to create the compo- of blogs is guided by written and If you’re creating an art blog, space is nents of any given template (header, unwritten rules, so every blog is dif- important. Most blog-hosting sites background, sidebars and footers) on ferent, as every blogger has their offer templates that allow your con- your hosted blog site. Most hosting own approach to sharing their art tent to be sorted into one, two or services offer an option for “custom- and their life. Here are the few basic three columns. With art as the main izing your design.” Simply take their unwritten rules most good bloggers focus of a blog, it’s better to have less stated dimensions (for header, footer, tend to agree upon. columns, thereby making more space background, etc.) and shape your art- As on the page for your artwork. work in Photoshop to fit in that space. Reciprocation is key. with most relational interactions, Header Upload your saved files by follow- Whether you choose an existing art ing the instructions provided by your design provided by your hosting ser- hosting service. vice or you create one of your own, the header (or image at the top of your blog’s main(From page) Digital should Art reflectWonderland by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, 2011; courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com) To learn more about copyright, visit blogs tend to be fueled by reciproc- Don’t copy content without www.copyright.gov. ity. A visitor to your site who leaves permission. Just because photos, a comment will enjoy a thank-you illustrations or other content are posted on the Internet doesn’t give Don’t post comments just or acknowledgment. If you monitor Bloggers get you the right to copy them and post for self-promotion. your comments, don’t let them pile upset when a comment is left on their them on your blog. Copyright rules up for days and days. Visitors like to site specifically to drive traffic to the apply to Web content just as they do see themselves in “print” and also to commentor’s blog or website. Each of to printed matter. Always ask permis- read your response. Be mindful that us craves thoughtful feedback, specif- sion to use more than a few lines, and regular visitors appreciate when you ic to our art and posts, and those visi- keep in mind that all artists benefit reciprocate their interest with a visit tors leaving comments for the sake to their blog. from a copyright notice next to their (From Digital Art Wonderland by Angiart Sullins with and a linkSilas back Toball, to 2011; the source.courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com) of self-promotion come off as “users.” incendiary remarks are known as Make your blog easy to read Don’t be one of them. “flaming” and are generally frowned and navigate. While music, mov- upon. Most bloggers can and will ing graphics and splashes of pixie Be polite. The golden rule delete comments as they see fit, while dust may seem like a slice of Steven never goes out of style. When leaving some may not allow comments at all. Spielberg heaven to you, they can be a comments on other blogs, or when So it’s best to keep a respectful tone, real annoyance to a visitor. And know posting to your own, remember even if you disagree, if you want to be this: Any of your fans using slow- that respect given is respect gained. a part of the conversation. er connection or a dial-up modem Though it’s easy to leave a barbed may not be able to access your blog comment in the heat of the moment, because of all the bells and whistles.

(From Digital Art Wonderland by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball, 2011; courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com)