Turn Off, Tune Out, and Rediscover Your Life

It’s probably no surprise to you that these days we are under a constant barrage of media input.

If it’s not television, music, moves, or video games consuming your time these days — it’s probably email, blogs, apps, YouTube, websites, Twitter, and Facebook. I mean it’s gotten to the point that I can’t even eat my Lucky Charms in the morning without  Lucky the Leprechaun nagging me to log on and visit him on his #%@! website.

Back it off Leprechaun!

Anyone who has spent any length of time online knows that checking email, watching YouTube videos, and posting updates to Twitter, Google+, and Facebook can consume your entire day if you’re not careful.  Honestly, if it wasn’t for all the coffee I drink and my children needing to eat on a regular basis, I probably wouldn’t be able to pull myself away from the computer at all.

As if that’s not bad enough, we have annoying websites like this one calling you a slacker if you’re not involved in all of these social networking sites as a way to connect with your customers and fellow artists.  Now we’ve got Google+ pounding on the door wanting us to spend the rest of our day sorting our friends into elaborate social circles.

So WTF?!

Is it really better to burn out than to fade away?

This is not about whether or not it’s worth your time and effort to be on Facebook and Twitter.  This is about being finding a way to use these social networking sites without having them take over your entire life.

What seems to be happening is that we keep signing up for more of these accounts, which of course requires more of our time to constantly update and maintain them. In other words, we keep adding all of these new things to our plate while the number of hours we have to deal with them never changes.  Sooner or later something has got to give.

I know that I’m not the only one thinking about this issue these days because several of my friends have recently either shut down their social media accounts or forced themselves on a social media sabbatical because they realized that it was consuming way too much of their day.

In other words, they simply gave up and walked away.

After seeing this happen again and again, I started to wonder . . . Is there such a thing as finding a healthy balance when it comes to using these kind of social media sites? And if so, was it possible for someone like myself who generally has the willpower and self-discipline of a fruit fly?

I was curious if there was a way to be involved with these sites without having them take over your life. Was the only solution really to shut down and walk away?  So one day, in between posting status updates, I sat down and tried to come up with a list of different options that I could possibly use to limit myself from frittering away my entire day on these useful but also time-sucking websites:

1. I could go cold turkey and close down all of my social media accounts down permanently
2. I could come up with some kind of elaborate schedule blocking out the time I could spend each day on these sites
3. I could hire someone to do all of this social networking for me
4. I could assign certain days to certain sites and only visit those sites on those days
5. I could take a 6-week social media sabbatical
6. I could just keep doing what I’ve been doing and justify that it’s part of being a creative artist in the 21st century
7. I could whine and complain about it in a long-winded article on this site and see how everyone else is handling it

An experiment in social media sanity

After looking over these options, I quickly realized that giving up completely and going cold turkey probably wasn’t a real option, nor was hiring someone else to do all of this for me (although I’m sure that might appeal to many of you). So I was left with four remaining options:

• Create a daily time schedule
• Assign certain days to certain sites
• Take a 6-week social media free sabbatical and then reassess my options
• Or I could simply keep doing what I’ve been doing and hope that my feeble little brain doesn’t descend (even deeper) into madness

The last option about writing the whiny long-winded article on this site was obviously a given

So over the past month or so, I’ve been experimenting a bit with a few of these different strategies

What I quickly discovered was that timers and time limits for the most part don’t really work on me.  I apparently have some type of starch blocker in my brain that filters out any ringing or buzzing sound that indicates that I should logging off from Facebook, Twitter, or anything else for that matter.  I have a feeling that this is sadly the result of ignoring my alarm clock for all these years.  Please learn from my example kids.  The snooze button is not your friend!

So timers and schedules were quickly ruled out.

Next I decided that I would just take a break for awhile.  Just as if you were deprogramming yourself from a cult or recovering from a bad case of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream addiction.  You just take a step back, do without, and then see what happens. . .

I think this lasted about three or four days before I started going through status update withdrawal and getting the Twitter version of the hippie-shakes.  People were trying to contact me!  What kind of Twitter friend would I be if I just left them hanging out there in cyberspace?  Who else was going to share my idiotic observations of the world if it wasn’t me?  I was weak I know, but in the process I also discovered that taking an extended leave of absence probably wasn’t going to happen.

So in the end, it was either continue to do what I had been doing, or start rationing out my social media days like some type of bizarro Weight-Watchers program.  I had a feeling that this might be my last chance for social media sanity, so I was determined to make it work.

Scheduling a Facebook fast

Sometimes it’s all about momentum and habit, we find ourselves doing something (both good and bad) for no other reason then we’ve been doing it.  We need to find a way to break the cycle and stop the momentum in order to change our habits.

So lately I’ve been scheduling days where I won’t get on Twitter or Facebook at all (gasp!) — Now I know this may sound a bit extreme to some of you, but I also knew that it was the only way that I was going to make this work.  Schedules didn’t work.  Time limits didn’t work.  So now I was down to “Facebook Free” days as my final option.

A plan is only as strong as the idiot following it…

My original plan was that instead of having a fixed day of the week to “turn off and tune out”, I would simply schedule my Twitter-free days a week or two in advance so that I could plan my writing schedule accordingly.  The idea was to start with one day a week and then possibly work my way up to 2-3 days a week later on.

At first I found myself  scheduling these days on easy-to-avoid the computer days such as when family activities would pull me away from home or we would be out of town.  The problem with this system, of course, is that I wasn’t actually getting any writing done either on these day because I had conveniently scheduled all my Facebook-free days to coincide with the time that I wouldn’t have been sitting at the computer working otherwise.

On paper it looked like the plan was working perfectly and I was suddenly exhibiting a lot of willpower, but in reality I knew that I was simply taking the easy way out.  Eventually it came to the point that I had to start banning myself from checking Twitter, Facebook, the website, and even opening my email  during “creative working” hours/days.  I finally realized that even the smallest peek into my email inbox would quickly begin my descent into social media madness.

Creativity requires time (and sometimes silence)

Creativity, at least for me, has always required a period of quiet stillness time that is uninterrupted.

Many of us need that downtime where there is nothing to distract us and nothing for us to do.  We need those moments of creative solitude in order to listen to those soft creative voices within.  We also need that time to recharge and process all of the input that we already have received. 

I remember reading about how Mahatma Gandhi would take one day a week and not speak to anyone.  He didn’t do this to rest his vocal chords, he did this because he realized the value of taking the time to reconnect with his inner voice even in the midst of overthrowing a colonial empire.  Now I obviously don’t have a smidgen of the willpower and self-discipline that Mr. Gandhi exhibited in his daily life but I realize now that he was on to something.

I needed to find the time to be alone with myself

So I started turning off the wi-fi on my laptop and kicking it old school every few days. No web browsers, no Pandora, no TweetDeck, no email, just me and that scary blank page.

From now on, there will probably be some days where you won’t hear from me at all on Twitter or Facebook and if you send me an email message I might not respond right away.  It hasn’t be easy, but I’ve had to swallow my pride let go of the idea that I could do it all.

I am slowly learning how to adapt and survive in this brave new digital world.  Like so many others, I am still fumbling around trying to find that elusive balance between being constantly connected and still having those precious moments of solittude where creativity can take root and blossom.  I can only ask you to be patient with me as I learn to be more patient with myself.

This is not goodbye, it is only a new beginning…

How do you manage to do it?!

• Do you usually get on your Facebook or Twitter account every day, once a week, or once a month?
• How do you limit the amount of time you spend on these types of social media websites?
• Do you have an actual  system in place (timer, schedule, etc..) or do you just use common sense?
• Do you find yourself spending more or less time on these sites as you get more comfortable using them?
• Have you closed down, or ever considered closing down any of your social media accounts due to the amount of time you were spending on them?

Image courtesy of Marshall Astor

Here are some other articles you might enjoy:

1. Dear Facebook, what’s the point?!
2. 21 Artists to Watch in 2011
3. 9 Warning Signs of an Amateur Artist

It all seemed so simple in the beginning…

These days it seems as if everyone is telling you that you need to find a way to “engage” your fans in social media (whatever that means) if you are to have any hope of surviving as an artist/writer/musician in the 21st century.

So you sign up for Twitter and Facebook and start talking about your latest project or what you had for lunch that day because you don’t know what else to say to all of these people that you’ve never met before.  Suddenly feeling like the friendless fool, you desperately try to find whatever Facebook friends and Twitter followers you can by blindly following back every social media expert and “branding” guru who tracks you down with their insidious little spam machines.  Meanwhile all of the people you are actually hoping to attract, like other artists and future paying customers (gasp!), somehow continue to elude you.

But then it’s still not enough…

Then just when you start to feel more comfortable sending out tweets and status updates, you’re told that it’s no longer enough.  You also need to be on Tumblr, DeviantArt, Posterous, and Flickr if you’re going to have any hope of building your online reputation as an artist.  So before long you have six different social media accounts that you now need to manage and update regularly, and what started out as a fun way to connect with other artists, has suddenly become a part-time job.

Not only that, but then you have annoying people like myself telling you that you still have more work to do.  You also need to have a website as your “virtual home” where you can control and pull all of these other social media profiles together in one place.  Oh, and while you’re at it, why don’t you go ahead and create a witty and informative blog to keep all of your readers (yes, both of them) up to date on what is happening in your professional life.

So now you not only having to constantly update your Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Posterous, and Tumblr accounts, but you also have to design and update this #$%@! website/blog, which according to your traffic stats only about 19 people are visiting anyway.

So here’s the big question (finally)….

Is any of this social media gooblygook really doing anything to build your creative business or is all of this simply sucking up more of your time that you could be spending, you know, actually creating something?

I generally hate to throw around corporate buzzwords, but have you ever stopped to think about what your ROI (return on investment) might be for all the time you are currently spending “networking” on these social media sites?  And even if you could, how would you go about measuring something like that?

I was wondering about this stuff myself, so recently on our own humble little Facebook page (I know ironic, right?) I asked what you’ve been getting out of using Facebook and Twitter, and whether or not it was really worth all of the time and effort involved?

Here’s what some of you had to say….

Rachel Troutman I haven’t had any luck with Facebook really but I’m probably not using it right but I really like Twitter and it’s been beneficial for me to meet other artists and feel like I’m part of a creative community.

Kat Monaghan I use Facebook & Flickr as webpages/gallery. Twitter seems better to make new connections, meet new people/artists, check trends/events

Peter Hobden So far Facebook has been more of a sounding board and networking with other artists kind of thing. I can’t attribute any sales to Facebook. Though I did once sell same small paintings to a Twitter contact.

Catherine Vibert I did sell a painting via Facebook and I’ve sold a few prints and cards here. It hasn’t been substantial however. I’ve sold nothing via twitter, but I’ve very much enjoyed the contacts I’ve made there. A nice community. The best part about the Facebook artist page is that it is a very easy way to display work and get instant feedback.

Gillian McMurray I have met some lovely people via Facebook and exposed my work to more folk but it hasn’t done my sales any good and I do waste a lot of time on it when I should be working. I haven’t taken to Twitter at all though. My life just isn’t exciting enough to give people a blow by blow account of my working practices or what I’m thinking – LOL.

Brett Winn Art Like any marketing tool, especially new, it takes time to find that niche. I’ve had success on facebook, however I would not put all my eggs in this one basket. For me, it’s a good tool to direct potential customers to my sales sites and to meet artists, be inspired and stay motivated. Skinny Artist thanks for posting this article and starting this conversation. Posts like this are another reason for artists to use visit Facebook.

Tracey Fletcher King I think Facebook is all about a sense of community, and being able to connect even when you are in your studio. I have had really supportive friendships grow out of fb contacts and that is a rare and precious thing in its own right.

Tracy Wall Just another way to diversify; spread the word, baby!

www.trevorjonesart.com I think using any social media tool effectively is about finding balance and, most importantly, about using it to add to one’s credibility as an artist. Although I use them to help drive traffic to my website, I don’t use any of them to sell my work directly and additionally, I think that they can very easily have a negative impact on one’s professional image.

The artist has to ask, “Who is my market and can FB (or any other social media tool) be used in anyway to positively affect this market?” Although I don’t see social media as a tool for selling it can, if used effectively, help inform the decision making process of a potential buyer as well as help previous buyers keep up on what I’m doing… and, importantly, to help them spread the word to their friends.

Nevertheless, as mentioned above a couple times, FB or any social media tool for that matter can dangerously take up too much of one’s time. This not only becomes a detriment to ones progression and development of artistic ideas and skills, it can easily begin to affect one’s professional image. If a previous buyer of my work sees nothing but loads of irrelevant dross on my page or in my tweets what are they going to think about me as a professional artist? Are they going to think that buying my work was an (emotional or economic) investment or was it a waste of their time?

Also, how are gallery owners who tune into my online chat going to view me, my artwork and my “brand”? If I use social media tools effectively, smart gallery owners will see the benefits of this ie. it makes their job easier by expanding their market of potential buyers and thereby getting more people through their doors or onto their website when my work is on display. But if I’m using it in a way that detracts from my professional image then a gallery owner will very likely want nothing to do with me. It’s the same as businesses investigating potential employees through social media networks to find out what kind of person they are. So many people have so much online access to so much of our lives now that we have to be very careful how we portray ourselves through social media channels.

Here are some other articles you might enjoy:

1. Follow me Dammit!
2. There’s no place like home

"Diaphanous Daffodil" by Julia Forsyth

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As many of you know, last year Skinny Artist published a list of 21 Amazing Artists to Watch in 2010. Since then, I’ve gotten to know many of these artists better, and I consider myself lucky to be able to call so many of them now my friends. If you haven’t already had the chance to meet some of these incredible artists, I would really encourage you to take the time to do so.

Now as we settle into 2011, I wanted to take a moment and share with you 21 more amazing artists who I’ve had the pleasure to meet over this past year.  These are not just talented artists, writers, and photographers — but they are extraordinary human beings as well. These artists are out there every day creating their art and offering encouragement to the rest of us through their blogs, Twitter streams, Facebook updates, and Flickr photostreams. They understand the value of sharing their creative process as well as supporting the larger arts community around them, which in the end makes us all better artists.

Also this year, I have the privilege of unveiling the original artwork you see above entitled ”Diaphanous Daffodil” which has been specially commissioned for this occasion.  This spectacular piece of art was created by the lovely and talented Julia Forsyth (@juliaforsythart) who just happens to be one of the amazing artists we featured on the original 2010 Artist to Watch list [see I told you she was cool!]

Finally, as you are reading through this list, please keep in mind that these are obviously not the only artists/writers/photographers on Twitter and Facebook who are worthy of a follow.  I will apologize in advance if I happened to overlook you or someone else you admire.  Unfortunately it’s just not possible to include every deserving artist on a single list, however if there’s someone you would like to mention, please feel free to add them to the list in the comment section below.

Note: You can now follow all of these incredible artists on the official 21 Artists to Watch in 2011 Twitter list!

21 Artists to Watch in 2011

In no particular order of awesomeness!

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1.) Annick McKenzie

Follow Annick on Twitter @annickmckenzie and on Facebook

Annick is one of those artists who just seems to exude creativity and art from every fiber of her being.  Maybe it’s the fact that she was born in France and has lived all over the world, but more than anything, I think it’s that you can almost feel the passion she has for her work in every single painting that she does.  If you take a moment and stroll around her online gallery, you will see Annick’s unique ability to play with color with amazing and often unexpected results.

Like so many of the other artists on this list, however, Annick doesn’t simply create her art and call it a day.  Most days she can be found on Twitter and Facebook encouraging other artists and celebrating their personal success stories with others.   Recently, she has also begun to share more of her own creative process on her new art blog Treasures of the Heart.  Annick is an incredibly talented artist, a kind creative soul, and one who certainly deserves to be at the top of any list of artists to watch in 2011.

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2.) Pete Hobden

Follow Pete on Twitter @PeteHobden and on Facebook

Pete is another one of those visual artists, like Annick, who may have started painting later in life (their words not mine) but seems to be making up for any lost time with a passion.  Pete himself admits that “I am under the spell. I paint my universe.”  The fact that his website is called Pete Hobden’s Painting Adventures really says it all.  This is not a burned-out bitter artist who is simply going through the motions, this is a man who has completely immersed himself in his passion for art and living out his creative dreams.  I mean, just by looking at his avatar, you know that he’s having fun.

Pete is also a member of the informal #Draw365 group on Twitter and is always there supporting the work of his fellow artists. Many of his own extraordinary drawings can be found on his Frequent Drawings site. The thing that impresses me the most, however, is that Pete is one of those generous souls who is always putting other artists first.  He is generally the first one there on Twitter retweeting other people’s work or offering them an encouraging word when they may need it the most.  Pete is truly an amazing artist and an even better friend, which is why he’ll certainly be an artist to watch in 2011.

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3.) Annika R

Follow Annika on Twitter @Ruohoska and Facebook

Annika is an art photographer and teacher who lives in Finland.

As a writer I have always been fascinated by the stories behind a particular photograph or a work of art.  Many people claim they don’t want to peek behind the creative curtain and ruin the magic. To me, however, learning about the thought process and often the struggle that went into creating a particular piece of art, deepens the meaning and beauty of a work immeasurably.  This is what initially drew me into reading Annika’s photography blog and discovering the stories behind many of her magnificent images.

Looking through her online gallery and her Flickr photostream, you begin to see her deep connection with nature and how she is able to capture what so many of us overlook in our daily lives. When she’s not busy trekking through the breath-taking forests capturing these incredible images, Annika can be found sharing her love of nature with her students to whom she teaches environmental education.

If you’re interested in discovering more about Annika and her work, I would really encourage you to check out this fantastic interview Sondra (@Modernmarks) did with Annika recently on her site. Her passion for capturing and preserving the beauty of the natural world shows in everything that she does, which is why Annika is an artist to we will be watching in 2011.

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4.) Cat Salter

Follow Cat on Twitter @CatSalterArtist and Facebook

Cat is an artist and photographer who lives in the U.K., however, it’s her kind and generous personality that has earned her friends and fans all over the world.

I’ve always admired artists who are able to create a signature style for themselves that becomes unmistakable.  These are the artists who can take any subject and turn it into something uniquely their own.  Cat is clearly one of those rare and talented artists.  As you view a collection of her artwork, you can begin to see that almost invisible thread that connects them and infuses them with the soul of that particular artist.

If Cat was simply a great artist alone, however, she probably wouldn’t have made this list because the world is filled with great artists who wouldn’t give you the time of day unless you had your checkbook in your hand.  Cat, however, doesn’t just show her work–she shares it.  On her remarkable art blog, she shares with us some of her favorite tools and techniques along with some lessons she as learned along the way. She has even created some helpful tutorial guides for the beginning artist or curious art aficionado. It is this unique blend of artistic talent, magnetic personality, and generosity that makes Cat an artist to watch in 2011.

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5.) David Sandum

Follow David on Twitter @DavidSandumArt

David is one of those artists who I discovered I was watching long before I ever officially followed him.  Anyone who has been involved in the Twitter arts community for awhile has probably seen @DavidSandumArt pop up frequently.  David is a fantastic visual artist, but he is also an incredible social connector.  If you’re an artist on Twitter, chances are most of your current (and future) artist friends are already connected through David. He is kind of like the Kevin Bacon of the Twittersphere where no one is more than one or two connections away from him.

As is you needed any more proof of David’s ability to bring artists together, last year he organized the first ever international #TwitterArtExhibit in order to raise money to support the public library in Moss, Norway.  Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of artists around the world, it was a remarkable success and David was able to solidify his already considerable reputation as an artist who brings people together.

As I mentioned previously, David is also an amazing visual artist. You can view all of his latest artwork on his gallery website and while you are there, be sure to read the interview about how he discovered his passion for art because it is a truly inspiring story. David’s artistic talent, his selfless generosity, as well as his ability to bring people together for a greater cause is why he is an artist to watch in 2011.

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6.) Hannah Stephenson (aka The Storialist )

Follow Hannah on Twitter @thestorialist and Facebook

Hannah is an extraordinary writer and poet who does what so many other writers fail to do. . .  she writes a lot.  Unlike so many other writers and especially poets I see online who typically post something every few months, Hannah publishes her work almost everyday.  In fact she’s had over 500 posts on her site The Storialist since it began.  As someone who’s seen far too many blogs come and go within 6 months, this is remarkable. It clearly demonstrates how much respect she has for her craft as well as for her audience.

Hannah is very active on Facebook and Twitter but she is always looking for new ways to connect with her friends and fans around the world.  Recently she began to experiment with adding videos of her poetry readings on her site, which I think is a great way for any artist to share their personality with their audience.  And even though it doesn’t really seem fair, Hannah is a great singer as well.  Recently she has begun sharing her amazing vocal work on Soundcloud and is well worth checking out.  Between her talent, her dedication to her craft, and her natural ability to connect with her audience –Hannah is certainly an artist we will be watching in 2011.

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7.) Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie

Follow Lynn on Twitter @lynnbmackartist and Facebook

Lynn is another one of those visual artists who have somehow developed this amazing signature style that is completely her own.  Her artwork has a fantastical dream-like quality to it that swirls in color and form. Into her artwork she weaves these mythic stories and symbols that serve to create an emotional connection with the viewer. Describing her work, Lynn says that “she is fascinated by the notion of what is around us that cannot be seen but often felt by some, faith, and the way people interpret consciousness & reality.”

When she’s not busy in the studio (and sometimes even when she is) Lynn can often be found on Twitter and Facebook supporting her fellow artists and interacting with her friends and fans from around the world.  Lynn is not just a fantastic artist, however, she is also a great writer and every week I look forward to reading her latest thoughts and stories on her wonderful art blog.  I really like the fact that she doesn’t simply talk about her latest work, but she openly talks about her journey as an artist and how it has changed her as both an artist and a human being. It is this exceptional mixture of talent, pure imagination, and openness that makes Lynn an artist to watch in 2011.

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8.) Trevor Jones

Follow Trevor on Twitter @trevorjonesart and Facebook

Let me just say up front that Trevor Jones is a dangerous artist. He’s not just dangerous because he hangs out with Jon Lord of Deep Purple & Whitesnake, he’s dangerous because he knows exactly what it takes to market himself as a visual artist online in 2011. He knows that it takes a lot more than simply making great art in order to become a successful money-making kind of artist.

While so many artists are still out there wooing gallery owners, Trevor has not only created his own virtual gallery on his website but he has also made it dead simple for people to purchase his incredible artwork through his online store. He doesn’t make you go over to Etsy and create a pointless account in order to buy something — you just click, pay, and it’s yours!

Now if Trevor was simply a great artist/businessman we’d still be able to learn something from him but he probably wouldn’t have been included on this list. Fortunately, Trevor is a fantastic person as well and he is always willing to share his thoughts and ideas with the rest of us on his art blog.   When he’s not busy creating his art, connecting with other artists on Twitter and Facebook, or teaching an art class, Trevor is often raising money for the Art in Healthcare charity which recently auctioned off an autographed Gibson guitar that he had personally refinished and painted. As a visual artist who clearly understands the value of giving back and connecting with the larger artist community, Trevor is absolutely an artist to watch in 2011.

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9.) Sarah Wiske

Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahWiskeArt and Facebook

If you think all visual artists are gloomy self-absorbed people, you clearly haven’t met Sarah Wiske.  Sarah’s personality is as cheerful and whimsical as her beautiful artwork.  When I first met Sarah several months ago on Twitter, I figured out fairly quickly that she was going to turn out to be an artist to watch in 2011.

I’ve already said this far too many times on this site, but when it comes to marketing yourself and your creative work to the online world – it will ultimately be your personality that gets you noticed. People don’t just buy art, they buy the artist.  In this day and age of blogs and endless social media updates, talent alone is simply no longer enough to break though. Fortunately for Sarah she not only has the right personality, but she has an incredible amount of creative talent as well.

One of the things that has impressed me the most about Sarah is the fact that she has this amazing ability to connect with people and make them feel like a friend first and a potential customer second.  Recently Sarah launched her new beautifully designed website and has been sharing her latest thoughts with us on her art blog. When you find someone with this much artistic talent combined with an extraordinary personality, there’s no doubt that Sarah will be an artist to watch in the upcoming year.

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10.) Kat Ostrow

Follow Kat on Twitter @katost

One of the things that impresses me most about Kat as a visual artist is that she is never afraid to take chances in her work.  If you take a few minutes and read through her Painting in Progress art blog, you’ll see how she’s willing to follow her vision wherever it leads. I think she sums this up beautifully when she said recently. . .

“Life happens and if you are a painter then it spills right out onto the canvas regardless of plans or intent. That is why every canvas I paint is a map of my inner workings at that moment and that is why after layering those emotions/ braiding them one on top of another >> the canvas carries those emotions. For me it is the emotion more than the figure that I am painting.”

She is one of the least self-conscious artists I have ever met and her complete willingness to follow her instincts and focus on the creative emotional process rather than the final product is truly remarkable.  Check out her online art gallery and then go back to her blog in order to see how a particular piece came to be.

Kat also shares her creative process on Twitter and hardly a day that goes by where she is not busy sharing another artist’s work, supporting their dreams, or celebrating their small victories. She is truly an amazing friend and certainly an artist worth watching in the year ahead.

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11.) Sarah Marie Lacy

Follow Sarah on Twitter @smlacy and Facebook

Let me start off by saying that Sarah isn’t just an artist to watch in 2011 because she’s going to be spending a good portion of it having the time of her life studying art in France at the Studio Escalier. It’s also not just the fact that she is one of the nicest people I know on Twitter.  And it’s certainly not the fact that she is an extraordinary painter and perhaps an even better writer . . . then again maybe it’s all of those reasons.

One of the things that I’ve always admired about Sarah is her unique sense of openness, vulnerability, and pure determination to succeed.  Every week she writes a remarkable column on her blog entitled The Sunday Hug.  These articles address the issues that so many of us face but far fewer of us are willing to risk talk about.  Things such as “Doing the things that scare you” “Forgotten Dreams” and “The Difficulty of Dreams“.

Don’t let any of this distract you from the fact that Sarah is a fantastic painter and I would certainly encourage you to check out her online painting portfolio.  Let’s be honest though, as good of an artist as she may be, Sarah is an even better human being, and that’s why she is an artist to watch in 2011.

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12.) Mary Vargas

Follow Mary on Twitter @artinwater

One of the things we talk about all of the time on this site is about the importance of connecting with your fellow artists and potential customers by allowing them to see the person behind the art.  Mary is one of those rare visual artists who not only understands this, but somehow she makes it look virtually effortless at the same time.  When you look at any of her gorgeous time-lapse painting videos on her YouTube channel you can’t help but wonder why more visual artists don’t do this.  People love to see the creative process in action.  Mary also uses videos intermixed with her own paintings on her remarkable Vargas Art Studio website.

The subjects of Mary’s paintings are typically common everyday objects painted in an extraordinary way.  Her work has this amazing subtlety of form and color that her watercolor technique accentuates perfectly. When she’s not busy painting, Mary can usually be found on Twitter supporting her fellow artists and friends. In everything she does online, it’s obvious that Mary loves to connect with people, lift them up, and share her art. This is the reason Mary Vargas will be an artist you’ll want to be watching in 2011.

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13.) Jessica Kristie

Follow Jessica on Twitter @jesskristie and Facebook

Jessica is another one of those rare poets that actually writes poetry.  She understands that poetry, like any other type of creative art is not simply an act of inspired thought, but inspired action.  Her poetry blog is not only filled with some incredibly poetry, but she also includes her prose writing, related videos, and insightful author interviews as well.  When she’s not busy writing, Jessica can usually be found on Twitter connecting with other writers and sharing the latest news on her Facebook Fan page.

I was first introduced to Jessica through an interview she did recently with The Dark Press. It was then that I realized that Jessica wasn’t your typical sporadic internet poet who only seems to be inspired to write when they are feeling sad.  In the interview Jessica talked about how it’s not enough to simply write the poetry, but how you also have to then put it out into the world.  Not just tucked away in some dark corner of your blog that no one reads, but actually submitting your work to publishers both online and off.  She talks about the importance of polishing and editing your work and only submitting a piece of work to relevant publishers. In other words, Jessica is not just another poet wannabe, she is a professional writer.  This is why it came as no surprise to me to discover that Jessica’s new poetry compilation “Dreaming in Darkness” will be published this Spring by Willow Moon Publishing.  Jessica will be an artist we will be watching (and reading) in 2011.

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14.) Rebecca Phillips

Follow Rebecca on Twitter @LillyBeckArt and Facebook

Let me just say upfront, that Rebecca is one of those artists who have the ability to rekindle your faith in humanity.  She is living proof that it’s possible to be an extremely talented artist and an incredibly nice person at the same time.  I have rarely met a more kind and generous spirit who is always busy sharing other people’s work on Twitter as well as her Lilly Beck Art Facebook fan page.

Her wildlife paintings and photographs remind me of those beautiful vintage postcards that you would pick up at some exotic island locale.  This is not surprising considering that she makes her home on the picture perfect Sunshine Coast in Australia. Having had the pleasure of visiting Australia last year, I can tell you that there are very few places that can match the sheer natural beauty of that area and Rebecca captures it perfectly in her work.

As I’ve said many time before, I always enjoy it when an artist is willing to share his or her creative thought process with the rest of us.  Rebecca uses her art blog as a way of setting the backdrop for her latest work.  She doesn’t just tell you what she did, instead she tells you what she was thinking, any concerns or doubts she may have had about it, and also how a piece might have turned out differently than she had initially imagined. It sounds real, because it is real. Rebecca’s not using her blog to try and sell you her work, or make herself out to be some infallible artistic genius, she’s just sharing her creative process. She’s a real person creating some incredible art, which in my book, makes her an artist to watch in 2011.

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15.) Patti Agapi

Follow Patti on Twitter @madwithrapture and Facebook

I have to admit that Patti’s artwork fascinates me.  Her mixed-media collage work are like little microcosms of the entire creative process.  They’re amazingly colorful. They have all of these layers that run far deeper than you  can imagine. They’re sometimes crazy and chaotic, but they are always extraordinarily beautiful.  To me they are pure imagination unleashed.

With the risk of offending her, I’ve always seen Patti as a creative kindred spirit of mine, because she has this incredible ability to pull seemingly unrelated references from literature, poetry, photographs, music, and artwork together in order to create this spectacular creative soup that is then translated into her art. Take a few minutes and read through her fascinating Mad with Rapture blog as well as her studio website to see how Patti is able to find inspiration virtually anywhere.

When she’s not busy stirring up her creative soup, Patti  can almost always be found on Twitter or her Mad with Rapture Studio Facebook fan page supporting her fellow artists and sharing her latest #draw365 drawings with the world.  Personally I can’t wait to see what Patti has in store for us next, which is why she will be an artist to watch in 2011.

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16.) Terrill Welch

Follow Terrill on Twitter @terrillwelch

On her website Terrill tells us that she is a woman living a life of simple abundance, but that only tells you half of the story.  Terrill is what I like to call a pure creative spirit.  She has created this amazing life for herself where she is able to paint, write, or photograph beauty wherever she may find it.  She makes no attempt to define it, only to recognize it in its native state.  After reading her powerful artist biography, I was once again reminded about how the creative tools we are given to explore as children can have such a profound effect on us for the rest of our lives.

Terrill shares her creative process with us on her  Creativepotager blog where she talks about her latest works and discoveries.  She writes about her life and her art and each post ends with a unique “Sprout” question that is intended to get the reader thinking and interacting with the topic in a creative new way.  While you’re there, be sure to take a moment to enjoy Terrill’s beautiful paintings and photographs in her online galleries.

She may be living a life of simple abundance but with over 16,000 tweets to her credit, Terrill still loves to connect with other artists on Twitter. Most days she can be found there continuing the conversation and sharing the best the Twitter arts community has to offer.  She is an extraordinary artist and a truly remarkable person as well, which is why she will be an artist worth watching in 2011.

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17.) Sky Pape

Follow Sky on Twitter @skypape

It should probably come as no surprise given her name that Sky is an artistic breath of fresh air. Just when you think you may have seen everything the art world has to offer, you stumble upon an artist whose incredible artwork doesn’t neatly fit into anything you’ve seen before. Sky describes her unique style as “an intensive examination of traditional drawing materials through unconventional methods.” She calls them drawings, I call them visual experiences that have to be seen to be believed.  In this day and age where computer-gernated fractals and digital images are seemingly everywhere, you can sometimes forget the raw power and emotion that can only be found in a hand-drawn design created by a extremely talented artist.

Her latest work is a collection of extraordinary black-and-white Sumi ink drawings created on handmade paper.  Any attempt by me to actually describe these drawings would be incredibly foolish so I’ll allow you to experience them for yourself.  While you’re off exploring, however, be sure to stop by Sky’s Drawn Together art blog and read one of her in-depth articles on a variety of art-related topics.  When she’s not busy dazzling the eye with her art, Sky can often be found on Twitter sharing links to all of the latest news in the art world or cheering on her fellow artists. With a unique mixture of massive creative talent and a caring heart, Sky is an artist to watch in 2011.

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18.) Michelle “Shell” Rummel

Follow Shell on Twitter @shellartistree and Facebook

Those of you who have followed this site for awhile know that I’ve always been drawn artists who use the world around them to inspire their work.  Some artists use photography to find inspiration while others use poetry or music to feed their art. For some artists, anything and everything around them is fair game.  Shell is one of those amazing artists who is able to find inspiration from virtually any source.

Her beautiful watercolor paintings and photographs almost always include a poem or a short verse that inspired them, which she generously shares with us on her ShellArtistree website. Sometimes they are the work of others, but many times they are poems she has written herself.  That’s right, in addition to being a fantastic painter and photographer, Shell is quite a gifted writer as well.  While it may not seem entirely fair to me that she has been blessed with all of these talents, it is a distinct pleasure to watch this incredibly creative mind at work.

It would be far easier to be jealous of Shell, however, if she wasn’t also one of the nicest most selfless people I’ve met on Twitter.  Every day, she can be found online connecting with the  Twitter arts community and sharing their latest work or personal triumphs with her followers.  Shell also takes the time to talk about her creative influences and daily progress on her Shell Artistree Facebook fan page. As an incredibly talented artist who has this rare ability to make everyone else around her shine, Shell is an artist you should be watching in 2011.

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19.) Russ Potak

Follow Russ on Twitter @russpotak and Facebook

Having lived in New Hampshire myself years ago, Russ represents everything that I remember and still admire about the beautiful New England region.  I remember how words are always measured carefully and praise (or blame) is never handed out indiscriminately.   I remember the pride of independence mixed in with the willingness to always help out a neighbor in need.  I remember the sound of the mountains and seashore colliding together and I remember that eerie silence after a fresh snow.  As an artist, I’m assuming that Russ is not directly responsible for any of this (at least I don’t think), but once you see his amazing artwork you’ll begin to understand it is forever linked to these proud New England ideals. To me his work has this extraordinary impressionistic view that not only captures this region’s physical beauty but its very essence as well.

Russ talks about his creative process on his art blog and how he is always experimenting with new methods and techniques just to see where they lead. Like so many of the other artists and writers on this list, Russ understands that he is not always in control of the creative process and he mentioned this fact in a recent blog post:

“How a work evolves, is how it evolves. I can direct, .. but things can happen along the way which I did not anticipate. That is one of the exciting things about exploring the creative process. It holds in store mysteries, not yet revealed, until the work, becomes a work in progress.”

In the end, true art is always a process of give and take. It is an exploration. It is discovery of oneself. As an artist, Russ is constantly listening, learning, and exploring new ideas which not only makes him an incredibly gifted artist, but an artist to watch in 2011.

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20.) Daina Scarola

Follow Daina on Twitter @ArtByDaina and Facebook

I’ve always admired those rare creative artists (or anyone for that matter) who not only have this incredible passion for what they do, but have managed to carve out their own unique niche in the creative art world.  Daina calls herself a Surf Artist which apparently is code for awesome artist who gets to hang out on the beach and surf a lot for “research”.  This is yet another painful reminder that I have apparently chosen the wrong career path for myself.  Daina’s artwork combines her love for nature and the ocean, and has this amazing retro-vibe that can’t help but take you back to those old Hawaiian surf shops in the 1950′s-60′s.

Daina posts regularly on her Art by Daina blog where she talks about her latest projects as well as sharing some of her favorite artists and websites from around the web. Like so many of the other artists on this list, Daina can be found daily interacting with the growing arts community on Twitter as well as her Surf Art Facebook fan page.  As Daina continues to surf and create her extraordinary art, she is an artist we will definitely be watching in 2011.

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21.) Mona K

Follow Mona on Twitter @monakart

I’ll admit that a few months ago, I had never even heard of the poet and visual artist named Mona K.   I hadn’t seen any of her amazing drawings or admired her visually stunning figurative paintings.  I hadn’t yet witnessed any of her ethereal dreamlike landscapes that often appear to be the creative descendants of J.R.R. Tolkien himself. I hadn’t yet experienced her metaphoric still-lifes that are a far cry from the typical fruit and flower motifs, and are chocked full of enough symbolic objects to make even the most jaded Jungian smile. Needless to say, I have quickly become a fan of this incredibly talented artist.

Mona had this to say about her creative process. . .

“What reflects on the canvas is the breaking point of were my inner world meets the exteriour world.Sometimes its a conversation,  sometimes a wish, a vision, a dream  . . . sometimes it’s a question. . . if I been lucky then its an understanding I am still exploring”

As if that’s not enough, Mona is a remarkable writer as well.  Her poetry, like her art, is a rich mixture of visual imagery and dreamlike symbolism which can all be witnessed in her extraordinary poem “Insomnia“.  Mona chronicles all of her latest poetry, paintings, and creative thoughts on her art blog.  Even though I may have missed out on following her last year, I certainly won’t make that mistake again, which is why Mona is an artist to watch in 2011.

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Here are some other articles you might enjoy:

1. 21 Artists to Watch in 2010

Now that we are entering into the second half of 2010.  I wanted to take a moment and share with you 21 amazing artists I have had the pleasure to meet over the past six months, and artists that you’ll certainly want to keep your eye on in the years ahead.

Some of these artists you may already know, while others you may be meeting for the very first time.  Those of you who have followed Skinny Artist for awhile will know that these artists were chosen not only for their considerable artistic ability, but also for their willingness to share themselves and their creative process with the rest of us. In other words, they are real people, doing real art, every single day.

Now obviously these aren’t the only artists on Twitter and Facebook who are worthy of a follow and I will apologize in advance if I happened to overlook you or someone else you admire.  Unfortunately we were not able to include all of our favorite artists due to space considerations, however if there’s someone you would like to mention, please feel free to add them to the list in the comment section below.

If you’re interested, you can follow all of these artists from one Twitter list.  Check out: 21 Artists to Watch in 2010

Finally, please note that our two previously featured artists here on the site Char Reed and Kat Dillman were not eligible to be included in this list because you should already be watching them, and we wanted to recognize as many new artists as possible.  We will however include both of these amazing young artists in our 21 Artist to Watch Twitter list above.  If you haven’t already, I would certainly encourage you to follow them as well as check out their featured artist pages.

21 Artists to Watch in 2010

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In no particular order of awesomeness!

1.) Alison Jardine

Follow Alison on Twitter @alisonjardine and Facebook

Alison is an amazing painter, however, it was the writing on her blog that made me first sit up and take notice of this amazing artist.  She has an incredible degree of vulnerability and self-reflection in her work and in her writing that has the ability to speak to any type of artist.  I think she’s exactly right when she says in her artist statement that “Ultimately, inevitably, all my works of art are self-portraits.”

Alison, like most all of the other artists on this list, can be found daily on Twitter sharing her thoughts and her creative process as well as always offering support and encouragement to the artists around her. You can find a sampling of Alison’s incredible artwork in her Ugallery as well as her photostream on Flickr.

2.) Damien Franco

Follow Damien on Twitter @DamienFranco [although you probably won't find him on Facebook anytime soon]

Damien is a art photographer who, like Alison, currently lives in Texas.  Although he certainly isn’t an obscure undiscovered artist as his 17,000 Twitter followers will attest, Damien is an incredible photographer as well as a self-proclaimed  ”all-around nice guy” (which is true).  Damien really caught my eye with a blog post he did last month called “Ordinary Artist” where he talks about the importance of accepting ourselves as we are and valuing the process instead of the product of our work.  This is a message that I believe that any artist can appreciate.

You can see a sampling of Damien’s amazing art photography in his online gallery as well as on his Flickr photostream

3.)Erin Richardson

Follow Erin on Twitter @Erinsartjournal and on Facebook

In the short time that I have followed Erin I have always been struck not only by her remarkable paintings but also by her creative process. Some artists believe that a piece of art should be allowed to stand on its own, however, I have always admired artists who were willing to share the emotional and psychological elements that went into creating a particular piece of art as well.   It is this sense of vulnerability, doubt, and self-reflection in the creative process that adds a degree of depth and humanness to the finished product.

All of us feel these things once in awhile as we go through our creative process, the difference is that not all of us have the courage to open ourselves up and share these emotions with others.  Erin, however, shares all of this and more on her amazing blog and I would really  encourage you to check out her “Bench in Progress” as well as her revealing “Art as Therapy” posts in order to see what I’m talking about.

You can see Erin’s amazing artwork on her Flickr gallery as well as her website.

4.)Caroline Nevin (aka RubiesAreBlue)

Follow Caroline on Twitter @RubiesAreBlue and on Facebook

When you first look at one of Caroline’s paintings, portraits, or one of her incredible series you realize almost immediately that something is different.  You may not even be able to put you finger on what exactly it is, but it is as if an invisible thread runs through all of her paintings rendering them all irrevocably original and unique.  To me an artist such as this, one who has clearly found her voice, is an artist one should consider following very closely.

If Caroline was simply an amazing artist, however, she probably wouldn’t have made this list.  The sad truth is that the world is full of incredibly talented people who you would walk across the street to avoid.  Fortunately, Caroline is a wonderful human being as well.  In fact, if you’ve spent any time at all around the artist community on Twitter, chances are good that you’ve seen @RubiesAreBlue mentioned in more than a few tweets. The reason, is that Caroline is always extraordinarily supportive and generous with her fellow artists.

I would really encourage you to take a few minutes and stop by her blog or visit with her a bit on Twitter.  I truly believe that when you do,  you’ll understand why we say that she is an artist to watch.

5.) Julia Forsyth

Follow Julia on Twitter @JuliaForsythArt

Even though I have only known about most of these artists for a short time, there are always a few artists who you immediately connect with–Julia is one of those artists.  If you take a quick look at her Twitter stream, however, the reason for this becomes obvious.  Julia is a human being first and an artist second.  This in no way diminishes her ability as an artist.  In fact, she is a fantastic artist.  It’s just that she also has this amazing ability to connect with other people.  If you notice, virtually all of her tweets are either RTs or personal reply messages, which means that she is not only reading your stuff, but she wants to talk to you about it.  To me this is a blueprint to building amazing relationships with other artists on Twitter.

Her paintings are an incredible blend of colorful mosaics and intricate patterns that have to be seen to be believed.  You can experience them all by visiting her online painting portfolio.

6.) S L Donaldson

Follow her on Twitter @artbySDonaldson

Even though I admit that I don’t even know her first name, there is no doubt that she is an artist worth watching in the years ahead.  I first met her on Twitter a few months ago and she has been a great supporter of Skinny Artist ever since.  Like so many other artists on this list, she not only has a knack for creating exceptional art, but she also has this amazing ability to connect and support her fellow artists.

Take a few minutes to visit her blog and see some of the remarkable artwork in her online gallery and you’ll begin to understand what I’m talking about.  If you haven’t already, be sure to follow her on Twitter as well. It might be the best decision you make all day!

7.) Sabina Forbes II

Follow Sabina on Twitter @SabinaForbes2 and on Facebook

Sabina has this amazing boldness to her work that is distinct and unmistakable.  Her mixture of colors and patterns is what instantly draws you to her work, however, it is her incredible personality that makes you want become a fan.  Like her work itself, Sabina’s website is infused with color that hints at the playful personality of the artist behind the eyes.  Sabina’s online gallery is filled with amazing works of art that are both diverse yet distinctively hers.

Like so many other artists featured on this list, Sabina has a natural ability to interact with others.  Her Twitter stream is filled with messages, replies, and RTs as she connects with her fellow artists and friends.  The recurring theme here is that artists who are going to succeed in the 21st century are going to be the ones who are able to interact with their fans as both an artist and a human being.  There are simply too many options out there these days to care about an artist who is unapproachable. Don’t be afraid to open up and share yourself.  After all, you’re already sharing your art/writing/music with the world, you might also want to share some of your personality as well.  This is something that Sabina, and virtually all of the other artists on this list, do extremely well.

Visit Sabina’s Flikr photostream in order to see more of her amazing work.

8.) Jonahh Oestreich

Follow Jonah on Twitter @jonahhphoto

Jonahh is a fascinating combination of photographer and poet whose work immediately stood out to me the first time I saw it.  As a writer, I am always intrigued when a visual artist uses words and images together in order to create something entirely new. On his remarkable blog, Jonahh combines his stunning photographs with his remarkable poetry, which together create a new depth of meaning to the work.  Here is just one recent example entitled “Age of Serenity“.

If you have the time, I would really encourage you to dig a little deeper into his extraordinary website and immerse yourself in this unique and powerful art form.  I believe that you will become enchanted by what you find.

9.) Connie Hozvicka (aka DirtyFootprints)

Follow Connie on Twitter @DirtyFootprints and on Facebook

Connie is an amazing artist in both words and paint.  In fact it was her writing that first attracted my attention.  As a natural born teacher, Connie has the incredible ability to translate the visual into words and then back again.  If you’re interested in finding out more about Connie, I would suggest starting with a few of her recent writings from her blog in order to see where she’s coming from as an artist.  Deeply personal writings such as “I Need You To Hear Me” as well as the magnificent “Cut the Crap” will give you a good idea about what DirtyFootprints is all about.

Despite all this talk about her writing, Connie is a fantastic visual artist as well.  You can see some of her remarkable paintings in her online gallery.  Connie is not just about creating art, however, because she is also also an accomplished art teacher who is dedicated to helping other artists achieve their creative potential with her  “Big Fearless Painting Adventure” Workshops.

10.) Artist Jane Bush

Follow Jane on Twitter @artistjanebush and on Facebook

Jane is both a concert photographer as well as a visual artist.  I have to admit that I have always been a bit jealous of those lucky photographers who got to stand inches from the stage and earn their living taking pictures while enjoying the music from some of their favorite bands.  Meanwhile, I’m stuffed into a tiny booth at the back of Starbucks with my laptop listening to three ladies argue about a word in their seemingly endless Bananagram game. None of this is Jane’s fault directly, of course, other than the fact that she has a much cooler job than mine.

One of the things that I like the most about Jane’s Touched by Fire blog is that she doesn’t just use her site as a showcase for her work.  In fact, she has created some fantastic resources and how-to tutorials in her Concert Photography 101 series that encourages even amateur photographers like myself to bookmark her site and revisit it often.

You can see some examples of Jane’s amazing concert photography as well as some of her other photographs on her website.  While you’re there, be sure to check out Jane’s incredible artwork portfolio as well.

11.) Alissa Fereday

Follow Alissa on Twitter @alissafereday

Alissa is another one of those artists on Twitter who certainly doesn’t need me pointing out the fact that she is an artist to watch.  Although a lot of people may already know about Alissa as her almost 23,000 followers will confirm, I believe that she’s someone who really understands the value of using social media like Twitter to connect with her fans as well as other artists.

Alissa is an incredible painter whose abstract designs evoke a wide range of emotions with their vivid colors and textures. She mentions this in her artist statement:

“For me, every painting is an exorcism of emotion. I put it all into the paint. Fear, anger, hope, desire—the rawest human frailties. With each brushstroke, each layer of color, each scrape of the knife comes release and, in some ways, redemption.”

Some artists use words, some use music, while others like Alissa paint their emotions using color and light. This is an artist to watch!

12.) Chanelle Richardson (aka iamchanelle)

Follow Chanelle on Twitter @iamchanelle

Chanelle is a photographer, musician, writer, and self-professed “foodie” all wrapped up in one creative package.  After having read through her blog and visiting her Flickr photostream, I would probably add poet to that list as well.  With over 15,000 tweets under her belt, Chanelle is no stranger to connecting and supporting her fellow artists.

Chanelle’s photographic subjects are as diverse as her interests ranging from self-portraits to guitar strings and reading through her website you realize that her eyes are always open searching for the next subject to capture her attention.  She summed up this intrinsic sense of optimism and wonder recently in one of her posts:

“no matter where you are in life, no matter what situation you find yourself in, no matter how dark and clouded your mind’s eye may be.  step outside. look up.  wonder.  wander.  reflect.  be thankful.”

Not only is Chanelle an amazing artist, but she is clearly a perceptive student of life as well!

13.) Miranda Aschenbrenner (aka LearntoArt)

Follow Miranda on Twitter @learntoArt

Miranda is not only an accomplished portrait and abstract visual artist, but she somehow also finds the time to write an incredible blog called LearntoArt.com where she offers a ton of free resources, tutorials, and tips on everything from “How-to Write a Wicked Artist Statement” to “How-to Make a Simple Frame for Canvas Board”.

I have talked before about the advantages of having these kind of free resources available on your blog or gallery site as a way to bring in more traffic.  Miranda understands that the more valuable content and resources she provides, the more visitors and potential customers she’s going to have to send to her Custom Portrait Online website.  This unique combination of artistic talent and online marketing savvy definitely makes Miranda an artist to watch in the future.

14.) Jemfyr

Follow Jemfyr on Twitter @jemfyr

Jemfyr is a poet who’s words evoke a visual image that only true poetry can create.  I would invite you to grab a cup of tea or coffee and read slowly through a few of her works on her poetry blog and soak in the rich imagery.  Stroll though such visually arresting poems such as “Velocity” , “Leave your mark”, “Embrace”, and the enigmatic “Pale Pose” which begins:

If I could touch your mind,
the hands of clock would never change…
I’d sew seamless lines of patterned color,
and silk ribbon between threaded lanes…
If I could lift the weight ten thousand times,
your shoulders would be free…
Lean now into the wind,
there is no need to refuse the breeze…

Also be sure to check out Mosaique Journey which is an online collaboration between Jemfyr’s remarkable poetry and the iconic photographs of @traceimages.

15.) Dawn Giunta (aka DMG_Art)

Follow Dawn on Twitter @DMG_art

Even though I haven’t known Dawn for very long, her artistic talent and vision speak for themselves.  After spending some time on her website and snooping around her amazing gallery pages, I have no doubt that Dawn will be an artist to watch for in the future. One of the things that impressed me the most was her willingness to explore different mediums in her work.  Dawn admits that she follows her artistic “cravings” wherever they lead, and so far that has taken her from charcoal to paintings to three-dimensional art to photography. She allows herself this freedom because she still believes that she is maturing as an artist.

It wasn’t just her considerable level of artistic talent that convinced me to include Dawn on this list, however, as much as it was her willingness to share her hopes, doubts, dreams, and missteps along the way with the rest of us.  I just don’t understand why more artists don’t allow their fans and potential customers to get to know them a little bit as a person.

As I’ve said multiple times before on this site, people buy art from people they like, which means that before they are going to care about your work, you’re going to have to give them a reason to care about you as a person.  And even though I wouldn’t know Dawn if she passed me on the street, I feel like I know something important and real about her from reading her “Bio” and her page describing her uncertain journey towards becoming an art teacher. In other words, this wasn’t some sterile “Artist Statement” that you see all over the internet, but more of a personality statement. Dawn understands this, which is why this remarkable artist has a very bright future ahead of her.

16.) Holly Friesen

Follow Holly on Twitter @Holly59

Holly is both an amazing visual artist as well as a poet.  Her website is a fascinating collection of artwork and poetry. Take a few minutes to read through poems such as “Poet”, “March Clarity”, “Falling”,  and the  lusciously rich poem entitled “Broken Open” that begins. . .

i break things as effortlessly as breathing
i open my mouth and out float the lies
like little paper butterflies, delicately patterned
with spirals of truth turned inside out.

As hard as it is to believe, Holly’s paintings are an equally impressive collection of  stunning landscapes and richly provocative figures.  I could go on some more about this incredible artist, however, once you visit her site and read through her insightful “The Roaring Inside” blog, I think that you will agree that she is an artist to watch.

17.) Paulette Insall

Follow Paulette on Twitter @pauletteinsall and on Facebook

One of the things I like most about Paulette, besides her amazing art, is the fact that she describes herself as repeatedly on her website as both an Artist and a Mom.

Paulette’s work is even more amazing in the fact that she’s only been painting since 2006.  Her remarkable blog describes her journey along this path as well as her efforts at maintaining that delicate balance between family responsibilities and pursuing her artistic passion. While you’re there, be sure to check out her gallery and see why this is an artist that we will definitely be watching in the years ahead.

18.) Jamie Berry

Follow Jamie on Twitter @JamieBerry and on Facebook

Jamie is a true renaissance man as an artist, writer, and an all-around good guy.  I was first introduced to Jamie’s work after reading his remarkable and longly titled article “Art School Destroyed My Creativity, The Devil Made Me Do It, and Other Plausible Excuses” and from there I discovered his equally impressive missive “Artist vs. Creator: Part I”.  In fact my only complaint with Jamie’s writing is that there’s simply not enough of it.

While you’re there discovering why Jamie apparently sweats pollen, I would encourage you to check out Jamie’s Sketchbook Archive as well as his always interesting Posterous page and Flickr photostream.  See, I told you he’s been busy.

19.) Stacy Ericson (aka Ithili)

Follow Stacy on Twitter @Ithili

Although there is no doubt that Stacy is an amazing photographer, I think that she underestimates herself as a writer/poet as well.  Stacy specializes in “blurred” photography which she talks a little bit about how this came to be in her “About Me” section of her website The Old Bouquet.

No stranger to Twitter, Stacy has over 35,000 tweets under her belt which once again makes me realize that I am just a babe in the woods when it comes to social media.  Not to drive this point into the ground, but once again 90% of her tweets are not about her, but are either RTs or personal reply messages where she is directly connecting with one of her friends.  This is the way build real connections and friendships on any type of social media, which is something that I am still learning to do myself.

One of Stacy’s latest projects is “Iphotophiliac” which is a site dedicated to exploring the capabilities of  iPhotography. I not only applaud Stacy’s exploration of this new photographic medium, but also her attempt to deduct her iPhone as a business expense

20.) Wendy Wright

Follow Wendy on Twitter @wendywright

I remember a lot of the amazing album artwork (that’s LP not CD) when I was growing up in the 1970′s and early 80′s.  I not only collected a lot of these amazing album covers but I remember hanging several of them on my bedroom wall as works of art.  Those of you who are too young to remember the psychedelic album covers and posters from the 1960′s-70′s need to look no farther than the incredible and distinctive art of Wendy Wright.

Wendy is an illustrator who lives, not surprisingly, in San Francisco which is the very birthplace of this counter-culture revolution.  Her groovy posters and album covers evoke a incredibly distinctive style.  Wendy’s art, however, is not all paisley and psychedelia, however, and her paintings and her traditional portraits hint at the incredible depth of her artistic talent.

Like most of the artists on this list, Wendy regularly shares her thoughts and ideas on her blog and allows us the privilege of peeking inside the mind of this amazing artist.

21.) You!

Dear Twitterite,

We know that it was a bit rude to unfollow you this afternoon, but let’s face it, we seemed to be growing apart these past several months.  Even though I saw you there in my Twitter stream each and every morning, I found myself ignoring you more and more and I just wasn’t listening to what you had to say.  It’s not you, it’s me.  I think that I just need some time alone in my Twitter space to find myself.

I hope you forgive me,

@SkinnyArtist

It’s not you, it’s me!

I’m sorry, but I’ve got to say that this whole Twitter follower thing has gotten way out of control.  Every week we get people following us who somehow have over 3,000 followers but have only posted three updates in their new unbanned profile telling me about how I can get more Twitter followers automatically.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand why it’s happening, but I still can’t help thinking that the entire Twitter ecosystem is a little out of whack.

Look, I know that most of us want to have as many friends/followers as humanly possible so that we can all feel good about ourselves, but do you really want dozens of random people showing up in the middle of the night following you? And I’m not talking about those I-don’t-know-why-I-haven’t-met-you-before kind of strangers, I’m talking about people you would normally cross the street to avoid in real life.

Do you really want every internet marketer in the Twitterverse following you because he’s trying to get over 50,000 followers in less than a month so he can sell his new e-course on how to get more followers?  I actually had to take the words “marketing” and “blogger” out of our Twitter profile because we were attracting every marketer and social media guru west of the Mississippi with their Tweet Adder software set to stun.

Sure in the beginning this all seemed like a better alternative than hanging out with our four “real” Twitter friends listening to the chirping crickets (kind of like our current situation on Facebook) but did I really think these guys with 75,000 followers were actually going to sit down and read our tweets?

C’mon. . . I mean, what exactly is our goal here?

High School Redux

I certainly don’t mean to offend anyone here who may still be trapped in this institutional hellhole, but all of this reminds me of walking around my high school hallway a gazillion years ago in tenth grade desperately searching for someone to sign my yearbook.  [Editor's Note: Do people even do this anymore?!]

The really sad thing was the fact that you didn’t really care who signed it because it was all about filling the damn thing up as quickly as possible so that everyone would believe that you had friends dripping out of your eyeballs.  In fact, I actually remember asking people who I hadn’t even spoke to the entire year to sign my yearbook just so I could fill up all of that humiliating white space in the back of the book.

Hangin’ with the Popular kids

It wasn’t just the sheer quantity of signatures, however, it was important to get the “right” people to sign it as well.  Sure getting Harry Dorfenburger’s signature from the AV squad with the obligatory “Have a nice summer” was great, but what we really wanted is to have QB1 and the entire cheerleading squad fill up our back page in order to show everyone that we were totally one of the cool kids.

Twitter seems to work the same way, the more followers you have, the more people you get who want to hang out with you just because you’re popular (not that we have to worry about that).  It’s all goes back to this idea of “social proof” that we talked about before, where if enough people think you’re cool, then you suddenly become cool.  It essentially becomes popularity by mob mentality.  Unfortunately in the end, not every mob exists for your benefit (just ask Frankenstein).

How did it all come to this?

1. We sign up on Twitter and desperately need to find some friends/followers as quickly as possible
2. Out of the blue some scammy person, who we would never talk to in real life, suddenly becomes our friend
3. We end up following him back out of a sense of kindness and obligation
4. We never unfollow him because we don’t want to offend anyone or see our “follower” numbers go down
5. The guy ends up unfollowing us anyway in order to balance out his “follower ratio” (from all the selfish bastards who don’t follow him back initially) but we never notice because we’ve been ignoring him for so long.
6. Unfortunately we never get to see what our “real friends” have to say because we now have so much useless crap floating around in our Twitter stream.
7. Wash, Rinse, and Repeat as necessary

It’s okay to unfollow us!

(just kidding. . . don’t, really)

Most of us are afraid that unfollowing someone will somehow damage our reputation.  We think that if we start kicking people off our friendship boat that everyone will start thinking that we are a total jerkbag, and before long that same mob who used to love us, will grab their pitchforks and start chasing us.  The reality, however, is that most of these big marketing gurus will never notice because they aren’t reading your tweets anyway.  The vast majority of them are using automated computer programs to follow and unfollow you.  In other words, you are little more to them than a mass of tasty little keywords.

Think I’m joking?

Just for fun, try tweeting something using the words “marketing”, “Jesus” ,”making money” ,”blogging”, “social media” —  and I’ll bet that within a few hours you will have picked yourself up dozens of new “friends”.  The really sad part is that you don’t even have to actually say anything, just type in those words and prepare yourself for the tsunami of follower love.

Not to long ago Darren Rowse of Problogger had a similar post in regards to his personal Facebook account.  In Darren’s case, however, he was in the process of booting out his “professional” followers in order to make it a more personal account.

One of the benefits of Twitter, as most of you already know, is the fact that you’re able to follow and unfollow almost anyone regardless of what they think of you.  This is nice (especially for us) because, unlike Facebook, you don’t have to beg someone else to be your “friend”.  Because of this, I can still follow someone who’s advice I value (like Darren’s) even though I realize that he isn’t very likely to follow us back.  In fact, I have a whole list of wise Twitter folks who I listen to very closely but who have no idea that I’m out there lurking in their Twitter feed.  I know that they probably won’t ever follow me back, but that’s okay because I’m not looking for a date to the prom.  I just want to be able to listen in on the conversations of some of the smartest people I know.

In the end it all comes down to. . .

What are you using Twitter for?

Myth: Twitter is a popularity contest – the more followers you have, the more popular you become and the more people will listen to you.

Fact: People will listen to you when you got something to say that benefits them. .  . Give them something.  Don’t tell them what you had for breakfast. . . give them a link to an article or a website that you found helpful in your shared niche.  Give them something to think about.  Yes, it’s nice to talk about your personal life once in awhile, but if you’re an artist who is trying to connect with other artists, try spending the majority of your time talking about being an artist and the niche that brought you together in the first place.

That’s one of the biggest reasons that we wanted to create a site like Skinny Artist.  We wanted to give a small but passionate community of working artists a place where we could all come together and share our ideas about selling our work as creative professionals.  That’s also the reason that we’re not going to spend a lot of time talking about politics, religion, environmental issues, or even gourmet coooking.  Don’t get us wrong, these are all things that we enjoy talking about (well except politics) but this is a site for working artists.  Maybe someday we’ll start up a site called Skinny Suppers and talk about our favorite risotto recipes but right now we want to focus on coming together as artists in a profession that is often filled with a lot of fear, doubt, and loneliness.

We may need to cull the herd in order to unify the Tribe

Ever since Seth Godin came out with his “Tribes” book it seems as if every guru blogger in the universe is required to use the term “tribe” to describe their niche community at least once or twice in every post.  Yes, Seth Godin is a genius and an acute trendspotter, but it’s no longer a secret that the internet has driven us to a more niche oriented society.  Whatever our interest, there is bound to be a community of like-minded individuals congregating somewhere on the web.  What this means is that you need to find your online “tribe” and then look for a way to contribute to that community.

As for us, we’re not looking for mass followers, but we are constantly looking for the right followers.  We are always looking for people who share our interest and our passion for the creative process.  If you like what we’re saying and sharing, please follow us. . .but if we’re not your thing, that’s okay too.  Don’t get the wrong idea, we are extremely grateful (and a little surprised) at every new follower on Twitter and Facebook that we get, and as long as our message resounds with you, we welcome you and hope that you enjoy your stay. At the same time, if we don’t follow you back, please don’t get offended.

It’s not you, it’s me