I am STELLA MERIS, a video artist based in Berlin and new on steemit. From the very first moment I wondered what value steemit might have specifically for artists. This touches several questions:
1] FAME OR SHAME?
Promoting one's art online in order to reach a wider audience is nothing new. As visual artist I appreciate that it is quite easy to build a website, get an Instagram account, maybe a Facebook-page and share my work with friends and strangers. The idea that my art is visible and accessible on a global level - anytime and from anywhere with an internet connection - is quite exciting. In times of social media, everyone is able to build some virtual fame without any costs but time. Of course there's also a lot of shitty art out there in the world wide web.
Steemit might on one side help to distinguish between professional posts, where someone actually put real knowledge into creating something, and posts that serve rather the self esteem of someone who just wants to feel arty. On the other side, the fact that everyone takes a curating function in the blockchain might also generate new perspectives on what is understood to be "art" in the specific context of steemit (or whatever platform you use). I find it very interesting to observe what kind of art-posts rank high and I wonder if this might on a philosophical level tell us something about "what's art?"
2] FEEDBACK OR BACKLASH?
Most feedback we get on social media platforms might stay in the virtual space. Likes, comments, shares. But what if we actually move from the online to the offline sphere and meet each other for real?
Only a few months after I started to use Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/stella__meris) other artists contacted me there and vice versa. This is especially astonishing to me, as my work often evolves in an international context. Travelling from Berlin to Haifa, for example, and then meeting there local artists in person whom I before contacted online, is quite an adventure.
The internet enables all of us to create new networks, expand our horizon and even to stretch that network from the virtual to the physical space. The virtual feedback on our art can have a real influence in our life. That's happening when we connect for real, when we skype, meet in person, and maybe even organise projects and events together.
I think that steemit might be interesting to achieve that, as it is open for "strangers" to see your posts (as Instagram), but at the same time also allows to upload much bigger content, including text, video and photography - ordered in a blog-like view (as facebook). The combination of both to me seems to provide a great structure for artists to gather, make open calls, and present projects that are open for others to join.
3] MONEY OR HONEY?
Steemit seems like a great addition to the contemporary art market. The idea to get rewarded directly from the audience for sharing one's art, and to get paid for curating and evaluating other people's work, is striking. But I am not sure if it is a good motivation to participate on steemit if it's just for the financial reward. However, for me all the aspects mentioned above shall be enough motivation to share my thoughts about art and my art itself with you.
To be quite honest, I don't understand how the whole cryptocurrencies work, where steemit takes the money from, and if the possibility to get paid is not just a nice illusion. I am open for surprises and also on an artistic level, I find it quite interesting to learn more about this technology by using it. If money will come along with it, I won't complain - but from my perspective, money shouldn't be the reason to get involved here. As money shouldn't be the reason to create art.
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STOP@steemitboard thank you!