I am not a good actor nor am I a good professional, mostly because I don't have the energy to lie to total strangers even if it will possibly get me money. Call me lazy, but that's how I am 😂. I'm too old, too lazy, too board of having to sugar coat, beat around the bush, and out right lie to people in the slim hope that doing so will make me a financial profit. I'd almost say robbing people would be easier, except I've the body of a 80 year old and the temperament of one to boot 😂. My luck I'd make it up to the person I planned to rob, get bored/tired/cranky, turn around and go back home. You know, I just had a thought: You don't see a lot of little old people robbing people, especially younger people, do you? There's a life lesson in that. When you get old you get so sick and tired of the world that you can't even be bothered to commit crimes, or at least physical ones😂.
What brought this all on? Well, I'm in the process of writing my About MMP page and I've no clue what to NOT write. Oh, I can write ALOT, and I've been reading and listening to alot of content (I think I'm channeling George Carlin while writing this for some reason 😂) about how to write 'about me' pages for artists, but I don't want to be that artist. You know that artist who has a mission/artist statement and tells you that they want to make profound, uplifting, inspirational, world changing, condescending, Hallmark Card worthy, spiritual awakening art? Yea, that aint me. (And neither is this. I feel like George Carlin has taken over my body and made me even more of an old-crank 😂 I'm not complaining though. I love Carlin!)
All jokes aside (for now), I honestly don't know what would make me sound like a "professional artist," mostly because I have no idea what that even is. Are we talking a successful artist, someone who got lucky and is able to make a standard living off of what they make? Ok, still no idea how to pose as one of them. I mean, how do pretenders/posers manage to act like someone they're not AND maintain their actual personality/identity/persona/whatever? Again, I think I'm too old and too lazy to even begin to figure that kind of stuff out 😂. Being myself is hard enough - no, correction. Changing the things about myself that I WANT to change is hard enough, let alone becoming an entirely different person that may or may not even exist in the real world. Other than George Carlin, who's dead and totally could poses people just to mess with their minds. That's exactly what I would do if I were a ghost 😂.
Of course, I've skimmed other artists websites and checked out their about me pages, but that still doesn't help me not say things that may or may not be professional for a professional artist to say or not say. 😑 Especially considering I can type WAY faster than I can talk, and I can talk both your ears off without even breaking a sweat 😂. So, what to do? I did write a rough draft and, well, it's looooooong. Definitely going to shorten that, probably make the whole thing two paragraphs max. But, see, then THAT seems wrong cause it sounds like one of those rich snobs being short with you because you're beneath them and unworthy of so many words. Basically, it sounds cold and curt. I'm also a much better talker in person than I am a writer. It's tough to write sarcasm, hence the over abundance of emojis as, I have learned, they allude to my joking manner and help dissuade some of the over sensitive Karen's of this new modern era. Ho ho ho.😂
Some of the questions that some of the websites/podcasts give that are "essential"/"necessary"/"required" in an artists' about me page are...well, pointless. I don't care when a company started making a product. I care if the product is good, affordable and will get the job done. When the company started making their products, where they started production, who started the business, and why they even started in the first place don't really effect the quality, affordability and effectiveness of the product to me. So, do potential buyers/clients honestly care when I started making art, where I make art, or even who I am as an artist?
Honestly, I think these about me pages are an indirect way to profile someone. Find out what kind of an artist you are, but not what kind of art you make. Basically, are you an artist that will align with my specific beliefs, feelings, positions, etc etc etc. Isn't that a bad thing? I think so. While I would prefer that my work speak for itself, I do understand people not wanting to support a person they may not share in similar thinkings with. Fine, but, that still seems wrong to me. I'm making the art, sure. Your patronage does help to support me and my family, sure. But you're not buying me. You're not buying my ideals, beliefs, or choices. And I am not selling them to you. What I am selling are hand crafted portraits that may (or may not) look good in your living room or bedroom. I'm selling YOU decorations for YOUR home. Not a love letter with a chunk of my hair taped to it 😂.
I don't know, truly, it has me conflicted. While I've never had any problems speaking my mind or telling my story, I don't want to over indulge (as I'm prone to do 😂) and come across as unprofessional. I'm nice, considerate, and professional as one can be in person. But I don't have an About Me sheet of paper that I hand out to every person that comes into my work every day, nor do I rely on said sheet of paper when it comes to performing to the best of my abilities. I don't treat my customers the same because they're not the same. Each one comes in with different problems, different plans, different ideas, and different expectations. I do my best to make them happy, provide my own feedback and ideas on how they can accomplish their goals and maybe a bit more, and, if I don't know/have something that they need, I tell them where they are most likely to find the answers/what they need. Over the years, I think I've only had one or two people leave unhappy, and those were more so to do with outside forces rather than my professionalism. But trying to convey that in an about me page in at most two paragraphs? 😂
Oh well. I'm not in a rush to finish it just yet. Dealing with the holidays right now, so things are going at an even slower pace, which is fine. I'd rather get things done right, then rush and foul it all up! 😂 Time to do battle with the holiday monsters and draft some more paragraphs 😂.
Till next time MMP Fans!