Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Art and Writing

Do you bite the hand that's trying to feed you?

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

In April of this year, I started a web site. I dipped into my scant checkbook, bought domain names, hosting space, and even a template so the look would be polished. The site, proudly titled "North Dakota Artists" truly was a sincere effort at creating an online home for artists across the state. My friend created a companion site called "North Dakota Writers" which looked the same and was interlinked.

After completing the site, I did my best to promote it, and get other artists to help chip in with time, content or even a few pennies. All I got were email requests asking me to help them sell their art. Will you sell my art on your website for free? Can you sell my art for me? Will you make me a web site to sell my art, for free?

The forums on the site remained virtually empty, the the community links and options silent. All I got were emails asking me to do the leg work for artists who, like me, are sometimes desperate to find a market.

I closed the site down, and if you go there now, it's a place-holder page. I will most likely point all the domains to my own website, because I own them and might as well get my own money out of them.

Just this past week I started the Lone Prairie Art Works group, throwing time and effort again into a project with the same goal: an online home for artists across the state (and elsewhere, if they want), a place to discuss and exchange ideas, to communicate, to network. It would be an easy way for me to share the ideas and techniques that I so often get asked for through direct email requests. This would be a better way. Plus, we're all spread out, I thought, and there was something to be said for community, even virtual ones. Though it did not cost me money to set up the group, it did take a full afternoon and as we all know, time is money for all self-employed people.

Some of the artists and writers that I invited joined right up. But a few, true to form and constant reminder to myself that no good deed goes unpunished, felt they had to reprimand, lecture and be unkind via email.

I will share two of these emails with you (edited to protect anonymity), and if you were the person who wrote them, you ought to be ashamed.

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Email 1:

I went ahead and joined the group, but was not thrilled about filling out a survey. I don't like surveys because they typically don't tell the whole truth about what ever it is they are trying to find out.

I have been working on my art for more than 30 years and two years ago I decided to pursue my dream of working full time as an artist. I moved from ____ to ____ for personal reasons and realize that no matter where I live there will be challenges for me. I worry every day that I will not be able to continue working on my art, but this keeps me on my toes and forces me to be creative. By the way, what I do I don't consider a craft.

I will check the site once in a while to see what topics will be discussed and hope that I as a member will be able to contribute.

I responded to this person that of course, the poll I had set up was optional and that no one had to fill it out. It was just one of many group options Yahoo! makes available. His response?

I may have been a bit short in my earlier email; it has been an unusual day. In any case it was the poll I was referring to. You see, I believe the responsibility lies with us and as a first impression, whether optional or not, it affected my impression of the group. We should not seek to find reasons for our failure to succeed or judge various parts of the country for what we perceive to be a view that needs to change. But rather we should make things happen through our work and if there are questions that need answers; I have found there are many resources available and the rest is up to us.

I belong to www.mnarts.org a website that can be most helpful to all those in the arts.

Perhaps I need to take another look at the site before I judge. I will visit again soon.

I did not bother responding because it's possible he means well. I also added four new polls to the group website which, though may have irritated him, are merely serving the purpose of a simple poll with a variety of options to choose from that of course have a few negatives in the list of options but by no means are all about blaming someone else. It wouldn't be much of a poll if I didn't include a variety of options, now would it? It was a lot of assumption from a simple little poll, that's all I can say.

There were a few red flags in both of his emails, just as my polls raised red flags for him. Is it necessary to stress that what he does is not a craft, but an art? That's an age old debate right there, and a debate that always ends up insulting someone. Why did he feel he needed to make such a clarification? Are the "arts" more important than lowly "crafts"?

And secondly, why does he need to do any judging of anything? Either join and take part, or don't. There is no need for judging, not to mention gooey psycho-babble about "first impressions." It's not like I put up a porno picture on my site. Go there. Check it out. Do you get a bad first impression?

I'm the one getting the bad first impression, and it's of the author of this email. Not to mention the recommended website, mnarts.org. I get the sense, in looking at the site, that it is either in early construction stages and has a typical ad page as a place-holder, or that it truly is a rather useless site. I have a hard time understanding how the author of this email could have found such "help" in this site beyond the fact that he was a member and, like me, is just trying to get his website out there into the marketplace whether it's any good or not. Other than that, after clicking around and trying to figure out what help I could get, I see nothing other than a search site.

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Email 2:

maybe you didn't get the responses, because we know nothing about you or what you are trying to accomplish... without having to search the web for it.

time is money for artists... explain yourself and your mission in as few words as possible.

My response?

Dear ____,

Perhaps you meant well with your email, but it sure doesn't seem like it.

You may be referencing the www.ndartist.com web site that I attempted, put time and money into, succinctly outlined the purpose on the main page, and have since pulled down.

Time* is* money for artists, so instead of blasting away at me, an artist who is making a living as a working artist and knows the dog and pony show and is also trying to separate out some time/money to help other artists in the state of North Dakota, maybe you could just decide not to join, do it silently, and not waste my time with your comment.

I apologize for clearly wasting your time by making you aware of the art group and asking you to consider banding together. My efforts were sincere and kindly meant, and yet again, I regret trying.

The author of the second email has since replied, taking a very different tone and trying to make nice. She may be sincere, but at this point I agree: time is money and I'm not going to waste it on email correspondence with her.

There is something about being an artist or writer, scrambling and scratching for a living, that can bring out the very worst, the most viperous, the most pretentious arrogance in some people because they seemto think that if they can knock down a few of the competition through whatever means possible, even if the competition isn't actually interested in competing with anyone but themselves, it might make their own day better or more profitable some how.

If you don't want to take part in my group, or something similar started by others, don't. But don't spread your poison, your self-righteousness, or your bitterness to those who are trying to do something good. Don't bite the hand that's trying to feed you, even if it's only a little snack.