90% of Art is Process
Endless sketchbooks, bar napkins, eraser residue, smudges, study models, late nights, early mornings, crumpled-up paper and globs of paint that dried too quickly. These preliminary stages of the creative process make up an invisible 90% that is rarely shared with the world.
The “process” in art can be where the best stories are hiding. It’s where the artist’s rigor, passion and craftsmanship are brought to a boil. The “final” piece is just a small window into a much bigger landscape. With Steemit, artists are finding a platform to share the stories beyond the frame.
Feedback
When I first opened Steemit I was excited to see that “art” and “photography” were in the top 5 trending topics. I half expected “catmeme” and “selfie” to be there instead. (I mean honestly, it’s tough to open a social platform from scratch in 2016 and not propel some funky content… although, for the record, I actually really enjoy a good cat meme...)
Anyway, seeing “art” and “photography” in the trending column was one of the central reasons why I decided to join the platform. What it showed me - is that here, creativity has enormous value. This growing community of Steemians genuinely appreciate and want to see behind-the-scenes stuff just as much as the final product. In my own work, I’ve found that those moments of chaos and not-quite-yet compositions are the most honest. As an artist, those moments stand out the most to me. They are where you learn, grow and hone your craft. When the final piece is framed, published, or installed… there’s a moment where you step back... stare back at it… and admiringly see every flaw, every smudge and bruise, even as others don’t. You see your final work and think about all the stories hiding behind the pane of glass now protecting it.
Steemit isn’t a polished gallery or a quiet museum… it’s more like a communal drafting desk. It’s a place where you can share raw thinking and receive constructive and honest feedback.
During my first couple of weeks experimenting on Steemit… I was essentially posting the artistic equivalent of aforementioned cat memes. I was making 20 cents here and there when a staple-Steemian reached out to me and challenged me to do better by my work. She said “what is your process… tell me everything”... and that really woke me up. In that moment I realized that this place isn’t instagram or twitter. I can’t just post a final picture and sum everything up in 140 characters. I thought... as an artist, this could be a major opportunity. Here, you can share your work in the moment, just as you are creating it. You can write about it, take a progress photo, share an idea or inspiration. In most cases, honest content receives honest feedback and actual value. And that’s an unprecedented thing for an artist to be able to tap into.
Traditionally, most artists only generate income through an exhibition or (if lucky) a commission. Either way, payment only arrives around the final stage of production. What’s exciting about Steemit is that we now have the ability to generate revenue as we are generating the art itself. Process can have value here. That invisible 90% can become profitable and not just the final 10%.
By finding value in process the Steemit platform could revolutionize the way artists are able to work and support themselves. Here, third-party support systems aren’t necessary. In this decentralized community, your work can be elevated in an unprecedented way.
Sharing + Preserving Identity
With the digital age of art, loss of one’s identity (ownership) has always been something short-changing growth. For a lot of professional disciplines this type of “behind-the-scenes” work can be extremely proprietary. For a biology lab (for example) these “scenes” are typically archived with discretion and not designed or ever formatted to become public. There are deep-rooted fears associated with ego, credit and ownership that many disciplines still practice. However, with the growth of social media platforms these traditional anxieties over “proprietary” and “ownership” are slowly beginning to breakdown. Places like “Github” have served as an exciting and open-source platform for programmers. The structure of Github supports sharing, while also acknowledging the origins of an idea. The origins are recorded through a web of actions called “pushes” “pulls” and “forks”. Blockchain on Steemit is another structure… or really, a map that invites exploration and direction-telling all while recording the routes and origins of a journey. In other words, blockchain is a new technology that helps you share while inherently protecting your identity.
Steemit as a New Stage for Craft
In a world curated by the resolution of your computer screen... craft is a hard thing to capture. With Steemit, we have an rapidly evolving resource that helps to break down the barriers that have prevented many artists from fully embracing the digital landscape. An artistic utopia could be closer than you think! It’s still so early (if you’re counting Steem-years) but platforms like this one could serve as a catalyst to propel creatives into the 21st century.
… Artists, let’s make it happen!
The intro-illustration is a Steemit original created for this post. All photographs were taken by myself via my (messy) drawing desk. Please feel free to use any of my graphics / images in your own posts (with a short caption for credit - @voronoi - or a link back to the original content) Thank you!