Socialize Responsibly (Lori Woodward)
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11/10/2009 2:20:35 PM
Dianne Poinski wrote:
Visit Dianne Poinski 's websiteThank you Lori! I have had similar conversations with myself about this topic. A couple of weeks ago I stopped checking Twitter. I wanted to click on every link that someone posted. I found myself afraid that I was going to miss something. So I went cold turkey and just stopped looking.
I am thinking about your 20 hour challenge. It's a great idea.
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11/10/2009 3:17:41 PM
Marian Fortunati wrote:
Visit Marian Fortunati 's websiteLori,
This is a battle I find myself waging constantly... balance.... it's difficult no matter WHAT you do for a living or in life.
Computers and email have always been a rather important part of my life ... they kept me connected and "with it". When I had another employer of necessity I limited the time I spent online.
Now, however, I work for myself. I'm the only one to be hurt by spending too much time online... the question is how much time is too much time... There are certainly a LOT of benefits from blogging, email and now social media like facebook. I get to learn about different people who have like interests. I get to see what they are doing and try to figure out how they did it... some of them who blog explain their process. I share the ups and downs of juried shows and sales with online friends .. I don't feel like the only one with art-related fears and joys. I've even made friends with people by first "meeting" them on the internet then connecting in person.
I still make time to paint and do the business of art. I still interact with and enjoy my family... but social media, email and blogging have expanded my understanding and appreciation of art and the art world.
However.... as it always was when I was working for others as an Elementary School Principal, it's a question of balance.... how much of this is TOO much? Which way that you spend time is of the most value and when??
BALANCE... I think a most human issue... no matter whether you're an artist or anything else... How do you feed and expand your passion and still maintain those things in your life that support your soul?
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11/10/2009 3:30:23 PM
Lori Woodward wrote:
Visit Lori Woodward 's websiteMarian,
I agree with all you said above. Social media has been a boon to my artist life, and because of that, I have no plans to stop taking part in it. Yes, it's a question of balance, like you say.
I'm working on streamlining my use - using online programs and ways of seeing what I need to see without having to spend a ton of time online. This means subscribing and RSS to the sites and blogs that I feel are important.
The first step is to ignore the feeling that I'm missing something. It will all wait for me. For me, it's too much when the rest of my life is out of control. Each of us is different that way.
Thanks again for your input - very wise!
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11/10/2009 4:13:49 PM
Terry Rafferty wrote:
Visit Terry Rafferty 's websiteThanks for this article Lori - its a subject many of us struggle with. My way of dealing with getting sucked into the virtual world was to put a time limit on it. I get 30 minutes per day to check out other art blogs, etc, PERIOD. Yes, that means that I don't leave as many comments as I would like. But it also means that I get to my own easel. Every week or two I allow myself a couple of hours to go to my RSS list and see what I've missed, usually late in the evening when I'm not at my best for painting.
My daughter presented me with a way to get icky chores done so that I don't end up with crunching deadlines: every morning I look at my chore list and choose the Worst one. Then its done, and I get to move on to fun things. The phrase she gave me is this: If you start your day by eating a frog, the rest of the day will be an improvement! So - yes, I start my day with a frog, and life is good :-)
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11/10/2009 4:19:27 PM
Lori Woodward wrote:
Visit Lori Woodward 's websiteTerry, please let your daughter know what a great idea that is... doing the worst chore first. I'm gonna try it out!
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11/10/2009 5:19:18 PM
Aleada Siragusa wrote:
Visit Aleada Siragusa 's websiteMy problem is migraine headaches, now I'm doing better but a few weeks ago they were just too frequent to work on my art. The medication I take for it makes me sleepy and I can work on the computer but not create art which requires my full attention. I'm back painting now but this morning I looked over my artist statement and yikes I said something my teacher may not like, something about Oriental painting being easy to learn and then a typo just before her name, bad bad bad so I had to fix it, I deleted my informal bio, before continuing my work. I also got a letter from a patron of hers wanting to know just where she was now and that I felt like addressing. Having some chronic illness, (which is improving, Thank God) has kept my social life limited and there was a time I used the yahoo groups a bit too much but I am avoiding getting too involved with socializing on the internet in favor of my art work and real time people. I enjoy your articles Lori and I'm glad you and the rest of the gang are here. Aleada
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11/10/2009 6:51:18 PM
Deborah Paris wrote:
Visit Deborah Paris 's websiteI make my living as an artist so I need to be in the studio during my most productive hours. For me, that means keeping fairly regular studio hours from 9-5. In the evenings when I'm too tired to paint, I do business related stuff on the computer (inventory, gallery correspondence, etc) and spend some time reading blogs and checking in on facebook.
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11/10/2009 9:14:55 PM
Robin Neudorfer wrote:
Visit Robin Neudorfer 's websiteMust be something in the air. I too have been having this same conversation with myself. At times I am very disciplined, and others when life is challenging I tend to escape. A change in the screen and I can be transported into other worlds. My online family just keeps growing and some actually intertwine.
I have yet to find the answer other than the clock. When the hour I have chosen is displayed, time to walk away. I do begin my work and once again on my break I can check my email or FB.
As for the worst chore first, there is a great video about Eat the Frog first.
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11/10/2009 10:57:31 PM
Lisa Mozzini-McDill wrote:
Visit Lisa Mozzini-McDill 's websiteJust keeping up with deleting emails was bad enough. But, now I find myself stuck on Facebook way too often. I think I will just check on some emails and then one link leads to another. I have found my best form of discipline has been my kids needing the laptop for homework! This needs to change before they all grow up and move out!
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11/11/2009 1:58:18 AM
Felicity Grace wrote:
Visit Felicity Grace 's websiteSorry to add to your pressure Lori, but I have to say I always look forward to your articles and always seem to relate to the issues you highlight!
I've been struggling with this online addiction and been trying to control it half heartedly for a couple of years and more seriously this year. I'm not even going to investigate Facebook and Twitter - just reading everyone else's time getting sucked away is warning enough. I know that we have to take responsibilty for our own actions but I do suspect that years from now when there is enough research into it, we'll find that computers are actually seriously addictive. That sounds like stating the obvious, but we don't joke about being addicted to alcohol, we know how it works on our mind and body and we know we have to deal with it in certain ways.
I also think we need to be realistic and keep things in perspective. My own family have often been neglected and meals missed because I was doing something blog related. Comments are lovely but those same people that profess to love your work will disappear when they get bored - or you haven't given them enough reciprocal comments! - delete the subscription in an instant (and it hurts when you thought they were real connections you'd made and had lasted years!). But that time you lost with family and real friends is lost forever. I don't have any advice or successful strategies, but just being aware of what's real and what's not and what truly matters in my life helps.
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11/11/2009 7:45:59 AM
Lori Woodward wrote:
Visit Lori Woodward 's websiteFirst, I want to thank everyone for your comments and thoughts.
Felicity, thank you for your transparency. Your comment reminds me of when While Daniel Keys was here visiting recently. He and I were online - answering Facebook and emails one evening, and we began to talk about the difference between real relationships and online ones. After all, before my husband and I picked him up at the airport, I'd only known him through online communications.
In the coming weeks, I'll be testing and writing about some of the solutions that work for me... that allow me to be online for learning and business purposes but at the same time, don't suck my life away. Perhaps we can all share what's working for us who are needed to make some changes.
Thanks to those who are already handling online media well. You're great examples to follow.
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11/11/2009 5:11:43 PM
Charlotte Herczfeld wrote:
Visit Charlotte Herczfeld 's websiteLori, great post! Terry's daughter seems to have read the book "Eat that Frog", by Brian Tracy. It is all about focusing and avoiding procrastination, and a bad conscience. Yes, get rid of the worst task, the one you dread and postpone. Me and DH read it, so now and then we shout to each other from one end of the house to the other "Hey, Honey, I just ate a frog!" And I, (instead of dealing with the most unpleasant task... )*painted* a cute tree-frog and hung it by the computer, as a reminder. The releif that follows an upleasant task well done is really good!
And a set time for social media on the computer is great, so is limiting the number of solitaires I play...
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11/12/2009 7:35:51 AM
Deborah Chapin wrote:
Visit Deborah Chapin 's websiteI would just like to say to Lori, not to feel the guilt. As part of the freelancers' community, artists are 1/3 of the economic force which are going through the evolution and transition of how business is being done. Because of this there is alot more work with the beginning of an evolution than there will be in the future. As it becomes a part of the marketing, communication and even finding of work and the workflow management of it will be like managing the amount of time you spend in any other endeavor.
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11/12/2009 7:45:52 AM
Clint Watson wrote:
Visit Clint Watson 's websiteLori,
The following article explains why we are wired to find social media addictive:
"A short text or twitter...is ideally suited to send our dopamine system raging." - Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D.
Link to Article: http://faso.us/7g
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11/12/2009 8:06:23 AM
Lori Woodward wrote:
Visit Lori Woodward 's websiteClint, thanks for posting the link to the article on Dopamine. It's extremely helpful in that it gives insight to the "why" we are so attracted to communicating online... it's the chase, isn't it?
With this new understanding, it seems easier to combat the problem and make sure I use my dopamine elsewhere - like in the studio. Yesterday, I got out of the house and spent time with fellow artists in person. What a delight! That beats online relationships any day.
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11/15/2009 3:36:32 PM
Yvonne Branchflower wrote:
Visit Yvonne Branchflower 's websiteYou are not alone, Lori. I can walk away from a TV anytime, but I cycle through my computer routines again and again--and just one more time before putting it to sleep.
You are very deeply involved in computer activities, so I don't know if this will help:
1. Designate your favorite painting time of day, and don't go near the computer.
2. List your computer projects for the day/week, check them off, and when done go do something else.
3. Set a timer. Or put a clock by your computer so you are aware of time.
4. Reserve a whole day a week for computer stuff, and severely limit time online the rest of the week.
Many readers sent you ideas. I hope you assemble the best and post them on your blog!
Best wishes, and thank you for your interesting writing.
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11/15/2009 4:57:07 PM
Lori Woodward wrote:
Visit Lori Woodward 's websiteThanks for your great suggestions, Yvonne. I'm sure they'll benefit most anyone who tries them.
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12/23/2009 2:37:32 PM
liza myers wrote:
Visit liza myers 's websiteA cookie timer really helps. Also, when I'm working on something that has to be done on the computer it helps to hide other windows. On a Mac everything shows up so the distractions are constant. On a mac moving the doc to the bottom instead of the side helps. Silly little things, but in our lonely studios the distraction of a cyber-voice can take up way too much time!
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