Mary Carty

I’ve been thinking a lot about practice, specifically artistic practice and how artists can integrate their arts practice online. An individual’s arts practice is as varied as shells on the beach, but it usually follows processes like information gathering, formation of ideas, crystallisation of the idea, making, refining and tweaking until the end product appears. After this there is usually a period of reflection and evaluation until the process begins again. Arts practice is mercurial in nature, it is hard to grasp and harder to define but it is always interesting.

Being an artist is often a lonely profession and our individual arts practice is hidden away until we finally exhibit. Luckily, there are millions of ways to share this individual process with the world.

So may people wish they had the confidence to make or author something but never get around to it. Following the creative paths of others is very enriching; following the process from idea to finished piece is absolutely fascinating. By opening up your practice online you instantly engage with a new audience and build connections in the real world by building a community of friends who share a common interest.

Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and LinkedIn are great places to share this process. And with a little time and effort you can build a whole new audience for your work. LinkedIn is a perfect place to link business and art. The entrepreneur who has just opened a new office may well buy your next finished piece or even commission a new one. Could that artist be you? Could bringing your practice online enhance your arts practice?

Image (CC) Lord Biro