Art and Creativity: House Guests and Technology Breaks!

Red Dragonfly has been somewhat "absent" from Steemit for a while, but now we're back!

In part, I was having some issues with the gallery's laptop (from where I usually post to Steemit) and getting our Wifi Internet connection to work; in part, the absence was due to the fact that we had house guests for several days and spent more time "playing hosts" than doing blogging and social media stuff.

Technology Breaks for Your Health

In general, it was nice to have a technology break, even if it meant a little lack of continuity in our posting here and elsewhere. 

Sometimes I think we (meaning people, in general) spend too much time absorbed in the online world, rather than dealing with the 3D world all around us.

Aside from the relative "freedom" I experienced during our relatively short absence, I also had some time to think... and I got to thinking about some of the artists we work with.

In this "Age of the Internet" we are taught the importance of social media, and how we "must be on everyone's screen daily" in order to have an impact. 

When you're in a creative field, that can end up having a negative impact, as well. I know at least a couple of artists who ended up getting "trapped" by their Facebook pages and Instagram to such an extent that they almost completely forgot about creating new work... which — after all — was the entire reason those pages existed in the first place.

Creatives FIRST, Marketers SECOND!

Whereas it is easy — and sometimes a lot of fun — to get sucked into the "Black Hole" that can be online social media marketing, it bears emphasizing that artists and creatives are ARTISTS first and MARKETERS second.

As in the above examples, it doesn't really do you a lot of good to turn yourself into a social media whiz if you're not turning out new work to show off.

Unless, of course, you're secretly planning a new career in art marketing...

Personally, I find that taking regular technology breaks is an important part of keeping a sense of balance. When I step away from the technology and stop checking our Facebook every 20 minutes, the quality of my creative work also tends to improve. 

For example, after our house guests left on Monday morning, I actually took two days "without technology" to just work on art — and I have to say that not only was my focus much improved, but the quality of my work was better than it had been, in quite a while!

So What's the Issue with Technology?

Most creative endeavors require a certain amount of continuous concentration and focus.

The problem with Social Media and the online environment — from your email, to updating your twitter — is that it tends to chop your concentration into tiny little "bits." Nothing lasts more than a few seconds, and then "you move on to the next one."

Authentic creativity seldom works like that.

Part of the reason my creative output on Monday and Tuesday was so much improved was precisely that I spent several hours without going anywhere near an Internet device of any kind.

And guess what?

The Internet was STILL THERE when I checked in after 9:00pm at night!

Although I am no expert on the psychology of creativity, it seems like something worth keeping in mind, next time you slide down a hole of watching endless YouTube videos on how to mix a particular shade of green with your paints! Or keep obsessively refreshing your twitter to see if someone favorited the latest picture of your art you posted!

Thank you for reading! Red Dragonfly is a proud member of the @sndbox creative initiative.

The Red Dragonfly is an independent alternative art gallery located in Port Townsend, WA; showcasing edgy and unique contemporary art & handmade crafts by local and worldwide artists. All images are our own, unless otherwise credited. Where applicable, artist images used with permission.