User Generated Content: A Positive or Negative for Artists?

User generated content can be defined as simply the content created by users of a website. It's the content that we, not companies or publishers, publish on the internet. From this blog post to a youtube video or to a status created on Facebook, this is all user generated content. In regards to artists however, is user generated content a positive or negative thing?

Artists create user generated content simply by posting their works of art online. This can then generate an endless stream of user generated content by having others post their thoughts on your artwork, they can share your artwork through social media, or they can post reviews or make suggestions as well. All of this can make a positive impact on your presence as an artist on the internet. Having others write reviews or make suggestions can help critique and improve your future artwork and encourage more creative ideas, and sharing your art to others online can make your artwork and name become more popular in the art community on the internet. 

However user generated content could also be a bad thing as well. Bad reviews or negative comments on your works of art could give your name and future business as an artist a poor reputation. It's important to be able to decipher between constructive criticism and just negative comments due to misinformation or poor opinions. When reading user generated content about your artwork, just remember that you have the ability to let other's comments and ideas affect you in a positive or negative way. You are in control of what you consume on the internet, so appreciate the shares and encouraging comments, but also try to focus on negative comments as well as a way to improve your future work. 

Due to user generated content, we have the amazing ability to create whatever we want and share our opinions and ideas and works of art with millions of other people on the internet. Artists would not be able to exist on social media or the internet without the presence of user generated content. It is my hope for the future that this freedom to create and share with our online community will continue for years to come. 

Artists & Relationships on Social Media

Think about how you use social media...yes, you obviously interact with others and share things that interest you on Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr or whatever social media that you are obsessed with using.

But are you creating relationships that will benefit you through these networking websites?

You always heard your parents and teachers/professors warning you about what you post on your social media could be seen by future employers. However you probably never considered that your online presence on social media could help you create a platform online and build relationships through these websites that would benefit you in the profession that you are pursuing. 

By interacting with others online that share the same professional interests as you, you can help strengthen your social capital. What is social capital you ask? Social capital is the insight that you gain when you build relationships with others online and interact with them. 

For example I use Tumblr on a daily basis, and many Tumblr users that are artists have at least two different blogs. One blog is focused entirely on the user's art, and the other blog is a personal one, where the user will ask it's followers for advice or comments about their work. These users are building personal relationships with their followers in order to improve their art, and their professional platform on social media as well. 

My advice for artists that use social media:

1. Make yourself a professional account on the social media websites that you use: almost everyone and their grandmother has a personal account on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. If you want to share your works of art online, create another account on the social media websites that you use. Promote your professional social media accounts on your personal accounts so that your family and friends can help share and promote you as well. Employers will appreciate a specific link to look at your portfolio rather than going through your personal Facebook or Instagram to find your work. No employer wants to know what you did last weekend...that being said:
2. KEEP YOUR PERSONAL LIFE PRIVATE: be aware of what you post online and know that employers are ALWAYS going to look at your social media. If you think that posting that picture of you drunk at a party last weekend might have a negative impact on getting your dream job in the future, DON'T POST IT. If you just HAVE to share about your wild adventures, keep your personal account as private as possible. Just know that there is always a way to find a certain picture or post online. 
3. Use your personal accounts on social media to build relationships: join forums, comment on blog articles, interact with others online to help gain social capital. Share other people's works of art and who knows, they might share yours as well. Talking to others online might help you figure out how to promote your work in a more professional way, you might be able to finally solve problems that you've been struggling with, you can become inspired by others, and you might even be able to gain connections to employers that you have always dreamed of working for. 

Keep these three things in mind as you use social media, and understand that relationships on social media could help benefit you in ways that you would have never imagined. 

Artists & Social Media Introduction

Hello everyone! 

I am so excited to be starting my own blog focused on two of my favorite interests: social media and art! I have been a dedicated user of the internet and social media and I look forward to sharing my insights about how these technologies are evolving and affecting our world today, specifically with how we consume art. 

Some things about me: 
I am a sophomore at Chico State and I am majoring in Communication Design with an emphasis in Media Arts and I plan to minor in Broadcasting as well. Music, photography, and studio art have always been major interests to me, and I hope to incorporate these subjects into my blog. 

Through weekly blog posts I will share my thoughts regarding social media and the Web 2.0, but I also hope to focus on how artists can use the internet and social networking in a positive way in order to effectively share their work with the world. 

I look forward to sharing my insights with all of you!