The Studio Source.com

Image by RaK’n'RoLL

Junk mail, hot off the virtual press
Picture this: you follow someone on Twitter. Shortly thereafter you are the lucky recipient of not one, but two direct messages (for non-tweeters, DMs are private messages, like email).

Both offer you something for FREE (emphasis by the sender). With nary so much as a how d’you do.

Here’s another scenario: you email an acquaintance and find yourself on not one, but four mailing lists. At the bottom of each email is a link you can click to join the list in question.

This isn’t good marketing.

This is junk mail.

Image by Jessica Garro

A rare introduction
A friend of mine is an aspiring singer-songwrtier. She’s working it in a big way, learning everything she can, taking workshops, playing gigs, and talking to people.

She recently went to a meet and greet with the president of a big organization that provides funding to individuals and groups. She asked someone she knew where he was in the room, because she had no idea what he looked like. When she found out he was standing right next to her, she did what she always does: introduced herself.

“Hey, how are you, brother?”

I’m supposed to be officially on hiatus for the summer, but I had a half-finished post in the works, which fits nicely between two guest posts, so here I am, breaking curfew.

- – - – - – -

I spent the afternoon with a painter friend recently. We talked about her work, about our time in art school (same university, different years), about teaching and drawing, and what it means to be an artist.

We even talked a little about business. But not much.

Not much business talk was necessary. She does great work, and she knows what she needs to do to build her career. How, when, and if she does it is up to her.

You have those same choices.

All that freedom can hang you up sometimes.