WalMart, Advertising, and Marketing

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Someone mentioned on FaceBook this morning that the property where the old factory where I’d worked for almost 30 years is being turned into a Super Walmart. Walmart is taking over the country and because they can afford to have lower pricing, it limits where people can shop and the company is putting most small businesses out of business. How sad.

Not only are Walmarts being built in, it seems, every other town, the company is being shoved at viewers watching tv. One of the cooking shows I watch now touts the big box store as having the best meat and produce. I feel we are being forced to buy from Walmart. When you think about it, the more something is mentioned, and the more the signs, logos and advertising are flashed in our faces – it’s a kind of brain washing. We begin to think they are right. We go to the stores and buy and buy.

What happened to buying local and purchasing fresh, local produce? How fresh can products be that are shipped around the country? Where do most of Walmarts products come from? How many are imports?

This makes me think of advertising and a revelation of why I have such an issue in promoting my own work as an artist… I DON’T TRUST ADVERTISING! How long has the media been shoving products down consumers’ throats? How many companies try to convince you they have YOUR best interest at heart, that everything they do they are doing for YOU, to help YOU? What a crock!

Look at all the cosmetic companies. How many billions of dollars have they made throughout the years because they convince us that we are not beautiful without their products?  These companies have sold the public on the idea that “regular” people will never be pretty enough or skinny enough or successful enough without their products. They have convinced us that we are inadequate and we spend billions on their products to try to make ourselves better.

What a bunch of crap! These big companies and advertising firms are only trying to SELL YOU! And it’s easy to get dragged into thinking that these products will make us better, whether it’s better health or making our lives better with fancy products. They get what they want. They sell their products. They don’t know US personally! They just know how to brainwash people. Marketing is all psychological. It’s all about how to convince the public that they can’t do without such and such product and what makes this company’s items better than the next company who is trying to convince people of the same thing.

Marketing is the name of the game and the more the business and product name is put out there, the more it gets ingrained into people’s heads and the more they are apt to go buy that product or from that company. (Why do you think during election time you see so many of the same candidate signs? It’s to imprint that candidate’s name in your brain!) Selling products or services is the same. It’s all about selling techniques and the product isn’t even important. It’s the SALE, how to make THE SALE.

What’s horribly sad is that most of it doesn’t even have to be true. Fruit juice always comes to mind when I think about this. The product only needs to be 10% fruit to be called fruit juice. How is that right? More and more people are beginning to realize some of these things especially with help from the internet. Is the FDA the people’s friend? Then how is Monsanto allowed to do what they do? It all makes me wonder about the validity of a lot of products.

All this makes me think about all the ads that are shoved at us constantly. How do we know what is the truth? I, myself, refuse to “buy into” the media pushes. I refuse to watch or listen to commercials. The prescription drug commercials are the worse! It’s sad to think of the number of people who actually WILL ask their doctors about those drugs. Then again, when people are in a bind or pain, they are willing to do almost anything to make themselves feel better.

So, what does this have to do from an artist’s standpoint? I don’t trust advertising and marketing. Yes, I want to sell my products, but the thought of trying to MAKE someone buy my work leaves an awful taste in my mouth. I don’t want to lie (or even a little white lie) or tell an untruth to customers. I am uncomfortable with a hard sell. Yes, I like to tell stories of where the photograph was taken or how the drawing came about, but that’s because I love what I do and I want to share my excitement and discoveries. Yes, I want to make money so I can buy more supplies. I want people to buy my pictures because they truly enjoy the scenes and like my work. I want them to walk away happy and not feeling they were forced to make a purchase.

In some aspects, I feel I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. I understand the need to market and advertise, but how can I be comfortable participating in something that can be so manipulative to the consumer? How can anyone compete with the big chains and bigger box stores? How can smaller businesses compete against these huge corporations that have the power and money to flood the market with their own ads and push all the little guys out. How can we “little guys” compete in a market where mass produced products, most of which are made outside this country with cheaper labor and cheaper materials, and therefore be able to be sold at a cheaper price than quality homemade or home grown products?

I have to admit, I’m as guilty as most everyone else. There are a few products that I prefer to buy at Walmart. I’ll occasionally stop at a McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts if I’m feeling desperate. I’ll go to Home Depot because of the pricing as compared to the local lumber and appliance places.

I’m not sure what the answers are. I’m not sure where this is leading this country. I do believe that it’s a problem. I am reminded of that old Tennessee Ernie Ford song “16 Tons” with “another day older and deeper in debt” and “I owe my soul to the company store.” I feel that Walmart has become the “company store” along with the McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

The shift within me that began last month is persisting. I’m fumbling my way through it; the whys, whats, and hows. I’m not sure where I’m going or how I will be. Is this just a phase or am I being shifted over into something else? The… devastation… that encompassed me these past few years and grew stronger culminating in the third major loss since moving here has certainly taken its toll. The Who Am I remains the same. I am an artist, writer, photographer, but the where I am going is even more up in the air.

There are doubts within – well, there have been doubts for some time. I have to admit low self esteem is something that’s been within me my entire life. It ebbs and flows. Most of the time I don’t let it get to me and I’ve had enough successes that I am confident in my abilities. Perhaps the doubts within me are not so much as to whether I’m talented, but in the lack of marketing skills and charisma. I just can’t bring myself to do real professional marketing. I can’t push myself in that direction. There’s something within me that fights, kicks, and screams.

We have many conversations over the subject of marketing and the ability to sell your work. There’s no one true way. What works for some, may not work for others. If, at a fair, there are three canopies of photography side by side and all the work is similar, what makes customers buy from one and not the others? However, this not what I want to talk about today although it is an aspect of my life.

I’m a bit concerned about my well-being. It’s strange, because I never thought I would be like this. Can a house affect a person so? More and more I know I need to sell this place and get away from it. It does play a part in my worries about maintenance and affordability as my bank account dwindles. It is too big of a house and yard for me… for someone who doesn’t care to do that kind of work and hire it out. It’s expensive.

This prattle isn’t really addressing the issue. Maybe it’s because I’m not sure how to talk about it, but talk about it I must in order to maintain my sanity. Talking and writing often helps me figure things out and find answers. I always say there are times when there are just not the right words to describe a situation. I’m struggling to describe what I’m going through. Something tells me it needs to be discussed. It’ll take awhile longer for the right words to come, I guess.

It dawned on me yesterday that when I’m out and about with others, I can (almost) be my normal self. However, when I am alone, whether at home or driving, there’s a melancholy that seems to permeate my very being. It almost feels like I cannot recover from the losses of the past few years and still be the person I was, that I have been so damaged, that I will never be the same.

Maybe I’m not meant to live alone. Then again, the thought of ever sharing the same space with someone again is also not appealing. I’ve grown too stubborn and set in my ways. Never again am I willing to put up with having to listen to someone else’s music or watching only what they want to watch on tv. (So I have gone the other way and I’m no longer willing to compromise… at least, for now.)

That’s not to say I won’t get better. It’s just that I won’t be that same person. Something has changed within me and I’ve yet to figure it out. I know for certain that I HAVE to get out of this house. I am too sad here. I tried to rearrange things to “brighten” it all up, but it hasn’t worked. Pele is helping and gives me someone to love, someone to love me and be here with me. I need that. I still cry too much.

But I have my work and I love writing. I’m even looking into putting a few of my drawings into a show. I’m not giving up. It’s just this place is keeping me depressed. Even watching the birds no longer holds as much joy. Pele sure likes those chipmunks, though.

I suppose I still need time, but this house HAS to go. I can’t stand being here anymore and yet, I have a hard time going off. I know this staying in isn’t good for me. I keep telling myself I have too much to do, but I sit here with no ambition or motivation. Shame on me. These are things no one can do for me or help with, but things I need to do for myself. I know that. And I know that every day I am making the choice to just sit here even when I know it would be better for me to be doing something more constructive. I choose. There’s no one else to blame.

So, this morning I sit here again feeling sad and low. Something tells me the inner shift needs to complete and there’s nothing to worry about. That shift will be okay. I need to be patient. It almost feels like a rite of passage and I’m eager to see what will be on the other side.

Monday, August 12

Today is the first day since getting new kitty Pele that I’ve left the house. I am still weepy when I think about my Freyja-kitty. I know Pele cannot replace Freyja and I wouldn’t want that of her. Driving up the road to go to an interview, I realize that I feel different. Not that I’m sure what that means, just that there’s a difference.

Perhaps these losses of the past few years have done something to me. You know how they say things come in threes… I lost my aunt (my mother’s twin) in September 2010, my mother Christmas day 2011 and now Freyja in July 2013. We women have lived together for many years and Freyja joined us in 1999. I feel I haven’t fully grieved for one when another came along. I’m also still reeling from the devastating critique I received on my work last fall. It only stands to reason that these recent events should have such an effect on me.

As of yet, I’m not sure of the symbolism of the threes in this case. I’m not sure of what, why, and how I feel different. There’s certainly an emptiness inside that wasn’t there before. It’s like my whole previous life is gone. I thought the trip this past winter and the writing of the book would put closure on things, but with losing Freyja, the wounds have re-opened. Evidently, she was the cord that kept me tied to who I thought I was. It’s like I have nothing left. It’s like all the past griefs have come to a head; that they’ve culminated onto this point in my life. I’m not sure what to do…

…Except move on. And I DO feel different. It’s like the slate has been wiped clean and I’ve lost my anchor and I’m floundering. But I’m not. I have a life. I have a job I love. I pretty much do what I want. So what’s the matter with me? I have to pull myself back up and move on. The grief is causing me chest pains.

It’s time to re-define myself again, I guess. Who am I?

Conversations about Art

The Fine Arts America website has some very good article on art. I enjoy going out and talking with other artists no matter what medium in which they work. I love the conversations and tips and how it makes me think more about my own artistic practices and marketing. There isn’t any one true way and every artist has to find their own way in developing their own techniques and styles. A number of topics come up for discussion and this morning, I found myself asking questions.

When does art go from being an enjoyment of creativity and exploration to producing almost a mass market inventory to sell? What is lost, is anything lost, when the artist focuses on selling and doing art with the sole goal of what will sell? Does something change within the artist when the joy of creativity is taken over by the need to sell/make a living? What happens when every piece of work is only “good enough” if it’s considered saleable?

For many artists, selling and making a living is the ultimate goal. For others, that kind of work is “selling out.” Many develop techniques that will permit them to be able to produce many pieces throughout the year. Some are able to push out painting after painting. Others may take a long time to create one piece of art. I am curious about what “makes the artist tick.” Why do you do what you do?

It doesn’t matter what side of the fence you’re on; whether you’re in with those who produce many items a year or only a dozen or so. I want to know the story behind what you do. I want to Understand. (Capitalized on purpose.) And it’s not about one way being right and the other wrong.

Maybe it’s because I am constantly asking myself questions about my own art. I am one of these artists who cannot focus on one style or technique. I love what I do, but I can also see where it does hold me back. But I LOVE what I do, so if it makes me happy, why would that be wrong and does that make me less of an artist?

Yes, my goal is to sell my work and because my work brings me much joy, I want others to enjoy it as well. Does this mean we base our worth on others purchasing our work? If our work doesn’t sell, does this mean we are not good artists?

Looking deeper inside, I often wonder what is said to “defend” our work and who or what do we try to defend ourselves against? If someone gives a negative comment, is that because he doesn’t personally like the piece or is his own creativity threatened somehow. What triggers the negative response? Is it total technical advice or a personal opinion? What is the intent behind the negativity? Is it to degrade the artist? And does a juror realize that even giving “constructive criticism,” it is still negative and her words can be more destructive than helpful?

There are more artists now than ever before and competition is stiff. Marketing strategies have turned into their own art form. Do we make our work better by putting someone else’s down? Do we make ourselves feel better by downplaying another’s technique? How can we market ourselves when there are many others out there doing similar work? If we are not good at marketing, does that make us less than professional artists?

I am very pleased to have numerous artist friends and I love the camaraderie, support, and good conversations that we have. I enjoy meeting other artists and learning about their styles and techniques. I enjoy hearing about WHO they are on a deeper level, not just the artist persona they present to the public. Does this help me be a better artist? YES! Because it broadens my views, teaches me acceptance, and I am more comfortable within myself to be the artist that I want to be.

Writing Descriptions

Describing What I See

I often find myself struggling to describe what I see. I envy those writers who are able to put wonderful written descriptions in their work.

This… lack of mine… really struck me while I was on my journey south this winter. I did not have the words to describe much of what I was seeing and on highways, everything went by so fast. Then when I did stop, there was so much to see that I didn’t take the time in the moment and hurried along to see as much as I could.

This morning it hit me. Some of my problem is because I don’t STOP. It seems that even when I’m not in a hurry, I hurry. I jump from one ah moment to the next, take a few quick photographs and move on to something else.

In thinking this further, I reflected on the outing to Windsor the other day. What did I first experience? When we got out of the truck, the heat of the day struck us. Gayle was immediately drawn to the waterfall and my eyes were drawn upwards to the tall, unusual electrical towers. Both our attentions were caught on the back of the building where we could see the outlines of old windows and doors. Gayle liked the one big door near ground level that was still operable while I looked at the one three stories up wondering where that once led.

So, I can write a description like that whereas others might go fully into what those doors and windows really looked like. How could the back of that building be described so the readers could fully understand what was seen? Me, I’m ready to move to the inside of the building. Again, though, I tend to be like the butterfly flitting from flower to flower. Even if I did want to describe the machinery, I don’t always have the proper words. I can tell a gear from a wheel and I’m fascinated how these lathes and gear making machines were made… but I can’t really describe it.

Maybe I need to fully stop and examine one thing. What would I find? In that case, I would have needed to have one of the museum people give me proper terms for what I was looking at. I couldn’t be saying things like, “…that big black thing fitted into another big black thing which turned that little silver piece…”

Taking the time is the lesson. As a photographer, I should already know this. Many times I hear other photographers talking about how much time it takes them to get good photos. In this aspect, I’m like a little kid who can’t sit still. I’m one of these people who snaps, snaps, snaps because I want to see everything. I take the chance that I get a few good photos while others take the time to make sure they’ve gotten great pictures.

Hmmm……

Photography as Art

The internet, having a website, and access to Facebook, etc., has made it easy for artists to share and sell their work. For a professional photographer, the images posted are works of art. Our photographs are not just quick snapshots of friends, families, and vacations. We just don’t shoot a picture and post it. We are happy when someone loves our work and shares the photos; so helpful in getting our “names out there” and we appreciate that.

However, there are times when people will just take an image of an artist’s work to use for their own purposes without giving the photographer the credit. I don’t know if these people think that a photograph posted to Facebook means it’s free for the taking, so I thought I would share a few thoughts on the subject.

A lot of time is spent in the art of photography. Photographers develop their own styles and methods and nothing is “quick” about it. Some may spend all day in a shoot just getting one or two perfect shots. (And I do mean ALL DAY!) Others may work quicker in the field, but they all carefully study lighting, angles, and composition. A lot of thought goes into capturing that perfect picture and this takes time.

Back in the studio, it’s not just a quick import to the computer and posting to Facebook or websites. There are many options and different programs for photographers. Just because, for the majority, work is now done on the computer and not in a darkroom, doesn’t mean it’s fast and easy.

Time is spent in editing. Sometimes the camera and the computer don’t correctly capture the correct “real” color. If you are printing your own photos, the type of printer, ink, and paper determine how the picture needs to be adjusted. For instance, if I am printing cards or using matte paper in my Canon printer, I have to add more saturation to the image, but if I am printing on the HP printer using gloss or luster paper, I need a different balance of the color curve.

Sometimes there are flaws that need to be removed. The photo might need to be cropped to give a closer view. There are a myriad of things that need to be done to create a great photograph. Next thing you know, an hour or so has gone by and you’re still working on one or two photos.

The bottom line is that photography is not just a quick snap of the shutter and you’re done. A lot of time goes into creating a stunning photograph. For photographers, their work is ART and like other artists, photographers also put a piece of themselves into their work, so when we see that someone has “taken” one of our images and used it to their own purposes without permission or purchase, it’s heart breaking.

(Remember, this does not mean “sharing” our photos as long as the photographer is still getting credit.)

There have been a couple of instances where someone has downloaded someone else’s image onto their computers and done their own editing totally changing what the photographer intended. Maybe these people think they are enhancing the image, but it’s heartbreaking for the photographer to see it. Some photographers have even found their photos on other people’s websites after cropping out the photographer’s copyright.

There is no way to stop this from ever happening, but I wanted to mention it so that people are more aware. Just because an image is posted, doesn’t mean it’s free for the taking.

I love sharing my work and love showing others images that excite me and sights that bring me much joy. As an artist trying to make a living, I hope that people will like an image enough to offer to purchase a photo or cards. I am also very pleased when someone likes my photos and will post and share with others. I thank you.

Book Update

After months of working on my book, I am getting down to the nitpicky final editing. There are still many questions to answer and details to narrow down. I wish I knew a “real” publisher/editor with whom to talk about this.

Thirty three days is a long time to put into one book. My goal of personal story, history segments of sites and cities, and the many photographs make for a lot of pages. I really want to share with you as much as I can, but is it realistic in a book? I love to see the photos while I’m reading about places and I like to see it AS I’m reading and not having to refer to other pages later in the book.

How much time am I wasting doing things that are not normally acceptable or affordable in a book?

I think about doing a companion photo book to go with the travel writing book, but I’m not sure that’s even feasible. I’ve currently filled two 2 inch binders, one with photos and one with the manuscript.

Yesterday, I cut out almost the entire beginning section that had to do with planning the trip. I currently have 183 photos in the manuscript. Guess I’d better start cutting some out. But how do I decide which to leave out when I want you to see everything?