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Feb 20, 2018
If you spend any time on social media, you’ve probably encountered a troll or two. You know – those people who seem to delight in going out of their way to say something rude or pick a fight.
“Beep Beep I,” How can you not love a reference to a |
I didn’t have much experience with trolls because I don’t talk politics on social media, I don’t enjoy conflict, and my friends . . . they’re pretty nice people.
I’ve been a decorative artist for 11 years, but in early 2017 I decided to put more effort into the fine art end of my business. I’m trying to grow this area, not only because it’s personally gratifying, but also because I’m 52 and I don’t want to be on a ladder and lugging buckets of decorative plaster at age 60.
Ramping up the fine art business means growing my contact list and advertising on social media. Facebook marketing is determined by what you’ve shown Facebook that you like. If you like art and history, my ads. might show up in your feed.
Enter the trolls.
I’ve had reactions from someone who thought I was stalking him because my ads showed up in his feed multiple times, to a woman who (on an ad. that said “offer ends today”), posted “Thank God!” I don’t understand her motivation, but ok.
And check this guy out who responded to an ad that featured my piece “Beep Beep I”, which is actually one of my most popular images:
Just because you don’t like something it means that it’s not fine art and that nobody else should think it is? I’m pretty sure Picasso received some rather harsh commentary.
Maybe it’s my “Santa Cruz hang loose” attitude showing, but I’m fine with people liking things that I don’t. Heck, if I didn’t have this general attitude in life, my kids would never have been exposed to nor allowed to eat mushrooms and mangos.
Even though I don’t understand trolling, this article isn’t really a rant against them. They don’t upset me, and I kind of like replying to them in a polite manner that talks about their concern or comment. I want them to know I heard them.
Why?
First, I’m comfortable responding. I’ve made more than enough sales and been in enough juried shows to know that many people like my art, so I don’t feel particularly vulnerable. Trust me, I know that feeling of security is difficult for many artists, so maybe I’m standing up for artists who wouldn’t be comfortable replying. I also know that my art isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok.
Secondly, by responding politely to these negative people, I let my actual and potential fans see how I handle criticism, and that I’m a trustworthy and reasonable person.
Lastly, I’ve only had one troll come back from my polite reply and continue trolling (yeah, the guy in the above post). In fact . . . I’ve even converted a few to people who now follow me.
Remember the guy who thought I was stalking him? I explained how (in this case InstaGram) determines what ads to show to people and how he could turn them off if he found them irritating. I ended up having a nice conversation with him. It turns out he’s a Civil War history buff, and we geeked out about history. He now follows me and says nice things about my posts. Win/Win
Whether you’re an artist or not, if you’ve ever had someone troll you, recognize that you’ve said or created something that touched them or moved them to react, even if they lack the social skills to convey that in an appropriate manner.
And really, moving people to react in any fashion is what art is all about.
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