Just pondering the meaning of success.
If I Google myself at the mo (I have to say I am not in the habit of doing this normally… I tried ‘neil armstrong artist‘) I currently come up number one, three and six on the first page. I have to say I am quite impressed with my pavlovian rise through the ranks… but what does it mean?
It is no doubt in some part due to the fact that my recent show still has breadcrumbs of links dotted about all over the place, some on quite busy sites… so this will have a good effect on my Google weighting I guess. It’s kinda nice to think that, given a name like mine, I can actually wave a small flag and be seen in the sea of information out there.
But I can’t help but think it’s a hollow victory.
It is genuinely gratifying when someone takes the trouble to respond to my little info-bites here and there (this blog for instance.. and let me say a big thank you to the two people who have left messages so far lol. Let me also point out that two is two more comments than my previous blog… even though I did end up getting a piece in an mag out of it eventually).
Anyway I think my point is that it’s very hard to know just what the effect of this public profile stuff is. I haven’t yet asked the gallery if they had any feedback from the general public.. but I’m not holding my breath.. there was just a little ‘posty box’ for comments so I’m prepared for some rude stuff.
Having said that – on the last weekend of my show I went to take some stills. There was a talk taking place at the gallery… the car park was full and I have the impression the topic was in some way related to one of the world wars. So.. I took my photos (no one was aware it was my show) and ,as the people drifted out of the talk and through the gallery, I kept a discreet eye (and ear) on what the reaction was to my work.
I have to say I was quite impressed. Well impressed in a small way at least. I kinda expected them to just scan and move on through. Some did of course. But others took their time… looked close.. “oh look – isn’t that the same person in that photograph over there – dressed differently”.. etc. They were actually having a go at de-constructing what I was getting at.
I had rather meanly expected less, so it was a pleasant surprise.
And this was happening just whilst I was in the gallery. All the time I wasn’t there other people were having a dialogue that I would never overhear.
Yes it sounds a bit quaint I know.. but I sort of hope I never lose the buzz I get from these small ‘life’ events. The people who saw the show had a dialogue…even if it wasn’t with me! That’s kinda nice.
My Google ranking thus far hasn’t led to any other opportunities being passed on.
Google is just a smug mirror of conceit. It’s the hard slog of making approaches for me now…again…
