From formspring:
I am a Christian and I don’t necessarily want to market my art to Christians. But it is hard for me not to talk about God on my blog. Do I just not go there, or do I just share who I am because it is authentic? Feeling torn.
Great question! It comes back to my whole theory on using social media (that includes blogging): for it to work, you have to be you! And you define who you are by what you choose to share with your audience.
If you faith is important to you & inspires your work, you owe it to your audience to share it with them. You don’t have to do it in a pushy way or even blatantly, but you should definitely share it.
The same goes for political or social convictions that may be controversial. If you present your views as a part of your art & a part of who you are, few people will argue with you. You can probably even advocate for your own views & beliefs in you are careful to do so respectfully and with passion.
I think I do this on a daily basis – but you probably don’t even realize it! I’m pretty liberal politically – okay, really liberal – and I feel that that informs my conviction to buy & support handmade/independent business. It also informs my desire to buy “green” whenever possible and encourage others to do so, as well.
But I have no misconceptions that you have to be a flaming liberal to hold those opinions.
So I might use that as a barometer for your own faith. Please tell people what informs & inspires your work – but accept – and love! – that others may appreciate your work & ideals without holding the same beliefs.
again… my question. i am seeing a trend here. just kidding! thanks a bunch tara. you just confirmed what i was already feeling. i have not been talking about my faith all of the time, but when it becomes relevant i do mention it. it is so much a part of who i am as an artist, that is so difficult to not mention anything. thanks again for being a sounding board.
lol, wendy!! you ask good questions
maybe i should hire you just to provide fodder for my blogging…
sounds like you’re on the right track!
Great question. I find that when I talk about something controversial, more people comment. No one is disrespectful or rude in the comments. I tried not to talk about my beliefs in the beginning, but it felt dishonest. There are a few blogs of people I know in real life that I read and one in particular feels like it’s scripted. The way she writes and the things she writes about don’t jive with her real-life personality. Great post!
Very, very well put, Tara. It definitely shows when someone is being true to themselves rather than hiding something.
I can also say that as someone whose views are very much outside of the mainstream, I’m never offended by someone discussing their own views, especially on a personal blog. I’m not going to refrain from buying something because someone’s religious beliefs are different from mine, for example – quite to the contrary, in fact. It takes guts and conviction, and a boatload of confidence, to talk about your personal beliefs in the huge public forum that is the internet, and that’s something I very much respect.
Hmm… I think my opinion is slightly different from others – I generally try to stay away from discussing topics like these on my blog. I am quite opinionated when it comes to politics, for example. I am also very liberal and would not want to be reading someone’s blog where they rave about certain views that I find completely and totally ridiculous. It’s NOTHING PERSONAL yet some of those issues mean a lot to me and others raving about things I find just plain wrong can be a huge turn off for me. So I stay away from discussing things like that. I don’t think it makes me two-faced or not true to myself, I just don’t want to irritate people the way I wouldn’t want to be irritated, hahaha.
But what a great question Tara! Thanks so brining it up!
Thank you so much for posting this! I am also a Christian and am constantly trying to find the right balance in this area. It’s impossible for me not to mention my faith in my blog because it’s constantly on my mind and I tend to write the way I think. But, on the other hand, I don’t want to use religous-y language in my blog that would turn someone off who isn’t familiar or comfortable with those expressions. Hmmm…gives me a lot to think about! Thanks!
Great post. I try not to bring my personal religious and political views to my blog, but there are times, (like with Hurricane Katrina or the last presidential election) where I have to speak up and express my feelings. Sometimes remaining silent is just unacceptable. I try to speak my (liberal) mind honestly and respectfully, and the response in those instances have always been supportive and positive.
Thanks for hitting this topic head on, Tara! I would agree with Dani. I continue to learn and profit from others who have other beliefs than I do (I’m a Christian). The bottom line for me is: if they are producing good content/products in their area of expertise (that would help me), then it would be smart of me to have them on my radar. I also think that sharing personal beliefs w/ love & gentleness is a good thing.