Well, I must say, I've had an awfully long break from writing. So much has happened since I last posted, and I have to admit, I wonder if people even like blogs anymore, if they are relevant, as everything seems to be on TikTok, Instagram or Youtube now.
But I don't want to abandon my first love...well, I suppose drawing was my first, and then writing my second. It's just so hard to know where an author/artist belongs on the spectrum of social media, and there are so many different platforms, it would be impossible to be on everyone, and so, like an introvert I retreated, unsure of how to proceed.
I suppose, if I think back to my childhood, I've always wanted to make books, to tell stories, to be part of that imaginary, expressive world. But now, being an author or artist, of any sort, requires marketing skills worthy of degree, and so a balance between authenticity and showmanship needs to be created.
One thing I have learnt, is that, it is not necessarily the person with the best work, that has their work published, it's the person with the most likely to sell work, the most bankable personality, it's all about performance, and showmanship (well a lot of the time).
Think I'm wrong? Jayne Mansfield sold her bathwater, Trisha Paytas got herself on Broadway, Mr Beast now sells chocolate, basically if people like you, can can sell them anything.
We live in a time, where more than ever, people can create wealth and fame for themselves, but the competition is louder, and cringier than ever. Whoever gets the most likes, or shares, gets the most money, and I wonder if this will change the publishing industry forever.
Even now, publishers are asking authors to sign AI agreements which help to AI to learn by using their work. I'm on the fence with AI, I can see both good and bad sides to it, and for now, that's all I am going to say.