Social Media Inquiry 2015

Ive been taking an online class called Creative Content Camp with Alyson Stanfield, an art buisness coach, about developing promotional content and engaging social media.  Its got me feeling super self-aware about my internet experience and I figured it would be good for my sanity if I wrote out where my relationship with the different kinds of internet real estate that I inhabit.  Im going to share what kinds of sharing I like, when I started, how I use them and where I hope to go with them.

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Blog - www.artistsdontapologize.com


Welcome!  If you are reading this you are on my blog!  Im starting off writing about this one because I am coming to learn it is meant to be my home base of operations on the internet.  This is the place where I want to post my thoughts about my work and my world in longer, deeper and more intimate language.  The sad reality is that while I have had all the intentions to make use of this blog I've only been moderately committed to it.  I like to say that words are not my first language so I tend to avoid writing…but I also love writing about my art and what makes it happen.

I started this blog in 2007 and used it to post quotes and links to things that inspired me.  Over the last few years I have thrown my words onto it when I had them which include some written prompts from my MFA program and a few highlights of my journey as a New Orleans street artist.  Going forward I plan to keep writing out the things and thoughts that form the foundation of my creative flow.  This summer im creating an editorial calendar for the next year (beginning in the fall) to give myself a writing structure to pour my words into.

Newsletter - www.jenelleleighcampion.com/newsletter.html

This is a new communication platform for me.  When I left grad school I sent out a few awkward and heartfelt mass emails to the people I knew to say HEY I MAKE STUFF…but as I fell into actually selling art on the fence my energy got focused on figuring out how to engage the people right in front of me and I didn’t put much thought into reaching out through the internet.  BUT I am inspired by the class I am taking to brush the dust off of my mailing list and start sharing charming missives about my practice with more regularity…either monthly or every other week.  We shall see.  Sign up on my website to join the adventure.

Instagram - @JenelleLeighC 

This is my favorite way to e-socialize.  This is the feed that I check most frequently and that I am the most selective about who I follow.  I enjoy the visual nature of this platform.   I find it full of people's pictorial musing on their lives, practices and processes.  Many of the people I follow are friends, family and fellow creatives I'm inspired by.  I also seek out galleries I love and national parks that I have a connection with.

Instagram is the center of my social media activity.   I clean up my photos on Camera+ and/or Snapseed and then I use Instagram to add another layer of editing and/or filter, post pictures of my art and creative process (with the occasional selfie) and from there I cross-post my images to Facebook and tumblr.

I started "gramming" in 2013 when I began selling art on Pirate's Alley in New Orlean's French Quarter.  I knew I was in the early stages of figuring out what art to offer and how to sell it and I figured it would be a good idea to start integrating social media habits into my work practice.  Now, more than 2 years later, I have a solid grip on the reins of my business and a strong sense of how to wrangle my creative process into it.  I'm so glad I've had Instagram to document my journey, connect me to my support network and give me a platform for putting my vision into the Internet and out into the world.

tumblr - jenelleleighcampion.tumblr.com

I started tumbling in 2013.  Again I love it's visual nature but also the way it's a great platform for sharing people's research and inquiry into their art, activism and philosophy.  I use this as a source for discussions around body positivity, social awareness, radical politics, visionary art and entertaining webcomics.  I repost things that inspire and support me along with my photo feed that comes from Instagram.

Facebook - 
personal - Jenelle Campion  ("Friend")
business - Jenelle Leigh Campion Art ("Like")



Oh Facebook. I resisted you for so long.  I didn't join until 2007. And to be honest I still find it an overwhelming space...but I'm forever grateful that it has helped me keep connected to the lives of people I adore.

Im in a state of flux about how to best use the Facebook.  I have a personal page and a business page.  I used to post my Instagram feed to my business page...but my pics get SO MUCH more response from my personal page that I've started sharing over there instead.   My buisness is my life so the line between the two get blurry in the world of social media.  A lot of people in the Creative Content Camp have been taking about the dilemma of how to use both a business and a personal page for sharing art.  It seems to simply be a matter of personal preference.  The discussion is challenging me to think of the business page as more of a display site for finished pieces and let my daily process live more on my personal page.

Of all the different sites I engages with Facebook is where most of the real people I know are hanging out.  I've started making a conscious effort of share links to videos and articles that bring me inspiration and wisdom on my personal page.

YouTube - Jenelle Leigh Campion's YouTube Chanel
I'm in love with YouTube.  Last summer I decided to try to figure out what is it people do on this site and OMG they do so much.   Early on I feel in love with Grace Helbig, Mamerie Hart and Hannah Hart, aka the holy trinity of YouTube, who are three comedy vloggers who fill me with delight.  From following their content I found others whose voices I can relate to, informational science videos, geekery, music, radical politics and so much more.  Now catching up with my YouTube feed is a daily habit.  I'm planning to spent time this summer making videos for some of my songs and begin to build up my own video content around my art making practice.

Twitter - @JenelleLeighC
 2009 is when I signed on with Twitter.  Most of my usage involves copying my written text and photos from Instagram into Twitter so that the image shows up in my tweets instead of simply a link.  I'm fascinated with how interactive Twitter makes national events like elections, debates and awards shows.  I also like using Twitter to give shout outs to people and ideas that I'm feeling inspired by.







Pinterest - Jenelle Leigh Campion Art

 I think I joined Pinterest around 2011, while I was in grad school.  I'm not sure show to find the date exactly but I remember my sister sending me an invite to join this site while it was still in its beta version.  The Creative Content Camp I'm involved in has opened my eyes to how artists use Pinterest to curate content that relates to my art and business life.  I've mostly used this site as a place to save recipes and random pretty things and have decided to start a fresh new page with a focus on my art life.  One of my summer projects is to figure out what I want this to be.





SnapChat - @JenelleLeighC

 I just joined on this year (2015) as this platform is the newest and I just figured out how to relate to it.  I'm kinda super into SnapChat because of its ability to display people's daily stories and the way that SnapChat will curate a collection of videos from different people around an event or city and to give a broad look into people's daily experience.  I found my way into it because of the Vlogging community on YouTube.  It's an easy way for people to put together micro-videos.  I don't post much myself, I'm content to simply witness people's moments...but every now and again I'll share something sparkly that catches my eye.