Most days of our lives do not have the lovely sparkle of happiness, and, luckily, they are not spent in the dark gloom of troubles and desperation either. Most of us go on, catching up with the ever-changing world and local developments. Neutral is good because it spares you stresses and saves from extremes. However, we sort of do not want to admit it and do not want to be there, yet, we are. It says, no news is fine, as long as there is no bad news.
The daily duties, the daily chores: it would be so much easier not to do the same over and over again. Last year around this time, it felt even more upsetting because we have some resolution of the pandemic coming our way now. Hopefully.
My motivation is low these days when it comes to blogging. I noticed how my old blogger friends post also not that frequently. The article we post gets some attention one or two days, and then nobody cares any longer. It feels like if it isn’t posted straight this moment, it’s not interesting, it’s lost importance or any actuality. That’s not true at all since good articles are meaningful and worth re-reading any time.
I have run in big website issues with people trying to harm it. Therefore, after getting in huge trouble two times when I thought I’d just follow back somebody who followed my sites, I don’t do that now. Especially, that refers to sites which want to post links and as if invite you to check out their site. The addresses looked ok, and, yes, they were on WordPress platform. For how long? Who knows, maybe just long enough to catch more trusting people.
So, I’m sticking with these bloggers who I have known for more than a decade since I started blogging. I’ve never had any great success with this or the other blog because I could never push publishing to the point of posting every second day. As you know, I have two blogs to attend, and the art blog definitely takes priority. It’s not that I have made much money off it, but it still gives me visibility in the broad and extensive art scene, especially the local one. To create new content for art blog takes me about two weeks, sometimes longer since I’m trying to always post new images and updated content.
Life is very fast moving ahead. We have fewer and fewer moments to just sit back and enjoy the day’s accomplishments. I still get done a lot because I’m not hooked on scrolling through the internet for hours or checking the very boring social media sites. Ever since they started adjusted the content to what one liked before and what gets most attention, it became almost intolerably one-sided story. There are by any means better ways to stay in touch with people who are physically far away.
This brings me to masses and public engagement. I’ve never been the one to like what some million of others have already liked. I will rather leave my comment under something good which hasn’t got any attention. I do that because good content slips through cracks thanks to engagement-based display of everything on any site. It makes me upset to no end sometimes.
The only print-on-demand site where I have my art is Fine Art America. I joined about a decade or so ago. The first art I posted certainly has gotten more views, but the sad part is that because of engagement rating, no new paintings and art get seen, only the old ones.
I also do not know why there are viral posts or images, I’ve never seen one. It’s probably because I intentionally skip whatever is thrown at me and definitely don’t join the massive numbers of followers.
I’d love everything to be unique. Unique as our finger prints, DNA and iris of the eye. Unique as pattern of veins on a leaf or every single bloom. I’d love that individual and one-of-a-kind remain the most important. I’d love that we can stay who we are without being flown down the pipe with numerous others who is called “everybody”. It’s never true that everybody does this or that, watches the same, consumes and wears the same and enjoys it, too. But it is the main approach.
Well, we have a choice. Always.
Good weather, bad weather, great outcome or none at all, it really matters very little if we have our own life assessment system and our self-worth doesn’t depend on the opinion of others. In case of things we cannot change, – we are able to change the way we view them. We are in the driver’s seat when deciding what’s of great importance to us.
The images show late fall colors in Ontario. Bright beauty before it all becomes the past. Enjoy while you can! Thanks for reading.
Inese Poga Life School 
I feel you Inese…the whole scene of people following what’s popular, which in fact is mostly skewed by algorithms and such, is just a whole sad side of how things in the world have shifted away from what’s most important, authentic, and quality. Like you, I choose to nurture the real connections and am not interested in attaining numbers. That said, it’s sad for real artists of any genre these days who have so much up against them. The best we can do is keep listening to our hearts, create for sake of the love of it, and trust that it will reach eyes and ears of those it’s meant for and where the greatest value will result. Maintaining the integrity feels more important to me. Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you so much for this very thoughtful and very observant comment!
The numbers, over time we learn how little they actually mean. It is true that I’m also cherishing and seeking for real connections, when I feel the genuine interest. Unfortunately, it’s quite rare of expectation to come true these days. yet, the more valuable are the connections which are honest.
We all hope for the eyes which will discover our content and find it worth to explore.
We cannot even blame people who never get further than the suggested images or sites. The web is hungry for money. At some point, the truth always wins and comes out. It might be too late sometimes, but, nevertheless, that’s what we have taken on and should continue. Creating value and appreciating the people who see that.
Have a nice weekend!
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughts. They resonate with me as an artist and unconventional person in this world. Thank you for sharing~
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Thank you Ashley!
I’m very pleased to see that not all of us want to be aligned with masses.
I am definitely for the individual, special and unconventional.
In my opinion, millions of likes doesn’t make the content good or the person special, sometimes it can be straight the opposite. I read a lot, and almost always when the book starts with numerous praise citations, the book is weak. It just proves that we normally do not appreciate the same.
The mass-affective politics is very beneficial for global sale companies, that’s why the “everybody” concept is so important. You want to fit in? Be everybody.
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I enjoyed all these beautiful fall images, Inese. They are easy on the eyes and the spirit.
The Internet is full of pitfalls, traps and people who would harm one. All this amid the good, and it can be hard to sort out. I don’t post as often, just four times a year now, and I have noted other blogging friends cutting back as well. The rest of my time is spent keeping up with life itself, and I am down to a small number of other people’s blogs I can participate in on any kind of regular basis. Even then I can fall behind. The last two years have been stressful for just about everyone I know, and there is a tendency to retreat, re-assess life. The world is changing, for better and for worse, but you are right, we all have control of how we view things, and decide what is important to us as individuals.
So far November has been on the mild side here, buying me some time to get some things done. Surprisingly, apples and grapes did well in spite of the long, dry summer. I made sugarless grape jelly as well as wine from the pinot. The table grapes were good all on their own, and served as a fresh fruit desert many an evening. My favorite apples were ones picked right off the tree, eaten while watching a sunset.
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Thank Lavinia!
The same here.
I actually deleted a few social media accounts, but keep Facebook because that let’s me talk on Messenger to people who I haven’t seen for 3 years now, my daughter, grandchildren and siter and her family.
I’ve noticed that, too, not many of us are keeping up the same pace we were sticking to some 8-10 years ago. many bloggers have cut down to once a month or even less frequent posting. It feels like everything is getting out of hand, there is so much useless hassless sometimes. The other thing is that blogging brought us together, we know about all blog friends (our firends), but nobody can stay in touch daily. I suppose we all understand that life gets in the way.
Our November was mild so far, too. That meant I had lots to do with finding place for all numerous room plants indoors and cleaning up the outdoors.
No doubt about that: we are also in a bad spot. For us personally, it’s the financial situation. Soon, we here will stick to a few vegetables and maybe eggs and chicken. The prices are already absurdly high nand they told in Canada, they go up by January way more for different types of products.
Nobody asked for this global pandemic, but it’s will probably linger on for quite a while yet.
Stay safe and as healthy as you can! Greetings to family and cats!
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Prices are very high here, too, and I am reusing and repurposing things as much as I can. My odds and ends piles have saved me money many a time. We eat very simply here, too. We always did, but now it is a necessity. Yes, I think this pandemic will go on for quite a while yet.
Stay safe and healthy too, Inese, and I will be here when you post again. Wishing you success with the art.
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The things which are worrysome are gas, utilities, rent, medical expenses, taxes all that stuff.
I’m a good fashion designer and can make any outfit, even coat or winter coat, not to mention all other garments like pants, skirts, dresses, etc. Done that for 50 years, have a good sewing machine, loads of fabric, used and new and that doesn’t worry me, too.
We don’t need new furniture or devices, except my computer is old and laptop ancient.
Technically, the spending becomes now much higher than the income and that type of living can only go on for a limited time.
You, too, stay safe!
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I wish I had the sewing skills. I have a machine now, and will learn.
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Well, it’s logical and kind of easy. But I started as a 12 year old kid. My mom was seamstress and dressmaker and what we would call fashion designer nowadays, and she could create the nicest dresses out of nothing, so I watched and just got to it. Although, there was nothing at the store during soviet times, we were always dressed to the nines. It took pretty much only work because you can combine and recycle any fabric or material. There were times I had to sew even my purses and tote bags, definitely jackets, coats, curtains, wall-decors and everything. I could not make shoes, that was a big issue, everything else I could. I sometimes made my own furniture, too. LOL. Well, one learns quickly when there’s a need.
Good luck and all the best to you Lavinia!
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Ah! Inese, today everybody want to shine as a star, with little borrowed fire, but nothing of their own, I guess it’s hard to cultivate ourselves, in order if not to shine as bright, we can have enough light to see where are we going!
Everybody seems to care more in appearance, than in true substance, I guess all these exposition of ourselves on medias too open to the World’s scrutiny, bring out the fantasies to weak minds, and the need to appear as who we are not!
Myself honestly, live too humbly, and with enough money just to live without any fancies, as my last move, not of my own choosing, simply the owner of the house wanted the house for her son to move inn, got a bigger place, but the downside far, from where I like to be, now my time for commute it’s longer, and therefore go out less frequently, a trade off, just like life, full of adjustments, and compromises, but with little drama…
I wish the best for you, and your dear ones, on this New Year, Inese.😊❤
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It would be great there was more substance than appearance!
Tough realist as I am, and I suppose you could be added to optimistic realists, we simply take it as is. It might be age, too. People who’ve grown up now, all they have seen is how you need the glamour and pretense, and online persona that’s above all dirt of real life, and who cares how bad inside one is?
This pandemic has pretty much shown that people are often engaged in what’s absolute waste of time and meaningless attempts to look better than one is.
We actually need not that much.
I know what moving is, I think I’m an expert in moving houses and studios. The owners change their ming independently from tenants.
Can you imagine that when I started out in Canada, I had only 1 suitcase with me and these were all my belongings? We can shrink the possessions to the most essential ones, and this proved it is possible.
Trade offs are frequent with moving, and it’s good you have a bigger place. We here in Ontario cannot even go out anywhere, so, it’s ok to just be ok with oneself wherever we are.
I have written new posts for this blog, didn’t publish yet. I will, maybe later, maybe tomorrow.
Wishing you all the best and all simple good things happening!
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I get you!
We will look forward for your newer posts.
Best regards also!
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Just published.
The bad news is we have to move again, the owner wants to sell the place. Well, prices are sky-high, for rent, too. Lucky me.
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Oh, no!
But the story its familiar to me, four moves in five years…
Sorry to hear that Inese, I know how much it takes to be moving. 🤦♂️😒
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Luckily, I have 3 moves between 2018 and now, but it’s still a lot. 10 rooms, and studio. I feel always sorry for the garden which I made up from scratch once again. The worst is to find a place that suits in all regards, not to mention the paperwork, and appointments and physical packing, I don’t want to even think about it.
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