Here’s the thing… let’s just get the thing out of the way right up front, shall we?… I am a man of many contradictions. I am self-centered with low self-esteem… I am full of myself and full of shit… I am constantly busy and never getting anything done… and so on and so on…
I just want to make money from all the things that pour out of my head. It isn’t a novel idea… well, I mean, it is, in the sense that novels are some of the things that pour out of my head… but lots of people make money writing or doing paintings or playing music. I am not looking to get rich… okay, I wouldn’t turn down a yacht full of money… but… wait… where was I going with all this?
The other thing is… oooooh… two things in one post… that I am all art-side-of-the-brain… and I write books and paint and draw and sing and write songs and play the guitar and carve tikis and write short stories and poems and a whole bunch of other artsy stuff… but my head seems to be incapable of figuring out how to make a living from any of these things.
I need an agent and a publisher… I suck at marketing myself. Which brings me to the apology portion of this post. My last post was insensitive. I am going on and on about my 3,000 plus followers… (many of whom might not still be alive, as near as I can tell)… when a lot of you would be more than happy to be where I am now complaining about being.
Also, once again, it brings up the one inescapable fact about blogging. The more followers you get, the more people you meet that comment on your blog and follow you and are funny and loyal and awesome… and you can’t even stop by their blog for an occasional visit, let alone follow them back. Because if you read stuff from everybody who follows you, you wouldn’t even have time to do any posts… or eat or sleep or whatever.
If my novels were selling… or the children’s book… I wouldn’t be in this dilemma. If I could just write and sell short stories or poems or words of whatever kind, I would be fine. But I don’t have the half of the brain that does that stuff.
Don’t get me wrong… I don’t want any of you to actually have to pay any money.
I just want a blog where I can keep doing the same stuff I do here… the pictures and stories of my life, the crazy observations and thoughts, the making fun of Dick Cheney and now Donald Trump… while big companies run by soulless zombie tycoons throw wads of cash at me for the privilege of putting tiny and inconspicuous advertisements in the lower corners of the page, where they will not in any way annoy you when you come over to visit.
Is that too freekin’ much to ask?
But mostly I would like to say I am sorry for taking myself too seriously… like I am a rock star and you are all just groupies… and no, sorry, I can’t listen to three thousand demo tapes, I have another platinum album to put out. I’m not that guy.
If I seem to be overlooking you, it is because I am a disorganized, confused, old and forgetful idiot with a cranium full of crack squirrels who sometimes forgets how unimportant he is in the overall scheme of things, and has too many things all going on at the same time. I think I might still be suffering from the delusions of grandeur that we all have when we are teenagers.
My daughter called and told me that I ‘generate enough traffic’ to make money blogging. I got excited. I thought maybe there was a way that I could go right on doing the same stuff but make enough money to help out a little more around here, and without losing any of you… because, when it comes right down to it… you are the people who are the ‘traffic’ that I am supposedly ‘generating’… But see… that is the thing… (wait… what… have we ever had three things in one post before???)… you aren’t ‘traffic’ to me. You are much more than that… even if I do never make it to your blog to see what you do… and our only interaction is in the comment section of my blog…
Which brings us right back around the circle… and hey, look, there I am right in front of me… let’s see if I can catch up and give myself a good kick in the ass.
Pouring My Art Out 
You’re being way too hard on yourself. And no, you’re not asking too much, and yes, you are going to get there. Also, your daughter sounds smarter than you.
Both my kids are smarter than me… They would almost have to be
Same with me.
I think that makes us awesome.
I know it. Kids rule! Especially when they outsmart us by the age of 8. Not that that’s hard or anything…
exactly
It wasn’t insensitive at all. In fact, it was kind of inclusive. So there.
HA!
Git yer head outta yer navel Art (and youse squirlles, dat goes for you too) and move to whatever platform you need to move to in order to keep blogging. I don’t mind ads and realistically if you had to get another job you wouldn’t be able to blog and we would miss you. I would much rather follow you to where-ever you have to go to keep blogging. Heads Up!
I love you man… also, I was trying to avoid once again threatening to quit blogging to get a real job… I can’t make any real money with a real job either, not with the minimum wage being what it is.
Hey, if you can make some money while doing a world takeover, I have no problem with that. Personally, while I’m tempted by the idea of making money, I just don’t think I’d be getting enough money from blogging to be comparable to what I make at my day job. (Not that I’m being paid a yacht full of money, but I’m assuming that each view might bring about a couple of cents or so, and I don’t get that many views to avoid the thought that I’d be laboring on my blog for a small fraction of minimum wage)
Finally, in my case “keeping my wife happy” means spending LESS time blogging. 🙂
Well… I ain’t giving up blogging… but I am willing to compromise… anything but my integrity.
Arthur I sent you a gmail chat invitation. Do you want to accept it so I can help you easier than email
wait… I got it on my phone, and clicked it… and now I can’t find it… was it in an email? because that is the easiest… I will be back home… uh… I mean… I will be done doing this ‘thing’ on Monday. Then I will be able to do stuff… a little better… HA!
Aha okay. Feel free to email for now. 🙂
thank you…
You’re welcome
I know I am but what are you?
Sleepy
ha!
By the way you’re really good with marketing. Don’t you have a big twitter following? That will help you too to make money
I have like a couple hundred… but some of them are celebrities.
Right good start
right
I say do whichever and whatever; I don’t blame you for looking into it at all. I think on some level I wish I could do the same but I have this personal issue with pandering to advertisers. Not saying you would do that, but like someone already said on the other post, some blogs get too self-absorbed (which, if you think of the nature of blogs, is saying A LOT) and forget where they came from. Plus, since I don’t write books or plan to, I don’t want my “I’m bored, maybe I should just write something” hobby to get to be a chore.
I’ll follow you no matter what. Besides, I haven’t trusted WP reader in a long time, so it’s just a matter of knowing what address to put into my Feedly account 😀
yay… and thanks…
Ah, don’t beat yourself up, man… keep chugging out the good stuff and making your observations and posting your crack squirrel pictures – there is precious little money to be had from creativity, sadly, but that never means it is not worthwhile! I don’t mind being traffic or one of your 3000+. I just enjoy the fact you make me laugh from time to time! And, like you, even with my -600 followers, it is impossible to keep up with everyone every day. Sure, I have my faves. But I try to make sure when I do show up, it is a worthwhile visit! 🙂 xx MH
Thanks so much… why do I feel like I should do that Saturday Night Live ‘Im not worthy’ thing?
Well, me and Alice Cooper have not got much in common anyway… 😀
HA… I was thinking about the Aerosmith skit… it was a running gag after all.
Hang in there, Art. Keep up the good work with that right side of your brain. And if you start running ads, I promise to glance at them once in a while. Your blog is entertaining enough to be worth seeing a few ads.
I really do appreciate that.
Ah, the joys of being a creative. In the real word, I run an independent recording studio and record label. Believe me, making a living from your passion and your art is no easy thing. In fact, most of the time it is soul destroying and thankless. But just once in awhile it is the most awesome thing ever. I say keep at it… there is nothing wrong with chasing your dreams, grabbing them by the throat and nailing them to the floor where you can keep a close eye on them. All the very best to you!
Thank you so much… I am learning that it will be difficult but that I also have a lot of support.