Nobody likes to be scolded.
At least, that has been my position on the subject all of my life. However, when I painted my last mural (Number 75 in Columbus, Ohio), I was scolded by three teenage girls. They did not accept the idea that I am the most non-famous, world-famous artist on the planet. I needed to be on social media. If I didn't do it personally, I should hire a publicist to do it for me. They didn't understand the fact that the most non-famous, world-famous artist wouldn't have money for a publicist. It probably wouldn't have mattered to the girls. I needed to be on social media and get the word out about what I do.
So, I tucked that information away and continued painting the mural.
No, I did nothing for social media afterwards, as usual.
Since that mural, I actually have made an effort to network and make my work more visible. In my last blog, I wrote about some success with coloring books I've made about Ohio, America, and the World. My work hasn't stopped there. I've signed up to be a vendor at the Mount Vernon Holiday Farmer's Market where I now live. It spans six weeks of November and December. I'm hoping that my name and my work may be mildly discovered in the community where I now find myself. Okay, maybe I want more than mildly. I'd like to get a mural out of this, the first of many murals.
There were several small hoops to jump through to make attending the market possible. Among them were getting a table, chair, poster, and cart for my own needs at the market. Additionally, there were policies and paperwork to fulfil. At one point, I was asked if I had a website for my books I'd be selling. Again, with the social media kind of questions!
I decided I needed to make this a reality.
The picture you see at the top of this page is for my new Facebook page about my children's book and murals. It links to all sorts of things that you could already find on my regular website homepage. However, this time, everything is also visible from Facebook. So, it may be easier for some people to explore my books, my murals, my Shopify store, my clipart, my blogs, my travels, as well as the Phillip Martin website that has a few more links for things like my resume, my personal art, the Hammurabi site, some folktales, and a Hall of Fame page. However, I am fully aware that most scolding teenagers and other young people consider Facebook a site for old farts.
I had to explore Instagram.
I've had an Instagram page for about a decade. However, I never had a teenager sit down with me and teach me how to actually use the app. I had no idea how to upload photos -- which I gather is the most important thing about Instagram. (I could be wrong about this. It wouldn't be the first time.) So, I had to sit myself down and figure things out on my own. Well, I wasn't completely on my own. I asked Google for help a time or two. But, I successfully have an Instagram page that now shows the world what I can do.
I'm quite pleased with the setup I created. I begin with a collection of some of my Favorite Travel Destinations which include Moldova & Transnistria, Mexico, Belize, Brazil, and Morocco. That is followed by some of my favorite books including: A Show of Hands (The DRCongo), The Stone at the Door (Morocco), The Paramount Chief and One Wise Woman (Liberia), Missing a Few Jewels (Brazil), and The Half Rooster (Albania).
I follow that pattern with Muraling and Travel photos from Africa in Togo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Liberia with African tales that include: The Day that Goso Fell (Tanzania), A Fowl Chain of Events (Zimbabwe), To Tell the Tooth (Zambia), The Kitty Cat Cried (Somalia), and Spider and the Honey Tree (Liberia).
The next Travel and Mural Section features photos from Latin and Central America (where I have painted in Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico, and Costa Rica) along with North America books: Anansi and the Market Pig (Jamaica), A Pack of Lies (a Mayan tale), and Triple Gratitude with Assorted Monsters (an original story about gratitude).
Asian Travels and Photography show off exploring Fiji and my books: Count to Five (a Jewish Tale), The Frog Princess (Burma), If It Is Truly Ours (Thailand). Little Friends (Fiji), and My Word is True (Palestinian). And then, I end things with travels in the Holy Land.
It's just a guess, but I think the reason young people enjoy Instagram is how easy it is to connect with people around the world, including celebrities. We all know the most non-famous, world-famous artist on the planet is no celebrity. However, I have already started connecting with people as far away as Asia and as close as Ohio. In less than a week, I have over 200 followers. Someday, hopefully, sooner rather than later, I may find someone who wants to sponsor a mural or buy some of my books.
I must say, so far, none of my followers are any teenage girls who have scolded me.