Friday, June 21, 2019

10th Anniversary Post...Social Media on Off the Wall Friday

My First Post ...Hand Dying 2009
Wow!!  If you had told me that I would have kept this blog up for 10 years, I would have said, NO WAY!  Have you met me?  I have the attention span of a squirrel! Still, I've always loved technology and maybe that's why the blog has stuck when so many - many - many creative journals have not.  Not to mention it's so much easier to keep at it when you know that you're not the only one your journal is helping!!

The photo that inspired my Header 2009
Over the years, my readership (LOL do I actually have a READERSHIP??  giggle) has been a huge blessing and encouragement.  I remember when I started my blog, I felt like I was kinda on this creative journey alone...which is fine....but like Dorothy can testify to, it's much easier to follow the yellow brick road with your friends with you.  (Hey I'm still holding out for that makeover at the Emerald City!)

Before I get too much off the path with this Oz analogy,  I  just want to say THANKS!!!  Thanks for reading, thanks for connecting on Off the Wall Fridays, thanks for the encouragement, thanks for the comments....thanks for keeping me working at my passion,

My First Outdoor Show 2009
Which brings me to another thing.  Because of this blog, I get all sorts of emails from all sorts of people around the world.  I'm always amazed that people actually read, I swear!  This week I got an email from Liz in Houston who had found me on Pinterest.  (That's another thing, I'm always amazed that people pin from this blog to Pinterest!)  She asked for my Instagram hashtag so she could link back to my Instagram account.

Instagram account???  I'm supposed to have an Instagram account??  Well apparently!!  Once I started thinking about it, I definitely think that Liz was onto something here.  Maybe it was time to expand my social media footprint.

Why Use Social Media for Your Creative Journey

My Sewing Hole  2009

  • Connection!  Well aduh!!  We all need to connect.  Before having my blog, I felt like I was a lone art quilter in a small town in Pennsylvania.  Now I've found my people.  We encourage each other;  We get each other when nobody else does!  "Social Media" is about the give and take between you AND your viewer!  What artist doesn't want THAT?
  • Create Your Brand!  OMG, I just got an Instagram account and now I need a BRAND?!?  Seriously?!  Well no, I'm choosing not to take it too seriously.  But what I mean in this context is that along with creating our artistic voice you should be able to share it with the world and people will connect it directly to you.  I mean really....why be an artist if you're not sharing your work???  Also, you never know where this journey will take you.  You might start out quilting, then teaching, then writing a book, being featured on TV shows and working with Jennifer Sampou.... Ask Jenny  - she'll tell you!!
  • Education!   Especially as art quilters we have a hard time conveying what we really do!  With social media, we can show exactly what we do and how we do it.  Education will lead to new followers and fans. It might even lead to a whole new generation of art quilters! 
  • The Real You!  You know when I first discovered art quilting, I thought that these amazing artists were just so talented that they could create something that I could not.  (And some are- LOL)  What we didn't see in the old days is the trials and all the hard work that goes behind a great piece.  In fact, we never really saw the REAL ARTIST  behind those luscious quilts.  With social media, the viewer can now connect to the person as well as the art.  I feel this breaks down a lot of barriers between the viewer and the artist and makes the pieces all that more accessible to the average Jane!
So if you haven't taken the plunge into the social media world, I hope this will encourage you to.  And if you are like me, and only stuck a little toe into the big pool .... you might want to at least get wet up to your knees!    Chose the one that's right for you - there is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube etc.

Tessa & I 2009

For now, you can find me here (of course!) and on Instagram under my new hashtag #piecefullyNina .  (Yeah, I was going to use #therealNinaMarie but I thought that was a bit too pretentious ....giggle)

Also, I am now going to start actively inviting Instagrammers to link up on Off the Wall Friday.  So if you know any artist that you think will fit the group and wants to link up a picture post for the week please invite them!!

Enough about me....

What Have You Been up to Creatively?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

18 comments:

QuiltShopGal said...

Happy 10th Anniversary. I love your blog. Always filled with #CreativeGoodness, great tips, inspiration, and tutorials

Ada Plouvier-Kopitopoulou said...

Happy anniversary!!

Deb Cox said...

Well congratulations my dear. Always enjoy your post.
10 years is a long time in this medium. Well done and thank you for sharing
and inspiring. (-:

The Inside Stori said...

Kuddos......thank you so much for the inspirations and connecting all of us together.

Norma Schlager said...

Congratulations on your 10th year. I appreciate your keeping us all together on our creative journey.

For the love of geese said...

Congrats. I've been on IG for a little over a year and I am still learning the ins and outs. It really is a good resource.

Shannon said...

Congrats on the Blogiversary! In spite of loving instagram, blogs are still where my heart is so I'm glad you're in this space!

Angela said...

Happy Anniversary! Interesting that we both are celebrating 10 years blogging. My anniversary is in a couple of weeks. When I started I had no idea I could keep it going as long as I have!

Tami Von Zalez said...

Happy Blogiversary! I've been blogging for about the same amount of time and just love the platform. While I am on Pinterest, Twitter and IG, it is more hit and miss on posts.
I haven't been doing much creatively and missed all of the quilt competition deadlines. Finally traded in my Brother machine for a Baby Lock so I hope to be producing more in the months to come.

Frédérique - Quilting Patchwork Appliqué said...

Happy anniversary!!

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

Congratulations on being tenacious and posting here for 10 years! I think I have been around about that long. I love the blogs I follow. At my elder age, don't get IG. It seems so impersonal. I tolerate FB but am always amazed and sad when I read critical comments there. Too many thin skinned people out there. Connection..yes...my reason for blogging and reading. I have personally lost all of the friends I was close with and am too introverted to find new ones. So, here I am reading blogs, lol.
xx, Carol

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Congratulations on your Blogiversary! I too am amazed at how long I have held on to my blog. It is nice to get feedback on my projects! Here's to many more!

Amy Art Quilter & Fyber Cafe said...

I am also coming up on ten years blogging in August. It has been lots of fun. Thank you so much for all the work you do setting up this link party every week. It really inspires me with everyone's creativity, and also pushes me to do something so I can link up as often as possible. Congratulations and THANK YOU!

Margaret said...

Congratulations!!! I've had my blog since February 2003 (!), beginning as "The Lady Who Knits on the Bus". How it's evolved over the years -- as have I, and as have you and your blog too. I still love to read blogs. They are places in which to share story and process. Instagram (I'm not on it at present), FB etc. are great, but to write a story to share...that's special. May you have another happy, healthy and creative 10 years sharing your stories, discoveries and processes!

annette said...

Happy Anniversary! I am on Instagram! We seem to have lost each other. Changed computers and lost everything last year but I think I am sorta back? I wish I could focus enough to blog more, maybe soon! Sending love and hugs friend. You are an incredible artist!

Andree G. Faubert said...

Hi NinaMarie, congrats on your 10th anniversary. I remember my first posts - I was essentially writing for myself, which was ok until I discovered linking parties. Thanks for your weekly party and for the encouraging posts.

Nina Marie said...

Thanks everyone for your wonderful well wishes!!! Nina

Rebecca said...

JUST read this (apparently Feedly keeps posts even after reading if they're on a "board"). Then I went to look at your IG account. That didn't stick! But that's fine; keep with what does work, right? The sad thing is your last picture there was from QBL 2019, and your unawareness of what was to become of that (thanks, COVID! :-P )

I have found new quilters through your Off the Wall Friday posts. Thank you.