Self Promotion

Self promotion, is quite problematic
smacks of ego and self aggrandisement.

Hi here I am, I have something to show,
Hi here I am, I have something to say,
Hi here I am, let my audience grow,
Hi here I am, check my work out today.

But I ask you, is it really so bad,
For someone to show the things that they make.
Beethoven, oft told, what talents he had.
But we think pride justified, a mistake.

And this started out as a a poem, but became something different.

Prehaps its a moan, It might be a winge,  it might even be a sulk or, just a piece of self reflection.

I am trying hard with this blog to stick as much as I can to a 'creative agenda'. Trying not to get drawn into polemics, or discourse. As this is the recomendation given on every blogging advice page going.

Stick to one thing they say, give your audience a theme to latch onto.  So I  chose creativity.  And of course that's way too broad a theme, perhaps I should start half a dozen different blogs. But I don't think I want to get into keeping track: all my thought in one place seems so much less complicated.

Poetry is quite useful, as lots of themes can be wrapped up in a bit of poetry. From the mundane, the esoteric, the silly, the serious, but it only goes so far. Stories too these can take a road, and wander round it, until the sign labeled exit becomes clear, and along the way more than one tale can be told, and even questions asked.

But I come to a point where, there are other things I would say, not directly wrapped in the cloak of fiction or rhyme. Some just family stories, true every word I promise. Some are stories about how I came to think what I think: autobiographical prehaps. And there are autobiographical stories I'm not ready to tell, and perhaps never will be. And, there is also what I think. And I find I want to express that too, and not always wrap it up in the language of poetry and narrative.

Promoting myself, doesn't come easy, I try and work hard and produce something worthy, but saying to others come look at my stuff, isn't it good, really isn't me. But I'm getting older, it would really help if I could make a bob or two from this blog. So I try and share far and wide. I can't make people like what I do, I can't force them to be entertained, nor would I wish to:  but, I can give them the choice.

And then too I have readers, who visit my pages time and again. Google+ is not so bad methinks. And I thank them for their patronage, their likes and shares, and making me think I must be doing something right.

Keep posting regularly the advisors say, and then a painting, or a story takes longer than I'd imagined, and big gaps appear in my posting history. And then again I wonder is it right or good, to just post because I should, rather than post when the work is done, the picture or story right.

I can't do the sales pitch, I'very tried a couple of times, "excuse the self promotion" I say, or 'blatantly self promoting,  have you seen this thing I did". But sense palpable disappointment in whatever replies I obtain. And feel like I did something, that perhaps I shouldn't have.

But one keeps plodoing on, I might advertise, though I don't really know how effective, that would be.

And whatever this is, it's limped to its end. For now no more to say.

Except to followers, and friends, thank you,
Stories on hold will continue again,
And serials running will have a proper end.
And poems, more will appear,
Music too, if I sort out the camera.
Paintings a plenty, might dig out the acrylics,
Though painting on tablets is really quite fun.
And there's plenty new stories to come.

And it all turned out, poetic again.