I spent the first thirty years of my life as an artist without writing a single press release. I was brought up to be unobtrusive, to never call attention to myself. The idea of promoting myself was so alien to me that I never even considered it. My attitude to publicity and self promotion is perfectly summed up by Emily Dickinson's poem, "I'm Nobody." But year after year, I kept reading press releases in the paper from an artist I don't know personally, but whose work I don't like or respect. And every time this artist did anything, even something quite trivial, there was a press release in the paper all about it. It was relentless, and it drove me nuts! I finally decided that every time I get a hangnail, I would write a press release, too. So that's what I'm doing. I try to keep it down to once a month, and I only write about actual events: awards, openings, national exhibitions and publications. I don't make anything up. I sometimes have to pack numerous nuggets of news into one release to keep it to once a month, but I don't want to overload the public. Enough already! I don't want to be a publicity ho.
I'm Nobody! Who are you? Emily Dickinson
I’m Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too? Then there’s a pair of us! Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – To tell one’s name – the livelong June – To an admiring Bog!
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