Alanna SmithDec 19, 2022

Y'all are chasing working artists away from this place by harping on how "sad" and "pathetic" it is for them to hope for a large follower count here.

It's not about attention. It's about their bottom line. More followers means more commissions, more customers in their online shops, more direct exposure to people with hiring power. It's honestly really cruel to keep acting like they want adulation when really they just want to pay rent.

They have ample reason to mourn what they built.

Show threadAlanna SmithDec 19, 2022
You have to understand that, at least right now, losing their audience probably feels like going from having a well-established, high-traffic store in a luxury mall to having a stall at the flea market. They can climb back up from there, of course, but it's going to take time and work. It's silly and mean to shame them for not wanting to start over when they already worked so hard to get where they are.
Show threadAlanna SmithDec 19, 2022
And I'm not blowing hot air when I say you're chasing away working artists. I follow a ton of artists elsewhere, and that's what I see them saying. They feel demeaned and dismissed by this attitude that wanting a lot of followers is vapid, or selfish, or something they need to unlearn. They know what's best for them and their business. Cut it out.
Show threadAlanna SmithDec 19, 2022
And one last thing--I'm saying all this as someone who actually really likes Mastodon and would love to see more creators from my industry show up here! I've done my fair share of evangelizing, but I can't blame them for staying away when so much of this rhetoric is flying around.
Show threadBrian J. CrowleyDec 19, 2022
@alannawrites Same, however a lot of them seem to be addicted to the follower counts.
Show threadAlanna SmithDec 19, 2022

@hamsterrage As someone who knows many, many high profile artists personally, I strongly disagree.

It's not an addiction to not want to lose your customers.

Show threadBrian J. CrowleyDec 19, 2022
@alannawrites I also know many high profile artists and writers personally and I can tell you that they often tell me that cons are when they find the real fans, twitter is where the trolls mostly live.
Show threadSaskia DanielDec 19, 2022
@hamsterrage @alannawrites Absolutely not true. I sell most of my pots via Twitter. But I do have a complete persona there. I don’t aim just to sell.
Show threadAlanna SmithDec 19, 2022
@hasenschneck (I hope you don't take too much of a hit from this whole twitter mess, Saskia, your pottery is gorgeous!)
Show threadMncricketDec 20, 2022

@alannawrites @hasenschneck
It would be great if there was an artist server where we could browse through to find artists. I wouldn't know who to even search for.

Maybe that is something Mastodon could help with. A boutique type server where those who know who's who could gather.

Show threadTheGurkha 🇬🇧🇺🇦
@mncricket @alannawrites @hasenschneck That's why hashtags are so important on here. You can follow hashtags here.
Dec 20, 2022 at 9:49amWeb