Disappearing Act - My Redbubble Legacy
One thing that has both attracted and frustrated me about Redbubble is that it is also driven by interest in the person, not just the art. This is one of the aspects that makes it such a great community site at times, because you really feel that people are interested in what you’re expressing, and very encouraging and supporting. One negative to this is that often, if you don’t participate, you can see interest waning in your creative output, and this pressure to participate is one that I’ve felt less of an urge to give in to lately for various reasons both personal and circumstantial. It is a little inconsistent not to provide the same level of encouragement that I felt when I began here, but longetivity here can also lead to a kind of burnout and disconnection about what excited you in the first place. It’s one of the great ironies that you want people to look at and understand your work, but the more you progress the more you feel it’s important to please yourself first and foremost about it and feel comfortable with the level of your craft and integrity of expression. In the process you start to forget the things you liked, and what you liked about what other people do.
So, with the intent to find a more level ground to stand on and re-enthuse myself about my commitment here, I’m starting a process of folio renovation prior to re-imagining my online activity and launching the brand identity of transmutephoto
195 works with 72 432 views
It’s a great exercise to look back over everything I’ve uploaded over the 2 and a bit years, and read some of the comments. There are many people there that I’ve got to know in the real world, and many whom I’ve interacted with a lot online. There are also many who fell by the wayside, some that are still here, and I feel a little remiss about. It’s kind of like a big continual party that ebbs and flows, and I’ve had many extraordinarily enriching (and some awkward) experiences with people both on and off line here.
Most of these images will disappear and not be uploaded here or anywhere else. Some may resurface after reworking here or on another site. If there’s anything you really like and would like to know the fate of, bubblemail me and ask.
The images that remain will be retagged and re-organised to best suit a more sales-oriented approach and a more cohesive vision. Some of them maybe replaced by a revised version, or may also eventually be removed if they don’t fit the vision. At this stage, I’m looking at getting it to a more manageable size.
Some of these images were quite popular in their time and a few have over 500 views and a number of favoutings, but they are now no longer generally viewed. A lot of them are more popular than the ones I’m keeping, but a lot of what I’m keeping are images that I like regardless, or that fit with everything else. It’s an evolving process.
A lot of them bring back memories and stories for me about where I was at the time. The people around me, my thought processes and feelings. They’re like little multi-dimensional slices of time that come to life again every time I look at them and it feels a little like erasing a legacy.
So, I’ll see you around the bubble sometime :)
PJ Ryan
What an incredibly poignant and well worded journal (eek, sound like i’m commenting on a piece) .. anyway, those first few paragraphs especially resonated with me. I’ve noticed the clique of work/artists/writers that causes a pattern in the ‘favourites’ of our overhead menus. Thankfully there are places for ‘featured’ work which allows for new interest and support too.
Also too, I relate to the ‘bubble’ of it all .. i’ve gained an incredible amount of growth whilst being a member here and enjoyed the broadening of my horizons artistically (both with my own work and being able to view so much other incredible work by artists and writers).
The social aspect has been wonderful.
More I could say about the remainder of your post .. but overall – I understand what you’re saying.
Wishing you every success and continued inspiration.
See you ‘round the bubble and beyond x
transmute replied
Thanks Nicole. I hope I’ll see you at an event in future. If there’s one thing I enjoy about RB the most, it’s getting to meet perfectly normal people like yourself with a great creative talent and insight.
Tania Rose
:)
transmute replied
:p!
Andrew Bosman
Holy snapping duck shit Batman… have you been in my head or something Chris? Your opening paragraph could have been stolen from the twisted mess that is my (fragile) mind!
See ya on the flip side fella…
transmute replied
We could be frakking twins Boz!
Danny
Yep, that first paragraph was like talking out loud to myself.
You were a great personality in your prime but you got out.
It’s just too hard to keep up the pace and stay on the site without becoming a total nutcase or parody of yourself.
Your timing was always good.
Hell’ just for the sake of it, I’d like to throw in a random swear word (if you don’t mind :) )
cuntflaps.
Keep a presence please.
transmute replied
Hey Danny, I’d like to think my prime is yet to come! This place has certainly changed a lot, and there aren’t the personalities here there used to be, or they just don’t roam as free as they used to. It’s kind of like the romance is over and it’s down to fighting over the remote and who takes the rubbish out.
Musty meat curtains.
John Robb
Indeed Chris you touch on some very salient points there. I used to think of the bubble as a flowing stream in which you have to wade carefully to make your mark. These days it’s a raging torrent in which a few are over recognised, a few keep up and a lot just make up the mass of mediocrity in which we are washed away in. Amongst all this the early great work is lost – including yours.
transmute replied
Hey John, I think there’s certainly still some good work and people here. But you’re right, they do get lost. Also think there was a better sense of humour here at one stage too, and now there seems to be a lot of self righteousness rather than a sense of play. A lot of my early work though, when I look at it now, showed promise but was a bit lacking in the execution!
Melinda Kerr
Yep fair enough Chris. I have done hardly anything here because I started consulting to another site (as part of my day job). That day job ended by my decision last week. But in the time I was unable to participate here my lowly profile completely dropped off the radar. I guess that’s the way it goes and you can only expect to get stuff out if you have time to put stuff in. Anyway I enjoy watching your stuff and will look out for the TransMuteMan. On ya :)
transmute replied
Hey Mel. It’s disappointing to hear that you’ve dropped off the radar, because you were one of the people making a prominent contribution at the start. I also intend to push my profile a bit more on Ph.Art to see where it goes too.
LittleHelen
x :)
transmute replied
Nanna Hel ;)
Jan Piller
been there-done that.
transmute replied
What did you find when you got there Jan?
Jessica Tremp
a very true statement. Don’t go too far
transmute replied
You know where I am Tremplet :)
mstrace
Chris…that first paragraph, I simply couldn’t have put it better myself.
I eagerly await more on transmutephoto
transmute replied
Thanks mstrace. I’ll slowly be launching transmutephoto here and elsewhere soon…
Helen McLean
Cool-O, have fun re-arranging and re-organising. Just don’t let go of those parody treasures will you?
transmute replied
You mean this gold ?
They’re not for sale on my pf, and if I do remove them, there’ll be a journal post linking back to the glamaliscious Helen McLean :)
Heather Hartkamp
Message received loud and clear – could have sent it myself!!!!
transmute replied
Thanks Heather, must be something in the air!
Cathie Tranent
I shall be very interested to see what transmutephoto brings. I know where to find Chris when I need him!
Best of luck with your “commercial endeavors”
transmute replied
Yes Cathy, you know where I’m at. We’ll always have MoVida…
Caroline Gorka
Never met you, but can totally see where you are coming from …in fact, thinking along these lines only the other day.
Good luck with whatever you do :)
transmute
Thanks Caroline, I’m sure we may have met once at a bubble meet…
Caroline Gorka
Have we …where? Sorry, didn’t think we had..
Was I behaving myself ? hehe !
Jan Piller
I found everything was a little bit stale and I wanted a fresh salad – a new mix of wonderment. Still haven’t quite found it but I’m getting there.
Cathryn Swanson
Well said.
I met you once and it was a pleasure.
All the best to you Chris and transmutephoto’s.
transmute replied
Thanks Chanel, maybe we’ll see you at a another writer’s meet again…
Helen McLean
Yes, I meant those gold treasures! As long as they are somewhere in your profile, I’ll be happy!
najeroux
Just don’t go all the way and let them meet you in person. They lose all respect for you.
najeroux
transmute replied
Oh man, I feel used and dirty.
Mel Brackstone
What you said…
Mel Brackstone
I jsut realised I was out of range of the interwebs for a couple of days when you posted this, no wonder I missed it! I do agree with everything you say, and am glad you’ve decided to stay and consolidate. All relationships take work, even bubbly ones :)
transmute replied
Thanks Mel. I think it was really time for me to take stock of where I was at. A lot of images in my PF were not that technically proficient and were a hangover from the heady excitement of starting out here and getting the encouragement and validation to want to continue. And as my practice evolved I found myself less interested in that form of validation and becoming increasingly disengaged from the community feel.
Mel Brackstone
There’s no doubt the validation can be good for the ego, but we certainly do need to take stock and compete in the real world as well. As always, there’s a time where we have to disengage from all the backslapping and try to evolve into serious artists….I still keep coming back here though, cos I’ve made so many friends…and sometimes I need some ego boosting after being slapped down in the real world….lol! Good on ya though, as I said, glad you’re still around. Your work has always been exciting and different.