All of my life I have been an artist - so, of course - I have the temperament.
Whenever I create a painting or a piece of writing I do so with the intent of making a statement.
After all, art should reflect the times we are living in.
The role of the artist is to teach and enlighten and inspire.
With the advent of the internet and its subsequent popularity - and the development of nifty multi-media-rich blog sites - a new canvas sprang forth which was perfect for my own talents.
For example, my flair for - design, graphics, and color - could be applied to craft an eye-catching aesthetically-pleasing web site that exalted my own sense of style.
Unlike a book that may take a year or two to publish - there is an immediacy to blog posts, too - which has widespread appeal.
When it comes to social and political issues, a blog is a great way to get the word out fast, to the multitudes.
During the process, hopefully, a blogger will be able to raise the consciousness.
Initially, folks were up-in-arms and raged about the legitimacy of blogging.
To some, bloggers who penned articles on hard news - the election, profiles on public figures, social ills, etc. - were somehow not legit.
Journalists early on complained that bloggers didn't have the professional training - and that their lack of ethical standards - tended to throw a wild card into the mix.
Then, as newspaper sales plummeted - and bloggers started to rustle up some clout on the Internet - the dailies sat up and took notice.
Today, most journalists with major newspapers, have blogs that are universally accepted.
Bloggers have not only risen above the adversity in media circles, but are often quoted today, as reliable sources.
I have found that the lowly masses - at times - still shake their heads, though.
If a blogger writes an informative well-researched tell-all piece - that happens to be controversial in nature - more often-than-not they get lambasted.
“Who do these bloggers think they are,” is the common lament heard across the land.
I pen my thoughts on the human condition - report on what I perceive all around me - and offer up a commentary on occasion.
I’m no different than a mainstream journalist who boasts a daily column in a high-profile publication.
When Andy Rooney spouts off on 60 minutes - no one questions his authority - or right to express his point of view.
Fox pundits hurl outrageous barbs (and half-truths) and no one bats an eye!
“Oh, that’s just Fox,” folks slyly wink.
Even the outlandish screaming headlines in the exploitative tabloids - grocery market fodder at the check-out line - are considered the norm (nothing to pooh pooh).
But, if a blogger does it?
The truth of the matter is that many get slammed.
I say, every forum has its merits and degrees of legitimacy.
So, I am no different than any other media outlet at the Tattler, in the final analysis.
I may take a pot shot at a store that rips people off, focus on a celebrity gaining notoriety, or toss a searing spotlight a news event that has taken the country by storm.
Or, simply muse on day-to-day events that touch people.
The Tattler's slogan is aptly titled: A Slice of Life.
As far as I am concerned, that's my job, my lot in life (as an artist).
Just recently I was thrilled to hear a major film director point out to an interviewer that in film school, his professor hammered into his students, that every human being has a story worth telling.
It is an artist’s duty to makes sense of it - and tell it from their unique point of view - he noted in so many words.
I agree wholeheartedly.
Daily, my dramas and light-hearted adventures, unfold on my blog.
Judging by the numbers (hits) quite a few people are either educated, entertained , or downright intrigued by what I have to say.
As a mainstream alternative, I do pretty well!
And, what of the critics?
If I am not your cup of tea, then surf on to the next site.
Good riddance!
Ultimately, the Tattler is geared toward sophisticated intelligent individuals, who have a keen sense about Literature, and the role that the artist plays in the modern day.
Now, if I could only get down to writing that Great Canadian Novel!
Carl Jung once said:"Art is a kind of innate drive that seizes a human being and makes him its instrument. To perform this difficult office it is sometimes necessary for him to sacrifice happiness and everything that makes life worth living for the ordinary human being."
