I used to have a Facebook Artist page, but my very mixed and negative feelings toward Facebook and Social Media in general did not bode well for all the bragging it required. The page still exists, but I have not updated or posted on it in probably five years. I abandoned my page and all my social media, opting instead for the cold comfort of knowing that secretly inside me there was hidden talent, just waiting for its proper time for public expression. So recently, I noticed that that Artist Page had 87 views in one day. What the heck?!?! Normally, and especially due to its inactivity, it averages a view a month, if even that. I mean, who give a S*%T about me? Who was Googling my name and what caused this sudden uptick? I realized quickly that it was probably because I was applying to all these different writing opportunities and fellowships. I spent the pandemic writing as if my life depended on it--because it did! And now, I'm ready to share my writing with the world. But if people on these judging panels or committees are looking at this lame and totally unloved Facebook Artist page as a measure of what is going on in my creative life, it is pretty embarrassing. I decided it's time to stop squatting on my website domain--there is another Alison Minami in the U.S. and she seems to have a promising career for which she might want to buy a website with her very own name from a lesser known doppelganger at, of course, a very high price. But who has time to wait around for her? I knew I needed my own website ASAP. Now, I actually have built a website before, but that was years ago, and I'm about as tech-savvy as your grandma trying to work the VCR. Yeah, I said VCR because that's how old I am. I took that website down, again because of a fear and shame spiral. How dare I have my own website? It's a thing--fear of being seen. But I'm getting over it, largely due to self-work, mindset shifts, getting older, blablabla. The insecurity blanket can be so cozy, even when it hasn't been washed in years.
So this very first post serves as my re-entry into the public square as the real, the one and only (or one of two, which isn't that bad) Alison Minami. As well, it is a test. Just a test! I can't believe you read this far! Because I'm trying to teach myself how to build my own website on Wix, and I need to see how the layout will look when I make cool announcements about myself and all my achievements. Ugh! But also, YAY! My inner monologue: Get over it, get over yourself. Everyone has a website. You're not special. You're a professional.
Thanks for reading. Please come back again!
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