Email Alert

One of the wonders of the Internet is that it has connected me to an art community that has become an important part of my creative life on so many levels. Over the years I have found myself reaching out to other artists online for many reasons -- some small (thanking somebody for leaving a comment on my blog), some big (inviting an artist to be a contributor in my books), and some in between (contacting the winner of a giveaway I have hosted). It still surprises me how challenging and frustrating this can sometimes be.

Click on five random blogs that you often visit and look to see how many of them provide easy access to an email address. On occasion it can quickly be found at the top of the blog or via a contact tab. Sometimes it is only listed within the profile. Once in a while it is deep within the sidebar. Every so often the artist asks that you leave a comment on a post to contact them. All too often, an email address is nowhere to be found.

It is obviously a personal and individual decision as to whether one posts their email address, allows for an alternate way of contact, or even wishes to potentially communicate with readers of their blog at all. It may not be your intention, but when no easy contact info is provided...the message is that you do not want to be contacted. Opportunities that might come your way may just in fact take a detour if you do not provide a relatively accessible way for people to contact you.

My thoughts here are not meant as a rant but rather as a friendly reminder of the power of connections when they are made...and the loss of possibilities when they are not.

Thoughts????