Sunday Morning Reading

One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday morning is to curl up on my couch and read the blogs of other artists. This morning, there’s not much in the queue. I opened up Feedly, and my only options are the ever prolific Hyperallergic and 99U. 

Then I felt a stab of regret. I’ve been writing less and less on my blog, some of which is for personal reasons. But can I complain when my fellow artists aren’t producing content to keep me sufficiently entertained?

I’m sure there’s less to read for another reason. After the debacle on the QuiltArt list in November, I took several blogs off my reading list. I also took them off my FaceBook friends list. I’m sure they didn’t even realize I was there. (Which is an unfortunate glimpse into the impersonal side of FaceBook, isn’t it?) I knew only too well who my bullies were — I had been reading their blogs. 

But I made a decision. One that I think each of us needs to make. Am I going to serve the light or the dark? My own situation aside, I’ve seen online bullying sprouting like Spring weeds on the Internet. It’s almost as if people feel that they can share what ever horrible thought that springs into their heads.

We all have our opinions, but as artists, we should support each other. There is not only one pie that we fight over — we make a bigger pie. And I choose to help other artists. I don’t have time for trolls. When I see them, I no longer look away — I confront them & tell them there is a better way. We can’t tolerate the behavior of bullies. We tell kids not to do it. Adults shouldn’t do it either.

Ranting aside, I have less to read. If you have any blogs to recommend of artists that share their creativity and positive energy with the world, please share.