Owning it isn't always easy...

SO...sometimes we have crazy ass ideas..it's a good thing to do and think later. Artists can make amazing work but if nobody sees it or 'validates' it you can feel like you don't exist. Most of us don't do PR we haven't made the money yet to pay for it but we do know how to think of ideas.

I wanted to talk to people about my ideas i wanted to invite people to be part of an artwork but i don't have a gallery remotely interested or aware of my existence so i had to rethink.

I had been posting 'confessions' on facebook. They were things the world didn't know about me but most importantly i had control over what i wanted to share. Small or big the confess idea was liberating and fun.....it couldn't be the gallery installation i imagined so i set up a facebook group.

Girly Confessions (GC) was born! I invited my girlfriends and asked them to invite theirs. I created my installation as a facebook group...why not?..it meant it could be accessible to many. My only stipulation was that you 'buy into' the ethos of no shaming , bitching, judging or nasties..share whatever you want but own it and let others own theirs whether you agree or not. Despit the risk only a few have been nasty and i have had to step in....i don't believe in censorship but i have a responsibility to those that joined...theres a big difference between ridicule/ bullying and opinion.

Fast forward 2 months and we are nearly 5000 strong. Its been a steep learning curve, it was decided early on to be a female only space and i am amazed by the wonderful things that people share.Some are empowered , some go crazy,some need support some like to read and learn but imagine what we can do when we can learn to coexist in a space like this.

I've always tried to be a nice person but its shocking how well we have been groomed by the media to react in such a negative way to other women. It's hard when you don't agree with someone or someone posts something you just don't get but hey thats the penny drop moment ...it's my problem not theirs. Opinions can differ but how you respond is your choice...it takes a bit more effort to interact this way with people you don't know but it's much more productive and enjoyable.

I'm learning alot and sharing my work and ideas and i have opportunity to learn as i do and this is PR...

The group is an artwork but it has become so much more...i made some GC 'confess' badges(so you can spot another member) but thats as far as i want to go..there has been talk of books etc but i want the group to be what it is.

It's hard to know where the group and my work meet and end but i've made a line between website/artwork and group...the group is stand alone but i can share my ideas....but so can anyone else.I'm owning my GIRL SHIT and others are owning theirs....importantly we are learning how to let others own theirs too.

Ideas are the currency of artists, unfortunately on the whole we aren't super good at turning them into cash. Some ideas are too important to be about money but lets face it like any functioning addict money will pay for the next idea or creative fix....guess thats where we come back to the need for validation and PR....it's a viscious circle....