Move along please – nothing to see here.
We are so hooked on sensationalism – I for one am edging more toward invisibility as time goes by. Quite happy in my own skin and not wanting to be noticed is a lovely feeling. That egoic need for approval, gratification and acknowledgement blissfully melts away as I get older.
I have always preferred being a cog in the wheel, someone in the background.
What do you now notice you can do without that you couldn’t when younger?
The Pottering Artist 
There’s a girl on YouTube who calls herself an artist and a teacher, who has in the space of 9 months accumulated over 90,000 subscribers and gets about 10-15,000 views of every video she posts. She has been painting for 2 years total, and her work is basically colouring-in predrawn shapes. Not what you or I would call art. She has launched an Etsy shop, just last week, and she is selling downloads of her paintings for people to print out themselves, and she has cut and pasted together a “complete” guide to watercolour painting, also for people to download. She is getting loads and loads of sales. She’s massive on Instagram too. So I was curious and did a bit of research and it turns out her husband is a big fish in the world of social media marketing, and knows how to turn a mediocre YouTuber into a major influencer. Just saying, that the world is obviously by no means a level playing field and that a low profile is absolutely all I could ever hope to attain as I won’t go down that road at all. Xx
Hi Alison, just read your post – I know what you mean and I’m feeling the same way. I joke that I’m becoming a recluse or a hermit because I enjoy being out of sight nowadays. Probably just as well, as at my age I’m pretty much invisible to younger people anyway! I’m loving having my time all to myself. My recent exploits on Instagram and YouTube have shown me the depths of corruption which is out there among the famous YouTubers and the less famous are being forced into buying likes and followers in order to be seen. So much better to accept that we aren’t meant to be seen, and just carry on with our own tiny segment of the world. I hope you are keeping well, xxx
Diane (Antone)
Hi Diane – well I am pleased this chimed with you. It is fab isn’t it not having that need anymore. I have long said I would be happy to paint away under a rock as long as people would buy my courses and paintings and give me enough to live. Fame etc is not for me. Yes – and as you say – that awful effort of maybe buying lists – dreadful idea. People who are meant to find you will. I think it’s better to stay low and sincere and slow and calm and just do your thing – because – let’s face it – the earth can’t afford all our needs anymore.