Hello and welcome to the first edition of Friday Interview. For anyone who is interested in knowing what this and Follow My Followers Thursdays are all about, I highly recommend you read my post Help Me Help You (A Steemian Initiative).
But in a nutshell, if you follow me, I make the promise to not follow you back. At least not by default. Instead, by helping me gain exposure I will share that exposure with you through such initiatives as FMF Thursdays where I will feature some of my followers’ articles/posts/blogs/whatevers that really stood out and should be shared with the rest of Steemit.
On top of that I will also select one follower a week to interview. That’s a WHOLE article just about you! Now when I decided to do Friday Interview, it took me all of 10 seconds to figure out which follower I wanted to interview first.
I spoke with her a few days ago and this is how our conversation went:
SP: Hi.
BTL: Hi there. Thanks for contacting me and of course the compliments about my art.
SP: My pleasure, naturally. So what can you tell us about
BTL:
SP: How did you choose the name
BTL: I had just finished reading The Velveteen Rabbit (again) and it struck me. I related the story to humanity, and how similar it is, at least in my experience.
SP: Why are you on Steemit and what do you hope to achieve on the platform?
BTL: I'm on Steemit because it was suggested by a Facebook friend. I hope to broaden my reach to not only potential customers, but also to connect with likeminded people and to relate to those who feel alone and hurting so they know they're not alone in their hurting. Be the change, etc. See, social media has drastically changed for the worse. There was a time before all these post blocking algorithms (installed to extract money from us small business owners, because platforms like Facebook see us as their competition - their words), when I used to sell 99% of everything I would post, either that same day or the next. It wasn't lucrative, but it was a living, you know? But since then, my sales have dropped about 90% because no one sees my social media posts. I'm trying new sites, like Steemit, to extend my reach. But it seems like they're all using algorithms that will block your content. We'll see what happens.
SP: In a reply to one of my comments on a post you made, you mentioned that you have a lot of word art pieces that you have not shared yet. Would you be willing to share one of them with us today and tell us the story behind it?
Gift of Love by
BTL: I have tons of art with antique text or maps on them. Here's a fun piece. Someone put out the challenge to create art on a beer bottle. So I did.
SP: What is your history in visual art and when did you find out that making art is what you wanted to do?
BTL: From the time I was about 3, I can remember doing art and I have been doing it ever since. This is my history. I've always known. No schools or training involved. I'm what the insider artists refer to as an "outsider."
SP: Where do you usually find inspiration for your creations?
BTL: In life. It's a constant pummelling of inspiration. Visuals, sounds, words, smells, emotions, everything. I see it all around. Especially in people not noticed by others. I see the stories, lives, and histories of invisible people. It's beautiful.
SP: Which one of your creations means the most to you and why?
BTL: Wow... I don't have just one. I've always said that my art is a process of taking what's inside, and placing it outside, on a surface. Canvas or wood or paper... pieces of my soul, still shots of my life. That said, I do love this one. I decided to keep it. It hangs over my bed. The whole idea behind it is very precious to me. I was inspired by the song No Rain by Blind Melon. It's one of my theme songs.
SP: What is the message you are trying to convey with your art?
BTL: There isn't one message or 'a message'. I think it's more me, relating to the world around me and having a response to my own personal situations. There's a lot of processing of emotions. I feel like I cannot relate to most of humanity, although I feel we have much more in common than not, so I express myself via my art. I always say, if music is the universal language, then art is the language of the heart.
SP: If anyone would like to buy your paintings, how can they do so?
BTL: That's easy. Just go to brokentoyland.com and click on SHOP. I post all my newest creations on my Facebook art page (also linked on my website), which has just under 4,200 likers. However, no one sees my posts anymore, thanks to Fascistbook. You can opt to 'get notified' of my posts if you want to follow me on FB. I have all the other social media sites, too. They're all on my website.
SP: What does the future hold for
BTL: I really don't know. But I have hope.
SP: So, not so long ago I used to make the worst videos on YouTube. I was wondering if you would humour me and give one of them a watch. It is barely 1 minute long and I would love to hear your artistic impressions on it. Do not be afraid to get creative with your answer.
BTL: First of all, they are NOT the worst videos in the world. They're great! Yes, the line drawings are simple. So what? You are able to capture so much more into them than just simple forms. I like them a lot. I think you should keep doing them. In fact, please keep doing them.
SP: That is very kind of you. I was expecting quite the roasting. Well, that about covers it. Thank you for doing this interview and I look forward to seeing what you create next. Bye.
BTL: It was a pleasure. Thank you for having me. Bye.
And that was my interview with
Thank and have a great weekend!
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