The internet continues to provide new ways to better communicate with your customers and prospects. The recent interest in web logs, or "blogs" for short, is one of those new ways that has grown rapidly in popularity. Essentially a 'blog' is an online and interactive diary, which can post images, links and feedback from readers.

MyArtClub.Com is delighted to announce the Artist Blog feature is now available for our artist website users. Your blog page allows you to express your comments and include your images in context with your diary comments or to post other 'object files' (see the MyArtClub.Com webmaster blog for details on objects). Your blog page shows your comments for the current month and archives your past entries by month. The blog page allows readers to send their comments or responses to the artist blogger. The artist receives all the comments privately and can decide whether or not to post the comments on their site.

The artist's blog is linked from the artist site and MyArtClub.Com features links to artist's blog pages with current entries from the right hand column on the MyArtClub.Com main home page. Several artists' entries have sprung up quickly, so please have a look and post your comments back to the artist or dive in and create your own "blog" page. Recently artist Robert Genn (who has been offering a weblog for years) gathered feedback from many mostly positive artists about their experiences and comments on blogging. Here is a paraphrased sampling, much more detailed comments can be read at www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/blog.asp:

Artist blogs help artists to: "share human experiences; evoke responses; be creative; get it all out; connect with a brotherhood of artists and art lovers; make a difference; let art buyers, collectors and appreciators know how and why artists feel about their work; join a forum to meet, discuss, argue, critique work and support each other; get feedback and better understand clients and others; answer the many questions collectors have and make that artist-to-collector connection; be more available to followers and gain support while isolated".

To start your own blog, log in to your member pages, use the right-hand box titled "Artist Options" and click on the word "Blog". On the next screen, titled Update Artist Page Options, set the second option to "1" and press the update button at the bottom of the page. Now on your main menu page a new option appears titled "Maintain your Artist Blog Pages."

We look forward to seeing you online!

First published in the My Art News Letter #16 (June 2006).