The May Transformation

I've finished ONE painting this month. It's pictured below. It's 18x24" and is titled SACRED GEOMETRY. This a another mixed media piece. First I began painting, then I decided to collage it and attach hundreds of hand cut paper elements and finally, I drew geometric figures all over it. I spent an extraordinary amount of time with this piece while overthinking my direction forward creatively.  

Why did I only create ONE painting over the course of a month? If you've read my last post then you know I've been doing a lot of contemplating. I've had a lot on my mind and I posted some of that on my last Facebook post on May 9th, I've copied the post text below:

Hey you! You with the eyes reading (or skimming) these words, pixels displayed on a handheld, desktop or notebook device - you know who you are. Posted is my most recent unnamed creation still in progress. I’ll finish it soon.
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I’ve been busy doing things other than making art recently. Nicer weather means spending more time outdoors and doing a bit of spring cleaning, too. I’ve had plenty of time to think while doing other things, which can lead me down some rabbit holes mentally. When hyper focusing on my art, my mind is tethered zoning in on the process.

I’ve been contemplating whether or not I’ll continue posting here on Facebook. It seems like every time I post, I’m getting direct messages from multiple scammers. I’m sick of it.

This platform isn’t what it once was. If you want engagement, you should post daily. I’m not a prolific poster. I’m seeing a plethora of AI generated schlock in the form of pictures and video on a continual basis. And, I’m no fan of artists work being scrubbed and used to feed AI generation. Yep, Meta does this. I’m also not a fan of the fabrications, hate and general bullshit I see running rampant either. Meta officially shut down third-party fact-checking in the US on April 7, 2025. They have replaced it with a user-driven Community Notes system. If you’ve ever tried to contact Facebook for anything, you may realize that it probably won’t make a difference.

Another point of contention is that Meta allows scam advertising. They are apparently willing to take ad revenue without fact checking, too. I’ve seen many advertisements that claim to represent legit companies allegedly having “blowout” sales. When you click the link, the url doesn’t match the actual company - yet, the images used are literally taken from real company websites. I’ve seen some ads where a real site has been cloned onto a scam platform. Beware.

Over the years, I’ve made connections with some very cool people here, I certainly do appreciate the online friendships I’ve made (along with plenty of playful banter). I’ve enjoyed watching non-artists and artists grow. I’ve gained a few art collectors and made sales here, too. For all of the positives, I have gratitude.

Yes, I’ve been amused, amazed and ultimately disillusioned here. I’m feeling like it may be time for me to move on. I’m having a hard time justifying sticking with a platform that has turned into something I’m increasingly uncomfortable with. I know that change is inevitable, and I can see how Facebook has changed, what I didn’t realize is that maybe I’m changing, too.

I’ve got more thinking to do regarding this and hope to figure it all out soon. Meanwhile, have a lovely Mother’s Day weekend!

So that's it. If I post anything on Facebook going forward, it'll be a link to my journal here. At the very least I will test that idea out. <<< scratch THAT! >>> UPDATE: After reading Jim's comment below, I looked into it and I believe he's correct regarding the algorithm penalty regarding outside links - so, I'm done with Facebook.  Paying more attention to this website will be a good thing, and I realize that it'll be easier to keep things up to date if I work that way.

I believe I have finally figured out what direction my art is going in. I will let you in on the details in my next post.