Open Discussion: Why Do You Hate Self-Promotion?

I hate the idea of promoting myself and I know I’m not alone. Self-promotion can feel — for lack of a better word — icky. Shilling your wares, begging for press, dancing for nickels – it can be rough.

But why is that?

What is it about being creative that makes us so squeamish about trying to make a buck (or at least get some attention) for our hard work? Shouldn’t we want to scream to the masses about this awesome thing that we just created? Shouldn’t we be proud? Shouldn’t we expect to be paid? Shouldn’t we expect oh so many pats on the back, virtual or otherwise? Maybe. But a lot of us don’t.

And why is that?

Does self-promotion make us feel like sell-outs? Does it make us feel cheesy? Does it make us feel like sleazeball salespeople? Does it make us feel like we’ve reduced our work to a simple product? Does selling art strangely erase this ambiguous “value” that we’ve placed on it? Are we too self-depreciating? Too awkward? Too insecure? Do we have too much integrity?

Let’s hear what you think. Does the above ring true for you? Do you loathe self-promotion? Do you refuse to take part in it? Or, on the flip side, have you mastered the art of selling art? Are you a self-promotion machine who has no qualms about making some dough for your precious, precious art?

Let us know (and discuss) in the comments below.

And for more on self-promotion click here.