Online Hero "Find Your Social Media Power"

None of us have a lot of time to harmonize our online efforts in self promotion. This Introduction to Social Media is a 2 hour workshop focusing on integrating your online content for smooth and time saving presentations offered to the world. I can address your specific needs.

Whether you're a visual artist or musician or have products or services to sell, the point of it all is to continually engage your audience and keep them looking your way. We offer up content, whether it's yours or someone else's and eventually they trust you in your area of expertise.

Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn
YouTube and other video sites
Flikr & Picasa
Blogs
PayPal
& how they all work together efficiently.

You won't be disappointed and I won't boggle your mind. Additionally, if you take my class, I won't mind answering questions for you in the future.
BRING A LAPTOP to connect to our wireless signal.

$49 (private 2 hour session is being offered RIGHT NOW for the same price as the classroom rate. So book your class with me soon before the price goes up.)

Set your own appointment, any time of the week!!

*Respond to chadsorg@gmail.com with questions or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/artistsorg or 775-391-6022

To make advance payment for class, click the 'donate' button at the top of the right column.

From Artist To Social Media Consultant: Who is Sorg?


A brief word about my credentials seems appropriate here. I'm an artist but I'm also a marketing fanatic. How did this come about?

As an artist, I quickly learned to build an audience. I've owned a couple art galleries and promoted hundreds of art shows for my own work as well as the work of others. I realized that all the work put in needs to be seen to be appreciated–otherwise, we're wasting our time.

• Co-founded NadaDada Motel. In its 5th year, this art-in-motel-rooms exhibition has been featured in countless articles and blog stories, as well as a feature story in the New York Times and also on the San Francisco Museum of Art's blog.
• Lives in public display windows to blog about it and engage a daily audience
• At one time, managed over 30 fanpages with thousands of fans
• Blogged a live telethon for the SPCA and saw a 300% gain in viewership thru integrated social media promotion
• Created promotional videos and maintained a Facebook fanpage for Voters For Sensible Growth

I've taught art to at-risk youth. I've taught digital photography and editing at the Nevada Museum of Art. I taught Flash animation at Truckee Meadows Community College and I've consulted businesses and private individuals with social media solutions.

Social Media hasn't replaced advertising yet but has merged the profession with public relations with a do-it-yourself twist. We must maintain our presence and continue to present relevant and captivating content for our friends and fans. All eyes on us!


The Story of Brahma and This Illusion that is Maya

There is an old story from India about the God, Brahma, who was all alone. Nothing existed but Brahma, and he was completely bored. Brahma decided to play a game, but there was no one to play the game with. So he created a beautiful goddess, Maya, just for the purpose of having fun. Once Maya existed and Brahma told her  the purpose of her existence, she said, "Okay, let's play the most wonderful game, but you have to do what I tell you to do." Brahma agreed, and following Maya's instructions, he created the whole universe. Brahma created the sun and the stars, the moon and the planets. Then he created life on earth: the animals, the oceans, the atmosphere, everything.

Maya said, "How beautiful is this world of illusion you created. Now I want you to create a kind of animal that is so intelligent and aware that it can appreciate your creation." Finally Brahma created humans, and after he finished the creation, he asked Maya when the game was going to start.

"We will start right now," she said. She took Brahma and cut him into thousands of teeny, tiny pieces. She put a piece inside every human and said, "Now the game begins! I am going to make you forget what you are, and you are going to try to find yourself!" Maya created the Dream, and still, even today, Brahma is trying to remember who he is. Brahma is there inside you, and Maya is stopping you from remembering what you are.

-from the book Mastery of Love

Vid: Some Kind of Record

Here's one I made during a lonely time in my life. I was on the road installing art shows across Nevada. I planned on moving way out into the desert and getting away from everybody to be with my thoughts. The song is by Leonard Cohen, sung by Tori Amos. Famous Blue Raincoat.

Vid: A Nude of Sorg and Some Art Talk, 2009


Filmed in early 2009, mostly at an exhibition of Candace Nicol's work. I modeled nude for her and also we talk with an art professor about Relational Art comparing that to what ArtistFishbowl does. It's a kind of funny video with some art talk.

Reno Artists Unite!

The art scene in our city has grown with enthusiasm. Many people are working in different facets to build something here in Reno. A lot of time is being volunteered to give something back. With perseverance we've accomplished something.

Quite a few new galleries have opened and other organizations are still operating with a wide variety of venues for artists to show their work. We have a few publications that talk about our local artists, but it's never enough. More words, more pride!

Pride in being a part of this grassroots movement here should touch everyone involved. If we yell loud enough, the country will hear us and we'll start seeing articles in magazines talking about what our unique little city is doing in art. We're serious and soon they'll know it. Organization within our local community will give us a louder voice and soon our town will be the envy of bigger towns that just can't get it together.

There's a warm dialogue starting to brew here between artists and friends of the arts. Differing opinions and ideas are starting to bubble up and we're seeing it in the arts.

Historically a wide variety of philosophies have stemmed from the arts setting propaganda and political machines in motion. It has also calmed our collective nerves and shown the serenity that mankind can in itself find. Art is philosophy and it is change, mental states made physical. Art is never what you think it is, all the stereotypes are wrong and anything drab and boring is not art, it's commerce, so read between the lines and see art for what it is. See the freedom of mind and lack of boundaries art holds; an inspiration that doesn't leave a person's head easily. It is a direct way to show another person some aspect of how you feel and it's done outside the normal paths of communication.

Art is anything you make of it.

Lets keep this open dialogue going here in Reno. Its building, and with patience we will see our future blossom as an art center with something unique to offer.

Speaking Vs. Writing -Which Art to Choose?

Hitler said that no leader was ever born through writing but only by speaking. This makes a lot of sense to me as my own natural inclination is to stick to writing and I've never wanted to be a leader– that's just me and I'm pretty happy to be able to contrast that dude.

We've all seen his speeches where he's spitting into the mike with that tacky hairdo flailing every which way. His writing is actually very lucid but no action was gained by such calmly received communication. He became a speaker.

It's probably an obvious declaration to say that the only way to power is through the self. Jesus said the way to God is through me. My impression of that soundbite is that he wanted us all to repeat this.. "The way to God is through me."

Compare this to the Buddha's words, "Do not simply believe what I say, you must find your own path to enlightenment." Yes, they were both speakers, but they were also both very conscious of the fact that the vast majority of their audience would never hear their voices but would only read their words.

Similarly, the black dude with the air filter for eyes from Star Trek's Next Generation (Jordie, a.k.a. LeVar Burton) said, in his later role as host on PBS's Reading Rainbow, "...But you don't have to take my word for it..." His daily suggestion was that kids should read it for themselves.

I like this medium, writing. It's the softer art of persuasion... there is something unforced about the written word, we lead ourselves to water. We feel the joy of discovery upon reading a book that strikes a chord with us; it's not common for people to blindly worship a good writer as it is with an impassioned speaker. We actively read; we passively listen.

By reading a book, the writer is asking you to participate in what he's saying and then let it gel. A speaker wants you to passively accept what he's saying and then act on your emotions. Conveying big, impressive emotion and physical energy can sway a crowd's actions in a way that might simply be too powerful.. maybe even unfair. It's an overtaking of the senses and we get crowd psychology or worse yet, riots.

I don't think I'm arguing against the use of speech, it's just that the vehicle of reading/writing is a more private way of discovering what "I" think. This seems to align with my perception of team sports–not a big fan. I'm not a follower. Guess that makes me a solitary loner type; I prefer to learn by books, not through teachers–but that's me. That's my personal learning style.

I've never heard of a good book directly causing a riot, but then we don't read books in groups do we? Cozying up to a good book burning, though, might easily turn into a riot and now we're back in Hitler territory, group speak, riot mentality.

I'm with Jesus,the Buddha and LeVar, but Hitler!? c'mon man! I'll lead myself, thank you very much! I've read a lot of contrasting arguments and now I've got an accumulation of my own beliefs. I'm discovering myself along the way and there's been no shouting involved–or spitting. Ironically my education has been very actively formed. Like I said, I'm discovering myself.

I think I'm an anarchist, not a socialist and I'm not a communist. I believe in self-empowerment; I trust someone who flatly tells me they want it all. Undoubtedly, they're not lying or deceiving. Charity is the least transparent profession there is and countless times history has taught us that that's where the villains hide–behind their gifts.

I'm kinda' fascinated by Hitler, the power he gained is, to say the least, astounding. It was certainly a dangerous path for his people to follow. I guess the tragedy is that people passively sat back and accepted his gifts and let HIM be the passionate one. They gave up their own power to trust this powerful speaker and they were led down the darkest path in history. All the while they took the bait and sucked from his golden spoon.

Maybe I'm getting off track as far as the original subject of writing/speaking is concerned and maybe I'm getting too wrapped up in words–semantics, but I think I'm on to something here. Then again... don't take my word for it...

A NadaDada Ramble Not a Rant From 2008 (Historical Document)

I stumbled across something I wrote on Tumblr about our massively successful art event. Did you know we'll have a Wikipedia page up soon? Did you know there was a feature story with many pics about us in the New York Times? That article was June, 22nd, 2009

Click here for the Tumblr Post about NadaDada's evolution

How to Measure Your Brand's Online Influence

Inc.com's article talks about issues that all of us online need to understand and explore. How popular are you, really?

4 Forms of Government in the Form of Galleries

PRIVATE, for-profit galleries exemplify Capitalism. That one is easy, you make it, they sell it and CASH is earned. Dollar bill is the bottom line, that is unless the gallery is run by a trust fund baby or is a tax right off. And the tax right off still just brings the dollars.

NON-PROFIT galleries are more like socialism, plugging in to the pool of tax money in order to serve the public. Socialism, in my mind, is where things are paid for from a collective of money that the government collects and redistributes in the form of services for the people. It's art that doesn't sell easily so tax-payers and corporate donors sponsor to have it shown to the people in order to broaden their horizons. Feed the people's minds, and pay for it with their own taxes. (hope everyone likes it!)

Now a CO-OP(perative) gallery is communism. People taking equal ownership (or no ownership) and working together equally [in an ideal situation] for a common goal. But allow me to also point out that all of these entities are actually operating in a capitalist world so none of these examples are purely defined by the political models I'm using, it's just a reference to show how these diverse types of galleries operate.

NadaDada Motel is a type of gallery situation closer to Anarchy. Pooling personal resourses together to work for a goal but not assuming too large of a group. It all hinges on personal agreements–face to face, old fashioned TALKING. Overall we hope it engulfs the whole town and spreads & spreads, but as we've been pointing out continually, we are not an organization. There's no over-arching governing body to tell you what you can & can't do. If you operate in a group, agreements are made of how to conduct things but the group beside yours may not do it the same, and isn't that o.k? We're all still working toward the same thing, which in OUR case is showcasing Reno's creativity that we have right here in our lil' town.

I personally want the world to know that what we have here in Reno is special. I've seen enough to know, I've been around and I know enough artists and creative types here in town to be impressed. And besides, I'm trying to make it as an artist myself and that doesn't mean I have to compete with other artists around me. It means I should work with them–beside them and sometimes even FOR them.

"This Side of Paradise" Justin McMahon live original song


Here's our man, Justin McMahon. Tomorrow nite is NadaNite and we're proud to feature this singer songwriter. He starts at 9pm, NadaTalk starts at 8. Hope to see you there. Bring your curiosity and an empty stomach. No cover.

pic: I bet this party was awesome..

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CXbBSEf_V48G88n6zLagbg?feat=directlink

Tech Tuesday, Last Night @ Studio on 4th

A big screen behind me, I was mic'ed and talking about the evolution of the Artist Fishbowl project. I fear that last night I got into the philosophies found in the Fishbowl a bit too much, maybe not. My desire was to explain myself and share the fact that I've got a certain aesthetic orientation that involves all the behind the scenes shit. I want my audience to know what the creative journey feels like. As I'm making videos and typing, I'm sharing my wares with the world almost as they're being made.

I remember talking about my loose structure to this talk wanted to reflect the way I do things in my online art. I'm impulsive and conscious of the performance I need to put on. Being up to the moment is very important to me.

A handful of videos were played in the middle section of the night. I focused on showing the more artsy ones that are hyper-edited and jaunty. Sharing the oddity and humor, I thought, would bring a bit more entertainment into the presentation.

I remember talking about why this is art, or how I see it as art, giving the explanation right at the beginning of how I obsess about the online experience, especially Facebook, and letting oneself to be obsessive is the simplist definition of art, to me. Toward the end we talked about integrating Facebook, YouTube, uStream, Twitter.

I think I was funny once in awhile, I know the videos are funny some times. There were a lot of questions specific to Facebook and using it to showcase ones' work.

This blog post is thrown together, I should be ashamed.

Maintain Consistency, Even if that means Inconsistency