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  <channel>
    <title>chimera's Journals on Buzznet</title>
    <description><![CDATA[happy to be above ground]]></description>
    <link>http://chimera.buzznet.com/user/journal/</link>
    <language>en-us</language>
		    <item>
	      <title><![CDATA[Is It Vanity, or Communication?]]></title>
	      <link>http://chimera.buzznet.com/user/journal/1422241/</link>
	      <description><![CDATA[I've read posts recently by people complaining that they are not getting comments or buzzes on their posts, but are seeing traffic, and saying something to the effect that if no one is paying attention enough to comment or buzz, why bother? And responding comments have run the gamut from saying one should post regardless of response, to "go ahead, quit if that's how you feel". 

Let's be honest, please. About the vanity factor: we all want attention and we love to get praise. I do. What would you think about someone who truly doesn't want either one? 

But there's more to it than vanity. This entire site is about communication. If you are being sincere, trying hard to reach out, express who you are and how you see the world, and yet feel like you are shouting into a void, of course you'll feel frustrated and wonder "why continue?"

So, I don't think anyone should feel guilty or less of an artist, or whatever, if it bothers you when it seems like your message isn't getting across, or even being heard in the first place, that's human. Read any artist's biography. It's a normal desire of social beings, actually. 

The real question is, are you expressing yourself well enough? There is no final answer to that kind of question, only a response: work at it as honestly as possible and keep asking yourself what is most important. what keeps striking you about this life as meaningful, what is special, who is special, and how to express that clearly and succinctly. And keep working.  What else is there? 

   "Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I'm going to take tomorrow." 

-Imogen Cunningham, "Interviews With Master Photographers : Minor White, Imogen Cunningham, Cornell Capa, Elliott Erwitt, Yousuf Karsh, Arnold Newman, Lord Snowdon, Brett Weston" by James Danziger]]></description>
		  		  <category>Buzznet</category>
	      <dc:creator>chimera</dc:creator>
	      <dc:date>2007-12-04T21:45:00Z</dc:date>
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