✍️ The newsletter: Feedback for Conservators #1
Your Professional Social Media Presence and your Why
This newsletter project comes from the Initiative Feedback for Conservators: a place to bring a little bit of professional feedback to help on subjects that I wish I knew more about, especially (but not only) at the start of my art conservator career. Topics discussed here are recurrent ones that I see over Zoom sessions! so I thought would be useful to address them in a short and more informal video format. In between, shorter posts with a digital free tool will be discussed. New publications will be out twice a month, for a year.
And just as a reminder: this is not a perfect newsletter and doesn’t intend to, but rather a space to offer some help. Read here past newsletters. And as aaaalways, some disclamers1
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✨Your professional online presence and your Why
(Written version below)
In a world massified with channels to communicate, as an art conservator, everyone struggles with it. One of the main struggles is where and how to be professionally present online: Facebook? Instagram? LinkedIn? Website? Podcast? all? none?
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To me, before going on the how, there is another question, the Why:
Why did you/want to join X Social Media platform as an art conservator?
When I ask it on Zoom, most colleagues do not know exactly how to answer. They have a sort of half answer but not a clear one.
And this is the problem. You should know exactly why are you professionally in a digital platform. Because, here is the thing: 1. regardless if you know or do not know your “Why”, chances are you are going to spend time there (Social Media is designed with this purpose) and you do not want to waste your time, + 2. unless you do not tackle first the “Why”, you can not move to the “How” and to the “it is paying off?” parts.
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So again, what is exactly your “Why” to be there?
► Let’s start by saying that do not have to be in all of them. These channels have to be a tool that serves you, not the other way around. Maybe if you’re a private conservator you find it useful to have an online portfolio to show to your clients, but if you work for a museum or you just started your career and work for others, no. So stop stressing about where others are/have and you not.
► But… you can have more than one “why” to be in a platform. Simple right? but It happens often that colleagues use only a platform for a specific purpose, rather than taking full advantage of the possibilities that can offer (contact clients AND educate the public, show your portfolio AND stay in contact with your colleagues).
► Finally: your why/purpose can change over time (like your life goals or interests) and it is FINE. When I started I only used LinkedIn to connect with colleagues that I met abroad and to be updated on news on the field, so I kept my LinkedIn private. Over time the purpose changed. I now love to share thoughts and personal projects, so now is open. Attention, I am not saying that everything has to have a working goal (it can be for your amusement), but you should clearly know that this is the purpose.
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Let’s get practical
Some great examples of how to use a platform for different work purposes and know very well your “why”.
Bainbridge Conservation (UK) run by Abigail Bainbridge and Tristram Bainbridge, uses mainly to highlight their day-to-day inside their studio (special mention to their Stories on the making-off of their new studio. Addictive).
In Frames Conservation Studio (Poland) run by Magdalena Wsół uses it mainly to educate the public and clients on the work that an art conservator carries out.
Atelier Kopal (France) run by Nelly Koeing and Marine Prevet uses it as a good mix between work details and a synthetic portfolio.
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🎧👌 Podcast
The C Word. The Conservators’ Podcast (UK) by (mainly) Jenny Mathiasson and Kloe Rumsey use this platform to bring colleagues to discuss a range way of topics that touches our community.
The Private Project. An Art Conservation Podcast (USA) by Kesley Marino, use this platform to bring light to what looks like to be a private conservator with different guest conservators.
The ECPodcast (USA-The Netherlands) by Liz Hébert brings together emerging art conservators while discussing topics such as other conservation training programs.
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For the motivated
Here is the (not-so-simple) exercise that I mention in the video. What is your “why” for your professional presence on X platform?
for my professional amusement (yes, it is a valid “why”) •• discover other paths in the same field •• get to know the TOP professionals in your specialization •• be updated on certain news/publications/advertisements/job offers •• that people discover your profile/can see the work I do •• to be in contact with your colleagues •• to get clients •• to spread your academic publications •• to share with the community •• to support X / to help X, etc.
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That’s a warp for today. More in two weeks, see you then?
This is my personal opinion, which means also that I could be wrong! You do you✨. Also, let’s be cool and not share extracts without my consent.
Also, the work of Lucilla Ronai on YouTube, that I mention in the video, here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheConservationStarter (sorry I forgot to add it on the main text 🤦🏻♀️)
One thing I always stress about using digital platforms is to concentrate on the work, rather than yourself. Presenting yourself as the focus creates an aura of arrogance. Promote your work and your name will follow.