A CALLING CARD
I've come to understand that the business card is a thing of the past. Nobody (well, I do) carries a wallet any more, because these days you 'simply' pay with your phone. And those cards? They belong to a collection of dog-eared, creased bits of cardboard that get carried around in a trouser pocket or somewhere in a bag for a while and end up in the bin. So I'm told, anyway. Personally, I love business cards: something I can hold in my hand, beautifully designed, and often perfect as a bookmark or as a reminder of that phone call you still mean to make. But I'm hopelessly old-fashioned, as I discover when I start looking properly into visibility for your business, your concept, your name. Blughhh…
This weekend my sister told me she has the impression that I'm allergic to money, and that it looks as if I go out of my way to avoid coming into contact with the stuff. I was indignant, at first. I never set out to do everything I do for nothing. But after her laughter, and my brother-in-law's, it sank in that from the outside it looks rather different. Because you can only be found, and only sell something, once you're visible. That's where it all begins. Was I visible? Well. It turns out it could be a lot better.
Now, I know very few creative types who are any good at it: marketing, selling yourself, being commercial. We have entirely different things on our minds, sigh… But that's a bit daft, of course, because we can hardly live on fresh air and love alone. And anyone who thinks that writing a book or making an artwork isn't hard work, but a lovely bit of pottering about, a nice 'hobby' to pour your heart and soul into: that last part is true, but it's also a serious underestimation.
The discussion then leads us to the importance of art and culture, and the question of how far what I do belongs in that category. Does it add value for 'mankind' that I put my time into it? That's hard for me to judge when it comes to my own work, but not when it comes to art and culture in general. And it's a major theme in books and stories. We can be moved by art, by a book, by music. It's a language that goes deeper than what we normally exchange with one another. The language of the soul, as it's sometimes called.
And that gives it an important place, because wherever the soul resides, enrichment and expansion are needed too. We're practical creatures and we have no trouble filling our time. And yet behind all that lies a magical world where the senses work differently, where the sun is allowed to shine as well and the plants need water just as much. Together, that's what makes life interesting and liveable. That's my view.
Right. Back to practicalities. Visibility. People who speak another language can now find me too, and it's become a lot more fun to wander around my little digital world: a bit easier on the eye, more surprising and certainly more informative. And so my website has become my calling card.
Music
Beter af alleen
lyrics, music and vocals Xandra Dupper · guitar Johan Keus · recorded in a single take, March 2023