I  admit I have a deep love of Hazel Dooney and Amanda Palmer both for the same reason*. They have both been labeled as aggressive and shameless self promoters. I won't get into my women's studies feminist rant on how wrong I think that negative label is when they are simply doing what men have done for ages. I wonder, and I'll wonder this out loud, why is it when men self promote its okay but when women do the same, it's aggressive, and seen negatively?

Female artists have to put food on the table and pay the bills just like their male counterparts.

What is aggressive self promotion?

When/why does it seem un-feminine?

Why do I care? Truth is I don't, its just a thing to think about, mull over a coffee.

The truth is I look up to Palmer for how she uses her blog and twitter to reach out to her fan base. I love how Dooney blogs about herself; things in her life. She's open, raw and amazing. I admit I dislike her large pieces and love her smaller works; her intimate little watercolors fill me with awe and emotion.

Dooney makes me wonder if I could, for a hanging, rent 3 or 4 rooms in a storage rental unit for a week set up and do a show. It's warehouse-y industrial, you could go big you could go small. You know what I mean? AFP makes me want to make more YouTube videos of me making art. 

Shameless, aggressive self promotion or are they simply documenting a process and big part of art?

*and it's not becuase they are both incredibly strong sexy women.

Even if you HATE their art you have to look at these 2 as prime examples of great promoters; shameless, aggressive or what have you. Also, if you don't like Dooney's commercial/gallery work check out her sketches and watercolors. Wonderfully sensitively colored images of internal struggle and lovely grainy coloration. She used the paper traditionally but for some non traditional subjects.

As for AFP if you hate her music you're going to hate her music, but check out her playing the UKE on youtube, great stuff.