Armitage spoke about the ups and downs of going digital, warning that you can never expect instant results when using social media, and that you have to be willing to invest time and effort into building a name for yourself online.
‘Digital enables you to promote yourself and your work to an audience, connect with fellow artists and collaborate effectively and organise your time and space,’ he said, adding that your online presence translates to credibility in the real world.
‘Online is absolutely essential – if you google my name and nothing comes up in your search results, chances are you won’t think I’m credible and you won’t come to my talks.’
Establishing your name online, whether through blogging, showcasing your portfolio on Zealous or posting on social media, can bring a physical audience to your offline work and even increase the value of your work.
‘The more you talk about your work online, the more valuable it becomes,’ he explained. ‘The minute you get published in a big newspaper, you can raise your prices because people have the perception that your work is more valuable.’