Validation

So the other day I went and watched the movie Finding Vivian Maier.
Lemme see, I'm trying to remember the last time I paid retail and sat in a movie theatre.
Best that I can remember it was to see the first Spiderman movie with Tobey Maguire.
Boy, that was a while back!
Anyways, Vivian Maier was a nanny that took a lot of pictures, pictures that didn't get discovered until recently.
Read about her here.
Unfortunately, fame didn't come to her until after her death in 2009.
During her lifetime, she amassed, and amassed is an understatement, work that only now is beginning to be appreciated.
Apparently, she never showed and most of the people close to her never knew about the body of work she produced.
Of the pictures that I saw, let me just say that I really like her work.
I need to investigate further.
Also the other day, I got some nice comments on a couple of my pictures from a photographer whose work I follow and like.
I mention this because I really really like this persons work, and getting some cudos made me feel good about what I'm doing.
Validation.
Now I don't post up my pictures to get validation.
Okay, I'm lying.
If you, the reader, have been following along at home, then you know that happens a lot here.
Me lying I mean.
I tell myself that I'm only posting up to share, to be part of a community of sorts, and well, to get as many 'likes' as possible.
Okay, not really.
I mean I like the 'likes,' but deep down, I don't really care.
That might be a lie also, but I'm not sure yet.
Wait.
Here's some pictures:

Not related to anything this is about, but pictures are always nice, even if they are only test shots.
Anyways, getting comments back on my pictures means something, but I'm not sure they should, especially after watching that movie.
I mean Vivian Maier spent a lifetime taking pictures, really good pictures and she never shared them with anyone.
So what's the deal, banana peel?
Not sure.
Why I take pictures I mean.
For one thing, beyond Flickr and 500px, I have no intention of showing any work.
Not that I won't, it's just that I'm not.
More pictures:

So just why am I amassing this large collection of stuff?
Not sure.
I like taking pictures.
At the same time I'm not sure I can call it an extension of what I do as an 'artist.'
At the same time, I seek out that validation, just as I seek it out in my clay stuff.
I'm confused.
I sort of sit on the rift of yesterday and tomorrow.
I mean I grew up analog but at the same time embrace technology.
Would I be the same if not for social media and the need for validation it creates?
Would I be happy just to take my pictures and maybe share them with only family and friends?
Vivian Maier never shared her stuff with anyone!
Visual interlude:

Those pictures were taken with that 27 year old film by the way.
Not bad for some olden days film.
So anyways I'm thinking again about my motivations and why I do things.
Authenticity and all that good stuff.
If I'm only doing it to get recognized, then maybe my intentions are not pure.
In other words, I'm not creating images to just create images.
When I look through the viewfinder, what is motivating and influencing my eyeballs?
If I were to never share another photo again, would I still do it?
Only questions, no answers.
Then again any artist who says he only does it for himself is lying.
Me included.