This is exactly the things I ask about my own work. I think social media has caused many artists to look outward and perform rather than asking the harder internal questions about their work. I journal often as I paint to try and flesh out the threads running through it all. I’ve been trying to find people who want to look deeper than the surface. I did a “demo” for an audience a few months ago and decided to do it differently. I treated it as though I was in my studio painting and narrated the thoughts I was having as I worked. It gave them a glimpse of a working artist rather than a typical demo. They loved it. I had one older gentleman, a retired judge, tell me that he never appreciated abstract art but after what I did, it made so much more sense to him. That it was more than just random paint thrown around. Now he seeks me out when he comes to our resident artists studios to chat about art. People want to know the process, the thoughts behind things, the whys. It’s still magical to them but it also brings understanding and deeper appreciation.