Introduction
In 2022, I held my first solo exhibition titled “Tateyama Nobu Exhibition,” which marked the true beginning of my career as a painter.
In the same year, I also started using social media (formerly Twitter) to share my work and actively promote my activities.
At that time, what mattered most was neither my background nor my technical skills as an artist.
The most important skill I gained during this period was the ability to promote myself—in other words, self-producing and self-branding skills.
The Reality of Having “Nothing” as an Artist
I had a certain level of confidence in my paintings.
At first, I truly believed that someone out there would resonate with my work, so I continued posting my artwork on social media.
However,
- Posting artwork alone brought little reaction
- Even adding explanations failed to reach people
These days turned into weeks, and then into months.
“No achievements,” “no recognition,” “no title.”
Looking back, it is no surprise that my posts received almost no response under these conditions.
When I looked around, I saw many others promoting their work just like me.
Some of them were gaining strong engagement, building loyal fans, selling their artwork at high prices, or even attracting attention from overseas.
“What is the difference between them and me?”
That question stayed with me.
What I Decided to Do
The days without any response were honestly tough.
“Maybe my art is not accepted by society.”
“Maybe I don’t have any talent.”
I often found myself sinking into these negative illusions.
At the same time, a strong sense of frustration grew inside me.
That frustration became the driving force behind my actions.
Among all the things I tried, three actions had the greatest impact.
- Imitating others
- Asking questions when I did not understand something
- Joining communities
Looking back now, I realize that my small sense of pride was actually blocking this shortcut.
Imitating Others
For someone who creates art, imitating others felt especially difficult.
I believed that originality and pursuing expressions unique to myself were the highest virtues.
However, learning from successful people and absorbing their strengths is not a bad thing at all.
Through experience, I learned that it is something we should actively do.
I carefully studied and imitated account names, profile descriptions, posting styles, and even how promotional images were designed.
Asking Others When I Didn’t Know
In today’s world, where the internet and AI are widespread, asking other people questions has become surprisingly difficult.
Most answers can be found simply by searching online.
Still, I set aside thoughts like:
“They might think I should look it up myself.”
“They might think I don’t even know something this basic.”
And gathered the courage to ask.
This decision brought two major benefits.
First, I gained not only answers to my questions, but also deeper insights based on the other person’s experiences and personal perspective.
Second, questions naturally led to communication and shared feelings, which shortened the distance between us.
This often developed into supportive relationships, friendships, or even long-term allies.
Joining Communities
On social media, it may appear that everyone is acting independently, but in reality, countless small groups and communities exist.
If compared to school life, they are like classmates, club members, or people who walk the same route home.
I realized that joining a community is one of the fastest ways for “someone unknown” to become “someone recognized.”
Simply sharing common ground can dramatically shorten the distance between people.
Belonging to communities where people shared similar experiences, concerns, and ways of thinking became a powerful asset for me.
The Nickname “Tateyama Nobu”
To be recognized and remembered within a community, a catchy and easy-to-call name is essential.
The nickname “Nobu” alone was not distinctive enough, and there are many people with the same name.
To make it instantly clear who I was and where I came from, I adopted the format “place × name” and began calling myself “Tateyama Nobu.”
“Tateyama” Became the Core of Everything
This naming choice brought many unexpected advantages.
- Uniqueness as someone active in Tateyama, a regional city rather than Tokyo
- A story that allows people to imagine my lifestyle
- From just a painter or ikebana artist to “a Tateyama-based painter” or “a Tateyama-based ikebana artist”
- While there are many artists, “artists from Tateyama” are limited
- Simpler introductions—saying “I’m Tateyama Nobu” instead of listing multiple titles
Over time, “Tateyama” became the central axis of all my activities.
What I Want to Do Going Forward
Local activities and online activities.
As these two axes began to intersect, they naturally expanded into various projects and professional opportunities.
Moving forward, I want to continue living and working in Tateyama while sharing my life and activities nationwide through social media.
By connecting online communities with local communities through the context of art, I hope to turn regional challenges into positive energy and help create a more enjoyable future.
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