Art Before Web

Today I finally find time to be in my studio. My head spinning with lists of things "to do". I sit down to my computer, check my email and start maintaining my many web portfolios. I have accounts with myartspace.com, myspace.com, talentdatabase.com, The Irving Sandler Artist File Online, creativehub.com, linkedin.com, I have a store on etsy.com, and I just created an account for something called twitter (I only joined this to try to figure out what it is but I really never figured it out...). I think that is it. I have a friends who bugs me to convert to Face Book and some woman emailed me to join some online art community called Meseon.
How much time have I spent creating and maintaining these accounts, uploading my user profile, and figuring out how to navigate my way through each site?
I am not sure that much benefit has come from most of these sites, except some entertainment.
I do spend time surfing valuable sites that notify me of competitions, grants and other opportunities to show my work. Most applications are done online as well. I find myself avoiding entries that involve mailing information, weather it be on CD or slides (they still use slides!!!). Callforentry.org is a great site to find out about many art opportunities and apply for them all on the same site.
Even though I have more important work to do today, I procrastinate by blogging and updating my online portfolios. I tell myself that I am still doing work.
So what was the life of an artist like before the internet?
With that last thought I leave you with a portrait I recently did of my husband Scott. This Portrait depicts a typical evening at our house. Scott comes home from the office but still has work to do, so instead of painting him playing guitar, as I had originally intended, I get him working on our laptop.