What's Good About Twitter? Or, "What's Good About Twitter!"

Last Saturday, I got to teach a really fun art class to some terrific folks. (You can click here to read all about it.)

Half of the participants were women I've met on Twitter.

Yes. Really.

That is the power of Twitter.

Other class participants were a little surprised by this. One honestly said, "I don't really understand what Twitter is. I mean, what's good about Twitter?"

Great question!

I immediately jumped in with a description of Twitter as "Facebook on steroids." People mostly recoiled from this. What I mean by that is that what folks love about Facebook -- like the possibilities for connection, and the quick responsiveness of folks to each other -- is multiplied exponentially on Twitter.

My friends came up with lots of other really great answers. I'm listing them and others here (in no particular order) . . . so you, too, can find out what's good about Twitter.

Twitter saves people.

In the real sense, and in the metaphorical. People trapped and lost after disasters have tweeted their information and been found. And people like me, seeking connection in a positive, rapidly-responding venue, have found life-saving happiness in the "Twittersphere."

Twitter gives you access to people you never would have heard from otherwise.

Way back when, when I was little, you could write to your heroes and they would write you back. For instance, once I sent a hand-written script for a musical comedy sketch spoof of "The Godfather" to the Carol Burnett Show. Bless their hearts, they wrote me back. (And kindly . . . they said they could not accept solicitations from outside the show's own writers.)

Today: that's not happening. The world is too full. People are too busy. There is not that kind of responsiveness. Too much overwhelm.

But wait! When you are on Twitter, you can "follow" the tweets of people you admire. And you can even hit "reply" and write something back to them . . . and sometimes, they do respond :)

Twitter gives you even MORE access to people you never would have heard from otherwise.

Since getting on Twitter back in the spring, I have met there more people in Marin county than I have met in the previous eight years I've lived here. They are a raucous, kind, smart, active group of folk who support others' causes, activities, businesses, and who meet up with each other IRL ("in real life") individually and in groups ALL THE TIME. Seriously. Like, my calendar is completely full.

It's not just social connections, either. I have joined networking groups, which led to a weekly writers' group membership. I've been invited to participate in fairs where I've sold tons and tons of Bean Up The Nose Art products. I've received custom greeting card orders from people. Others on Twitter have visited my website and bought products there. I've learned about e-publishing and just got my first book up on Kindle.

Twitter offers you open, fast, amazing access to worlds of people you just would not meet "IRL."

Twitter provides amazing information-gathering opportunities.

This works in many, many ways.

Here is a for-instance. I'm a huge San Francisco Giants fan. I follow several sports broadcasting entities -- beat writers, radio stations, you name it. When I can't watch or listen to the game, I can look down at the Twitter stream on my iPhone and read the play-by-play tweets of these entities that are AT the game. As well as my fellow fans' commentaries.

The fast-breaking news you find on Twitter is phenomenal. My husband finally got tired of me telling him what just happened in the world. And joined Twitter himself.

Also, YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS!!! For instance, I have posted pictures of two versions of greeting cards I'm working on, and asked for feedback about which people prefer. Voila! Your own survey results. Or, need help finding just the right word for something? A restaurant in a new neighborhood? Anything?!?!?!? Post your questions, and get responses. And it's FREE.

(The largest response I've ever received to a question was a flurry of tweets giving me advice about whether I could wear flats, instead of heels, with my mother-of-the-groom dress when my son got married in June. Flats, thank goodness. And, of course, I tweeted pictures of the parties and reception.)

Twitter allows you to practice writing.

You've got 140 characters per tweet. What are you going to say there, and how? Are you going to be funny? Wise? Charming? Kind? What's it going to sound like? Want to practice your sarcasm? Tweets are a great training ground for writing. You need to choose your words carefully, because a) they are going out in public and b) you don't have much space. But because the shelf-life of tweets, and the possibility that people are going to actually be on Twitter seeing your tweets at the moment you post them is, after all, relatively small . . . you have the benefit of a sort of "What the hell!!!" sense of freedom to try stuff out. It's a great venue for experimentation and practice.

AND YOU HAVE AN AUDIENCE!

Such a revelation to writers and other artists who often toil away on their own, their work not necessarily reaching other humans. Twitter allows you to put it out there. Write a tweet. Post a photo on it. Post a link to a blog post or something else you want people to know about. Twitter is your friend. It's like a big old gate-keeper remover . . . you can get your stuff out there into the world of people-responding. And it feels heavenly.

Twitter allows you to "follow" your friends and family.

I find it delightful, hilarious, and life-affirming to read tweets about where my friends are having dinner. About my step-son's triumphs at the gym. About what NY Times article my husband finds interesting this morning. By logging on to Twitter, you get instantaneous snapshots -- sometimes literally, with photos included -- of where your peeps are, what they are doing, what kind of day they are having, what they are needing and hoping for, what makes them tick. Twitter provides a window into the lives of folks you love that you would not otherwise have. It is not spying. It is not intrusive. It is you getting to spot the little mini-journal observations of what your loved ones send out into the world. And it's a treasure.

* * * * * * *

If you'd like to follow ME on twitter, you can find me at @tamholland. Beware . . . I tweet A LOT. You can also find me marketing the new e-book "How To Start Making Your Art Your Business: 100 DIY Tips" at @100diytips. And I will follow you back!!!