It's truly phenomenal. Used correctly, they're a good thing. They serve a purpose by instantly narrowing things down so you can zero in on something. But used incorrectly they can replace authentic critical thought. I think of you as a great painter and a great self promoter as well.
Some people think it's crass to be a self promoter.
But I say either you're doing it or someone else is doing it for you or to you, and doing it yourself lets you control it to some extent. If you're a musician, then the record company is in charge of helping create and disseminate your image. So you're technically not a self promoter, you're not crass. But let someone take things into their own hands and it makes people uncomfortable. I've had over 60 bands record songs about me.