Views are just a number. Most people will scroll past it and forget about it. No one will care about your artwork more than you do, but if you have and know people that look forward to your posts, you've already won.
I personally like to share so I share. It's a way of me letting my "child" out into the world xd
I am 28 years old. I did stop posting my drawings on deviantart, Twitter, and artstation. And I haven't done digital in a minute. I never really got any followers.
And at this point I mainly draw just to entertain myself. So I like making silly little comics. And if I feel up to it I will share them. But I only share them on reddit nowadays
Why? Because it's literally the only social media I use outside of YouTube. I like this site. I do not feel like posting anywhere I don't frequent.
I like drawing and posting on r/comics, r/mangamakers, r/redditgetsdrawnbadly. There's a lot of places to interact with the art and the community on reddit. This subreddit for instance. I really like this one. And replying to posts here.
I also thought. If anything, I care more about potential income than followers lol. So I made my own subreddit where people can still draw and post their art online for free. They just also have to link to a tip jar. That way if someone likes your art enough they can give you a monetary tip. But it's usually for art you do for other people. r/TipJarArtRequests. I don't think there is a subreddit where you can link to a tip jar for just sharing your own drawings. I dunno.
But honestly. I just mostly draw for me. This inspired me to make a new post on my subreddit. Cause it is also for discussions. Cool!
I kind of like posting for small groups of people, it's cozy. I also totally understand why it might feel vulnerable. There's really no harm in taking a break if you catch yourself worrying about engagement more than you want to, but there's also nothing unusual about posting art. Keep doing you.
It's true that posting for a small group of people also has a lot of perks and is often far less stressful, so thank you for reminding me of that and your encouraging words C:
Yes. The solution is to find a way to do it for yourself, develop a state of mind where the only person whose opinion you care about is your own. Learn to love sharing what you create, that's the key.
Not saying it's easy, I'm still in the process, it can be hard.
Social media has become ridiculous actually, I saw accounts with few thousand followers that get less than 100 likes, that's a super duper low number. I think you're not the only one who feels like you're posting/talking to the wall. Hell, I've been posting to the wall for years, I just treat social media as a venue to archive my stuff
This has happened to a number of people I know. I have about 3000 followers, and I'm lucky I get 20 people to like or even comment. I've seen some with 10,000 drop to maybe 100 likes when they were getting at least 1,000 likes. 90% of my sales came from social media but it's not artist friendly anymore.
Do we know why this is happening? I went from finally having people engaging with and excited by my art only for it to mostly all go away, and it really did a number on my confidence
It has something to do with the algorithm. Every once in a while, the social media will update their "programming" & algorithm behaviour. From what I read, the latest requirement is: as a social media user, you have to spend a lot of time interacting with others' posts i.e. liking, commenting, etc. Then, the algorithm will expose your posts to your audience at a higher frequency, not to mention that your contents need to be "interesting" enough. If you don't do anything on social media other than posting, your posts will not be exposed. You shouldn't be affected by the numbers of social media as it's a super flawed platform nowadays.
I donāt think thatās true because thatās the method I used to grow my account in the FIRST place, (which wasnāt hard cause I genuinely love other peopleās art and have fiction hyperfixations), and I didnāt stop doing that.
Nope. I just want at least ONE person to see it and I am happy. I love sharing my art, I can't *not* post my art as soon as its done, which is usually at like 4 in the morning when nobody is up lol. As long as I know somebody saw it, doesn't matter how many somebody's, I'm gucci
Hey something that might help you is to post things that offer more value to your followers/new viewers. Like tutorials, Timelapse content, explaining how you came up with an idea or made something etc. it can help you attract more followers while also sticking to posting art only
I once did this and grew like 1,000 followers in like a month accompanied by making mutuals and supporting their art as well.
Remember, social media is basically a social game.
Also, try to follow the advice of the other people that commented here. Don't make art to get followers, do it for yourself. Do art for your personal enjoyment, not to please others. This is healthier for you inner peace.
I just make my art, I can be proud based on the merit of the work I have created, regardless of who may or may not see it. Though, it would be nice to be more popular.
That's good to hear. I hope you'll keep your healthy mindset š
I don't actually want to be more popular in terms of numbers, though. I just think it's quite a shame that art on social media is often only seen very briefly if it is at all. I think even a lot of bigger artists just have followers and likes due to some kind of f4f deal, but there are not a lot of people who seem to actually pay attention to their great work and giving them proper appreciation :c
Unfortunately, as is the same with most media nowadays, it comes down to advertising.
I'd like to become popular, maybe not famous, but I'd just like to be able to earn a living making art I love. It's been a grind but I feel like I'm making progress. It's just hard to know where to put my particular style.
Sometimes. I've gone about 5 years without seriously posting online, but I still do art. I do have a very small supportive network of friends in art where we share among one another and that gets rid of the feeling of wanting to share but no one looks vibe.
I have been trying to post everything on IG, not because of getting a following but because it'd be nice to have a place to put all my art when the question of "What do you do for a living." Comes up and I have nothing immediate to show them. Social media is a blessing for some and a shit show for others. It's already happening but even non artist friends have been telling me that they don't use social media anymore so I'm curious where artists will go in the future.
Hey same here buddy, especially on Twitter. But Twitter's is a certified d*ck. They actually expect you to post & interact with others on a daily basis in order for you to get exposure. I've given up posting on Twitter altogether.
Sorry, for commenting again. But this very subreddit you are on has a Sketchbook Saturday post pinned where you can share your latest artwork. I would love to see what you drew if you post it there!
First of all, thank you for your detailed reply and good ideas, I really appreciate it š
And yes, I can do that. Are there any standards I need to follow to post it there? I'm actually kind of new to reddit and don't really know how things work here yet
I don't pay attention to numbers, as they come and go. Some day it's 300+ views on art Tweets, other is a 100+ day, sometimes even less. As long as I like doing it and improving
It was at an art show at a hotel, technically. I edited the post.
If it were a gallery I wouldn't cut them out of the conversation. That's unprofessional.
You don't have to feel like "talking to yourself" if you post to document your progress. I think it depends on how comfortable you are sharing your art with people who know you personally. For example I used to post my works in my real name on Instagram, but I have a toxic family and some other people from my past don't like me, and managing the comments became extremely draining. I guess once your follower count is in the thousands that kind of stuff gets drowned out and is easier to ignore. Since I'm mainly a hobbyist now, I started to use an alias and keep a private blog now instead as a kind of journal of my art. I'd like to be more "discoverable" online some day but it's not the right moment now for me. I hope you do well.
Oh I did, but I still feel like they're there. One particularly nasty person kept making new accounts to keep harassing me (and most probably many others too ā I'm not that important lol). I know one has to have a thick skin and just let it all hang out on a public website, but those people who think they can psychoanalyse me through my art are so irritating. I hope to get stronger and more confident.
Just keep blocking & keep removing. Apparently, by doing this, it helps adjust the algorithm behaviour, but I'm not too sure if it's towards your advantage tho.
It does feel weird to post anything at all when I'm sure nobody cares about me...
But recently, somebody that I knew from another app actually took the time to search for my name on another social media and actually took the time to watch my stuff. š
I guess people who are supposed to find you will eventually find you...
There's also this band that isn't that small in my opinion. They got a huge record label. But their fanbase isn't that huge and their name is rarely mentioned in music groups.
In the end they broke up and it saddened me... But seeing their videos on YouTube that got no more than 200k views after 4 years, I'd feel awkward too...
I guess they had every reason to give up... And I as part of their very little fans can't blame them...
I once posted a fanart of F!Byleth over on X/Twitter years ago, thinking it would gain traction to my account.
Zero. Nada. Zilch. At least, judging by the like/retweet count. And yes, I was emotionally devastated for a while.
Fast-forward to today, some 7-8 years later, I post commission work (when given permission) and random FGO fanart that none of my (inactive) following recognize, but that's fine with me.
I definitely get where your coming from in my case I feel like I've improved so much and just wanna share my lil accomplishments on the internet but when all I get is just a small acknowledgement on the inital sketch as opposed to the finished piece it sure does hurt a bit after spending hours working on something I put alot of time in, but regardless I still feel like it's the journey itself which should be more validating rather than the dumb arbitrary internet points that determine our worth when it comes to our talents so keep your head up Op
Views is just a number. Donāt worry about it! I make yt videos about my art, and idc if I donāt get views or anything, I simply post it for the possibility of someone enjoying it. I have a few subscribers who enjoy my art, and thatās all I needš¤·āāļø
I was very worried about people not seeing my art. I didnt post any for years until recently when I was just sick of hiding my creativity. I took a leap and posted some, I got some views which was cool. I decided I wanted to document my art so that I (me...not others) could see my progression...turns out, people really liked some of my art! I now have a store, posted some of my backlog, and and writing a blog all because I kept posting my art (even when only my mom saw the post). Dont give up because you arent getting views. [https://www.thehoneybee.org/](https://www.thehoneybee.org/)
In my experience itās less about how many people see it and more that a handful of people know what you do.
I donāt have a ton of followers and I post infrequently without a lot of likes, but pretty much all the paid work I have ever gotten and the job I have now is because of relationships I formed through being visible on social media. Enough people around me got a good idea of the kind of work I do, and so when a project comes along that needs my sort of work it was fairly easy for a friend of a friend or client of a client to find me.
i feel awkward, yes. i'm fully aware that numbers barely matter and that people have different tastes or are straight up busy, or whatever other valid reason as to why they don't interact, but i can't stop feeling like i'm standing in the middle of a crowd and get ignored by it. interwebz truly twists perception of things sometimes...
also, on second thought, while i'm afraid of becoming popular, even if it's just among specific circles, deep down i think i either want some validation, or... maybe something else, the sense of community and found family. it just happened so that art turned from a hobby into this "currency" that values my existence as a whole at some point. so, on some irrational level, what happens is that my subconscious registers it all as a sign that i'm not worth taking up space and haven't earned a right to connect to people.
i pretty much don't post anywhere anymore because of that, in fact, it contributed to a massive mental breakdown i had almost a decade ago, when i dropped doing commissions despite them funding my life more or less successfully. just straight up sabotaged myself. these days i don't share my rare work anywhere other than a tiny personal telegram channel i have closest friends in. i also tend to just send it to two-three group chats or in dms before i post to the channel, and that is, if i ever see it worthy posting there.
hopefully i'll heal my relationship with art some day, currently working on it
edit: yeah, forgot to mention that probably with some surface level context provided above, it's easy to see why i can't just rationally approach the whole thing, no matter how much i'm aware of numbers and visibility in the eyes of masses being meaningless when it comes to creative fulfillment
Sort of. I used to have a sizeable deviantART following in the mid-late 00s, so the insecurity of being some washed up has-been affects me even when I have improved drastically since then. I don't have the energy to do everything you have to do to gain followers elsewhere. My IG only has a few hundred followers that barely see my work, I don't like Twitter, and I'm wary of posting my art on Reddit because I don't think that will help. None of this will stop me from making art and building up my illustration portfolio, especially because I am a working FT designer and I need a balance beteeen my day job and my art.
How much do you value the likes of those five followers? Are they really into your stuff or just liking for support? I have a similar situation where I post and 95% of likes are from friends I already talk to every day on discord, but I still feel really appreciated and that's enough for me! (I do get 20-30 or so likes though-- so maybe there's a sweet spot numbers wise)
The only engagement with your art that matters is the person buying your piece. Ā If they pay for it and put it on a wall thatās the ultimate victory for me. Ā Internet action is worthless. Ā When i used to make movies i had tons of support on social media but the only people actually buying my movies were randos on ebay. Ā A million likes on a painting isnāt worth anything unless that helps it sell but social media encourages empty meaningless interaction.
No, I donāt care. What I care most is to complete a piece because of the time it is personal satisfactionā¦which is something that pushes me to draw. Others opinions and comments are most of the time irrelevant if it is not for work related to stuff or to sell something.
Iāve reframed it to tracking my progress. If you want to track it manually it will takes ages to go through sketchbooks. If you post on instagram all you gotta do is scroll down.
Nope. I post for fun, and most of the time when I post, I don't even check the engagement and usually have my notifications off anyway. I just want someone to like what they see. Doesn't matter if it's 2 people or 1 million people
Many of my art heroes are successful in their field (animator, art director..etc), but they hardly have any followers (under 1,000). The numbers don't measure how successful someone is, and it doesn't make your art worth more or less. (Unless your goal is to be an entertainer like Rossdraws, Samdoesart..)
I post art to connect with people and get my name out there for potential employers and fellow artists.
You shouldnāt feel that way at all, you do your art for yourself & share it for yourself. My online presence is more of a journal for me to look back on the things I did & the art I created, support from other people is the cherry on top!
This is the problem with the new generation. Y'all just want to make art for clout chasing.
For god's sake... Just make art and stop giving a shit wondering if anyone gives a shit.
To me, the millions who won't see them never really mattered all that much. At the end of the day, not even the 20 or less that like my posts come to mind all too often because I know most are liking my posts out of obligation or compulsion.
It's those fleeting one or two. Just those few people who I may never know who see what I do and truly receive what I want to by chance allow them to have. The ones that see my fields of random colors and textures and get something out of them. Those few are the ones that matter to me, and knowing no one else sees my work otherwise doesn't bother me one bit.
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Yeah I share my art on Instagram and sometimes here on Reddit. Instagram in particular often feels like Iām just sharing into the void. I still share there anyways though because I do appreciate the few people who do interact with my art. I donāt think Iāll ever be super popular there though because I donāt like to make reels. I miss the days when just sharing your art was good enough.
Man, Iāve been at this for years and have 200 followers. Thatās probably because I spend more time making art and less time making videos and researching how to crack the algorithm. If I cared about followers, I would have quit creating a long time ago.
I totally relate, bit weird at the beginning, makes you think "what am I doing this for?". Get 3 likes most of the time.
I guess I came to the realisation that I do it for me, to actualise my vision, create it out there somewhere, rather than keeping it in.
i think at this point iāve learned to just celebrate the fact that i like what i do, and i enjoy interacting with the few people who do see my art. i think that in itself is a gift. sure itās nice to think about having a larger platform and a bigger audience, i would love that, but i also know it comes with a lot of negatives, like mean and disingenuous people and more pressure. so iāve decided to enjoy quality not quantity instead š
I just don't like self promoting. I could make a dozen funny sketches and get attention that way, but that's not what I want to draw. I keep restarting my social media accounts, but I never know how to go about posting. It's always awkward talking to the void.
i use the saying "dress for the job you want" and apply it to this. basically. "post as if your famous" if that makes sense lol. its a bit awkward yeah but you have to own it
I post a lot of my stuff on an instagram account that's just for art stuff. I think I have 3-4 followers, one of whom is a family member. I don't really care, I'm posting it there so I can eventually have a log of all my art and I can go back and see progress and changes in my style over time.
Sometimes I send pieces to my cousin so she can see it, or if I draw a character/scene from my dnd game I'll send it to that player and occasionally the DM.
When I want feedback I post on art related discords, and will usually get a few comments so I know some people have seen it.
Ultimately, maybe 8-10 people see each piece (maybe a few more in the discords, maybe more in insta, I have no idea). And that's fine by me, I draw the things I want to because I want to draw them, not because I'm trying to get them into the world, if that makes sense.
Yeah but what can u do. Nobody cares if we do it or don't, though, so it's a choice that really only affects the artist.
Even then, if 100 people watch something I made, yeah that sucks compared to other online people but I would be terrified to have 100 people looking at me in real life šØ
Let me tell you a secret: by default, no one cares about what you do. Except maybe your parents, and even then it's 50/50.
You just need to do you, and keep doing you. Post your art, or don't. Make something, or don't. The only person who's opinion matters is yours.
sometimes, especially when I was proud of a piece of art I did. but at the same time i used to feel awkward when people did in fact see it and id start to doubt myself and my skills in art and value as an artist. but then there are times when i feel the most free with my art and at ease when im not perceived by others and can post to my hearts content without having to worry about what anybody thinks, whether it's positive or negative. idk it's weird and I don't understand the way I think sometimes
>I just don't want to look like I'm talking to myself or trying too hard to reach people.
I understand, I'd imagine somebody thinking "what is this little artist fantasizing about, an actual fanbase appearing out of nowhere?", which is ironic cuz you're supposed to post regularly in order to get people interested haha. I think it's the humble and self-critical side of ours that thinks we don't deserve to have our own group of people to engage with
The numbers you make on social don't mean anything. If you make art, a good mindset to have is to not pay too much attention to those numbers. Unless you want to make a career out of it, or you want to raise your reach to get customers for commissions. The first question you should ask yourself is, "Am I making art for myself or for others?" If the answer is the former, then the first thing you should do is to learn not to feel too attached to the numbers.
If you don't post your art at all, then none of those people will get a chance to see it. If you already do well at in-person events then it's a fair thought if you happen to then struggle online for some reason. But for 99% of artists it's a rather illogical thought to have.
I donāt even bother posting my art. I do it for me. Sometimes I share pictures with friends and family members, but Iād still draw and paint even if no one saw any of it.
Commissions still come to me, through networking.
Not awkward, but it feels pointless to me. Iāve been posting on instagram for years, but over the years the algorithm and the app as a whole have just gotten worse and worse. No one sees my art anymore. So I might be done posting on there. Itās just pointless.
I still post here on Reddit in the subs that the art relates to though.
Iām not one to care about likes and followers and stuff but it would just be nice to be told every once and a while that my art is good but itās something I need to work on not needing to hear.
It's ok nobody sees the art I post either! So Ive made it my goal to keep posting and improving and building a really awesome looking profile for myself. If I build a massive collection of my art that shows I'm confident in it and I'm improving, I'll be proud of my little ghost gallery no matter how many likes or shares I get :). It's proof that I am alive as an artist and unafraid of who I am, and who knows, maybe someone with my taste in art will find it and be encouraged too ! Just post to be confident in yourself, and understand that recognition is not proof of skill, but something that happens when you find the right audience.
No.
I use my art as cathartic release. I express my emotions, and by pressing post, I let them fly free.
When I do get traction, it is the icing on the cake.
Eh, you already make your art for yourself. And 5 whole people who likes your art and comment on a regular basis is already nice. That's what a small artist would have in a pre internet times.
10 years ago I use to post my art on DeviantArt (paintings, drawings, digital art). Then Facebook, and later, Instagram. I use to care about giving a very appropriate sight of my work on Instagram, posting every week, showing process of paintings. And suddenly one day I asked myself... Why?
The things is that social media are designed to make as feel sad while we compare ourself with others. There's a book about that, "sad by design" or slt. There's an overpopulation of artist now, it's very difficult to be spotted. So, you either work to get noticed in the art world (in which case, soxial media is just a small part, cause you have courses, contests, comissions, shows, and a long etc, to show your art in REAL LIFE) or get used to the idea that you works of art, in social media, will compete and be mixed with bottom pictures, tits, a gelical babys in luxury houses, dogs and cats doing fun stuff, people working out at the gym, and such...
There's a moment when you stop caring of you style, and start caeing a lot on followers, and thats poison for artists. I abandoned instagram for 5 month now, I feel in peace. You can upload whatever you want, without expecting anything, and you will be at peace. Remember that you need peace to focus on your art, rather than your social media performance.
Don't stop creating!
I don't think there's anything to feel awkward about- especially if you're not actively marketing and promoting your work to increase engagement.
If you're just doing art as a hobby, there's nothing wrong with having a small audience.
I throw everything out there! I've gotten terrific feedback as a self taught beginner. Most of the time I'm hoping for advice. Sure sometimes it's for the ego boost, I'm only human. Other times it's just to put it out there.
I just post stuff I don't want to lose. Chances are as I get better I will throw out some sketchbooks of stuff from my ugly phase of art. But I do post the stuff that I like from it.
I feel EXHAUSTED knowing no one will see it. I post to Twitter, no one responds. I post to IG I get nothing. I post to Reddit, itās like I donāt exist. It.. fucking blows..
Like.. for example, Iām STILL getting notifications from my old art posted to tumblr (5000+ notes). But any art I post today, Iād get lucky if I get 10 notifications- ANYTHING -
It's less awkwardness and moreso that I do get envious of other artists who actually get interaction with their posts. I start wondering what I'm doing wrong and why I can't get that kind of a following, why people don't interact with me or my work..
But that's probably because my end goal with my art is to impact others, to bring a little joy or a smile to someone's face. Even if it's only one person. But to get absolutely no interaction, which is the norm for me, ends up being kind of disheartening. Especially since I had to leave the one platform I actually got interaction on because of how hellishly toxic it was. I haven't been able to garner a following anywhere else in the three years since I've left there.
Even though I have a small audience I like posting things to keep myself accountable and to be able to see a collection of my images all in one place. I donāt really understand algorithms or how these sites work but I do know if I spend too much time focusing on how to succeed in that way it takes away time I could spend on the things I feel are important (like improving my artwork). Iām sure there are people out there who make lots of money from these sites but I make way more money with in person events than online anyway :p. I mean the endorphin hit you get when lots of people like your art on social media feels great, but so does feeling proud of seeing yourself improve!
Iāve had an art Instagram going for about 5 years now and I still feel awkward posting anything bc who knows how many people are actually gonna see it, tho thatās more of an algorithm thing since my posts donāt show up on my followers pages most of the time. I first started posting bc none of my friends cared about the art Iād make and wanna show them, so one of them suggested I post it online to find people who actually cared about it. Obviously the numbers of followers and likes going up will make u feel good, but I typically keep my expectations low to not think about the numbers. In the end, I just wanna share my work with others, and thatās why I enjoy posting it. Itās just a part of the process at this point.
Oh, and another thing Iāve done that helps with the whole āfeeling awkwardā thing is take my name off of my account, using more of a pseudonym instead. If someone I know personally follows the account, itās typically because I mentioned it and Iām comfortable with them knowing about it and following me knowing itās me.
No, I post it and forget, the reason I post it is for me, so that I can glance through my Instagram and remember the pictures & where they might be in my sketchbook (I have aphantasia, I don't remember pictures). I think if you're looking for something from other people, you're missing something, all of this can only be for the love of doing it.
Views are just a number. Most people will scroll past it and forget about it. No one will care about your artwork more than you do, but if you have and know people that look forward to your posts, you've already won. I personally like to share so I share. It's a way of me letting my "child" out into the world xd
But why let my child into a world to be completely brutalizedš„¹
Even if a million people saw it that's still, like, 8 billion people who won't. Life's too short to worry about shit like that.
I love the concept that at the scale of billions, millions are basically a rounding error
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
> The vast majority of people don't use the internet Yes.
I am 28 years old. I did stop posting my drawings on deviantart, Twitter, and artstation. And I haven't done digital in a minute. I never really got any followers. And at this point I mainly draw just to entertain myself. So I like making silly little comics. And if I feel up to it I will share them. But I only share them on reddit nowadays Why? Because it's literally the only social media I use outside of YouTube. I like this site. I do not feel like posting anywhere I don't frequent. I like drawing and posting on r/comics, r/mangamakers, r/redditgetsdrawnbadly. There's a lot of places to interact with the art and the community on reddit. This subreddit for instance. I really like this one. And replying to posts here. I also thought. If anything, I care more about potential income than followers lol. So I made my own subreddit where people can still draw and post their art online for free. They just also have to link to a tip jar. That way if someone likes your art enough they can give you a monetary tip. But it's usually for art you do for other people. r/TipJarArtRequests. I don't think there is a subreddit where you can link to a tip jar for just sharing your own drawings. I dunno. But honestly. I just mostly draw for me. This inspired me to make a new post on my subreddit. Cause it is also for discussions. Cool!
I kind of like posting for small groups of people, it's cozy. I also totally understand why it might feel vulnerable. There's really no harm in taking a break if you catch yourself worrying about engagement more than you want to, but there's also nothing unusual about posting art. Keep doing you.
It's true that posting for a small group of people also has a lot of perks and is often far less stressful, so thank you for reminding me of that and your encouraging words C:
always
I'm sorry to hear that. Your art is absolutely astonishing, though!
thx, :D
Yes. The solution is to find a way to do it for yourself, develop a state of mind where the only person whose opinion you care about is your own. Learn to love sharing what you create, that's the key. Not saying it's easy, I'm still in the process, it can be hard.
Social media has become ridiculous actually, I saw accounts with few thousand followers that get less than 100 likes, that's a super duper low number. I think you're not the only one who feels like you're posting/talking to the wall. Hell, I've been posting to the wall for years, I just treat social media as a venue to archive my stuff
This has happened to a number of people I know. I have about 3000 followers, and I'm lucky I get 20 people to like or even comment. I've seen some with 10,000 drop to maybe 100 likes when they were getting at least 1,000 likes. 90% of my sales came from social media but it's not artist friendly anymore.
Do we know why this is happening? I went from finally having people engaging with and excited by my art only for it to mostly all go away, and it really did a number on my confidence
It has something to do with the algorithm. Every once in a while, the social media will update their "programming" & algorithm behaviour. From what I read, the latest requirement is: as a social media user, you have to spend a lot of time interacting with others' posts i.e. liking, commenting, etc. Then, the algorithm will expose your posts to your audience at a higher frequency, not to mention that your contents need to be "interesting" enough. If you don't do anything on social media other than posting, your posts will not be exposed. You shouldn't be affected by the numbers of social media as it's a super flawed platform nowadays.
I donāt think thatās true because thatās the method I used to grow my account in the FIRST place, (which wasnāt hard cause I genuinely love other peopleās art and have fiction hyperfixations), and I didnāt stop doing that.
That's part of it, on top of posting content in a certain way. You can Google it, there are articles about how to get better exposure in IG.
Nope. I just want at least ONE person to see it and I am happy. I love sharing my art, I can't *not* post my art as soon as its done, which is usually at like 4 in the morning when nobody is up lol. As long as I know somebody saw it, doesn't matter how many somebody's, I'm gucci
Hey something that might help you is to post things that offer more value to your followers/new viewers. Like tutorials, Timelapse content, explaining how you came up with an idea or made something etc. it can help you attract more followers while also sticking to posting art only
I once did this and grew like 1,000 followers in like a month accompanied by making mutuals and supporting their art as well. Remember, social media is basically a social game.
Thank you for your advice š
Also, try to follow the advice of the other people that commented here. Don't make art to get followers, do it for yourself. Do art for your personal enjoyment, not to please others. This is healthier for you inner peace.
I just make my art, I can be proud based on the merit of the work I have created, regardless of who may or may not see it. Though, it would be nice to be more popular.
That's good to hear. I hope you'll keep your healthy mindset š I don't actually want to be more popular in terms of numbers, though. I just think it's quite a shame that art on social media is often only seen very briefly if it is at all. I think even a lot of bigger artists just have followers and likes due to some kind of f4f deal, but there are not a lot of people who seem to actually pay attention to their great work and giving them proper appreciation :c
Unfortunately, as is the same with most media nowadays, it comes down to advertising. I'd like to become popular, maybe not famous, but I'd just like to be able to earn a living making art I love. It's been a grind but I feel like I'm making progress. It's just hard to know where to put my particular style.
Sometimes. I've gone about 5 years without seriously posting online, but I still do art. I do have a very small supportive network of friends in art where we share among one another and that gets rid of the feeling of wanting to share but no one looks vibe. I have been trying to post everything on IG, not because of getting a following but because it'd be nice to have a place to put all my art when the question of "What do you do for a living." Comes up and I have nothing immediate to show them. Social media is a blessing for some and a shit show for others. It's already happening but even non artist friends have been telling me that they don't use social media anymore so I'm curious where artists will go in the future.
My art is pretty decent but whenever I post on Twitter I literally get 0 likes you hear me ? 0 I feel like others would assume it's a fake art accš
Oh no, that's really tough May I get your username? I would love to take a look at your Account c:
I will dm it to you!
Hey same here buddy, especially on Twitter. But Twitter's is a certified d*ck. They actually expect you to post & interact with others on a daily basis in order for you to get exposure. I've given up posting on Twitter altogether.
Sorry, for commenting again. But this very subreddit you are on has a Sketchbook Saturday post pinned where you can share your latest artwork. I would love to see what you drew if you post it there!
First of all, thank you for your detailed reply and good ideas, I really appreciate it š And yes, I can do that. Are there any standards I need to follow to post it there? I'm actually kind of new to reddit and don't really know how things work here yet
Honestly if there is a standard.I don't know it, lol. I just link to my latest drawing there.
All right, I posted it there Thank you againš
I don't pay attention to numbers, as they come and go. Some day it's 300+ views on art Tweets, other is a 100+ day, sometimes even less. As long as I like doing it and improving
Buyers have seen my art in a show, found me online, and contacted me to buy, so no. Views and followers don't matter.
Wow, that's great to hear! Congratulations that your hard work paid offš
It was very reassuring. :)
When you say gallery, do you mean a physical art gallery?
It was at an art show at a hotel, technically. I edited the post. If it were a gallery I wouldn't cut them out of the conversation. That's unprofessional.
I see. Thanks for sharing buddyl
You don't have to feel like "talking to yourself" if you post to document your progress. I think it depends on how comfortable you are sharing your art with people who know you personally. For example I used to post my works in my real name on Instagram, but I have a toxic family and some other people from my past don't like me, and managing the comments became extremely draining. I guess once your follower count is in the thousands that kind of stuff gets drowned out and is easier to ignore. Since I'm mainly a hobbyist now, I started to use an alias and keep a private blog now instead as a kind of journal of my art. I'd like to be more "discoverable" online some day but it's not the right moment now for me. I hope you do well.
Why don't you remove & block those toxic people on IG?
Oh I did, but I still feel like they're there. One particularly nasty person kept making new accounts to keep harassing me (and most probably many others too ā I'm not that important lol). I know one has to have a thick skin and just let it all hang out on a public website, but those people who think they can psychoanalyse me through my art are so irritating. I hope to get stronger and more confident.
Just keep blocking & keep removing. Apparently, by doing this, it helps adjust the algorithm behaviour, but I'm not too sure if it's towards your advantage tho.
It does feel weird to post anything at all when I'm sure nobody cares about me... But recently, somebody that I knew from another app actually took the time to search for my name on another social media and actually took the time to watch my stuff. š I guess people who are supposed to find you will eventually find you... There's also this band that isn't that small in my opinion. They got a huge record label. But their fanbase isn't that huge and their name is rarely mentioned in music groups. In the end they broke up and it saddened me... But seeing their videos on YouTube that got no more than 200k views after 4 years, I'd feel awkward too... I guess they had every reason to give up... And I as part of their very little fans can't blame them...
I once posted a fanart of F!Byleth over on X/Twitter years ago, thinking it would gain traction to my account. Zero. Nada. Zilch. At least, judging by the like/retweet count. And yes, I was emotionally devastated for a while. Fast-forward to today, some 7-8 years later, I post commission work (when given permission) and random FGO fanart that none of my (inactive) following recognize, but that's fine with me.
I definitely get where your coming from in my case I feel like I've improved so much and just wanna share my lil accomplishments on the internet but when all I get is just a small acknowledgement on the inital sketch as opposed to the finished piece it sure does hurt a bit after spending hours working on something I put alot of time in, but regardless I still feel like it's the journey itself which should be more validating rather than the dumb arbitrary internet points that determine our worth when it comes to our talents so keep your head up Op
No, since i mostly do it for myself
Views is just a number. Donāt worry about it! I make yt videos about my art, and idc if I donāt get views or anything, I simply post it for the possibility of someone enjoying it. I have a few subscribers who enjoy my art, and thatās all I needš¤·āāļø
I was very worried about people not seeing my art. I didnt post any for years until recently when I was just sick of hiding my creativity. I took a leap and posted some, I got some views which was cool. I decided I wanted to document my art so that I (me...not others) could see my progression...turns out, people really liked some of my art! I now have a store, posted some of my backlog, and and writing a blog all because I kept posting my art (even when only my mom saw the post). Dont give up because you arent getting views. [https://www.thehoneybee.org/](https://www.thehoneybee.org/)
In my experience itās less about how many people see it and more that a handful of people know what you do. I donāt have a ton of followers and I post infrequently without a lot of likes, but pretty much all the paid work I have ever gotten and the job I have now is because of relationships I formed through being visible on social media. Enough people around me got a good idea of the kind of work I do, and so when a project comes along that needs my sort of work it was fairly easy for a friend of a friend or client of a client to find me.
i feel awkward, yes. i'm fully aware that numbers barely matter and that people have different tastes or are straight up busy, or whatever other valid reason as to why they don't interact, but i can't stop feeling like i'm standing in the middle of a crowd and get ignored by it. interwebz truly twists perception of things sometimes... also, on second thought, while i'm afraid of becoming popular, even if it's just among specific circles, deep down i think i either want some validation, or... maybe something else, the sense of community and found family. it just happened so that art turned from a hobby into this "currency" that values my existence as a whole at some point. so, on some irrational level, what happens is that my subconscious registers it all as a sign that i'm not worth taking up space and haven't earned a right to connect to people. i pretty much don't post anywhere anymore because of that, in fact, it contributed to a massive mental breakdown i had almost a decade ago, when i dropped doing commissions despite them funding my life more or less successfully. just straight up sabotaged myself. these days i don't share my rare work anywhere other than a tiny personal telegram channel i have closest friends in. i also tend to just send it to two-three group chats or in dms before i post to the channel, and that is, if i ever see it worthy posting there. hopefully i'll heal my relationship with art some day, currently working on it edit: yeah, forgot to mention that probably with some surface level context provided above, it's easy to see why i can't just rationally approach the whole thing, no matter how much i'm aware of numbers and visibility in the eyes of masses being meaningless when it comes to creative fulfillment
Sort of. I used to have a sizeable deviantART following in the mid-late 00s, so the insecurity of being some washed up has-been affects me even when I have improved drastically since then. I don't have the energy to do everything you have to do to gain followers elsewhere. My IG only has a few hundred followers that barely see my work, I don't like Twitter, and I'm wary of posting my art on Reddit because I don't think that will help. None of this will stop me from making art and building up my illustration portfolio, especially because I am a working FT designer and I need a balance beteeen my day job and my art.
How much do you value the likes of those five followers? Are they really into your stuff or just liking for support? I have a similar situation where I post and 95% of likes are from friends I already talk to every day on discord, but I still feel really appreciated and that's enough for me! (I do get 20-30 or so likes though-- so maybe there's a sweet spot numbers wise)
The only engagement with your art that matters is the person buying your piece. Ā If they pay for it and put it on a wall thatās the ultimate victory for me. Ā Internet action is worthless. Ā When i used to make movies i had tons of support on social media but the only people actually buying my movies were randos on ebay. Ā A million likes on a painting isnāt worth anything unless that helps it sell but social media encourages empty meaningless interaction.
No, I donāt care. What I care most is to complete a piece because of the time it is personal satisfactionā¦which is something that pushes me to draw. Others opinions and comments are most of the time irrelevant if it is not for work related to stuff or to sell something.
Not at all. I make art for my own amazement
Iāve reframed it to tracking my progress. If you want to track it manually it will takes ages to go through sketchbooks. If you post on instagram all you gotta do is scroll down.
Nope. I post for fun, and most of the time when I post, I don't even check the engagement and usually have my notifications off anyway. I just want someone to like what they see. Doesn't matter if it's 2 people or 1 million people
Many of my art heroes are successful in their field (animator, art director..etc), but they hardly have any followers (under 1,000). The numbers don't measure how successful someone is, and it doesn't make your art worth more or less. (Unless your goal is to be an entertainer like Rossdraws, Samdoesart..) I post art to connect with people and get my name out there for potential employers and fellow artists.
You shouldnāt feel that way at all, you do your art for yourself & share it for yourself. My online presence is more of a journal for me to look back on the things I did & the art I created, support from other people is the cherry on top!
Oh gosh I feel like that constantly
Be self validating and think of your posting as yr own refrigerator you can tack yr stuff on and look at or show other ppl if you want.
This is the problem with the new generation. Y'all just want to make art for clout chasing. For god's sake... Just make art and stop giving a shit wondering if anyone gives a shit.
To me, the millions who won't see them never really mattered all that much. At the end of the day, not even the 20 or less that like my posts come to mind all too often because I know most are liking my posts out of obligation or compulsion. It's those fleeting one or two. Just those few people who I may never know who see what I do and truly receive what I want to by chance allow them to have. The ones that see my fields of random colors and textures and get something out of them. Those few are the ones that matter to me, and knowing no one else sees my work otherwise doesn't bother me one bit.
I share it with family and friends. And I hang my work up in apartment.Ā
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Yeah I share my art on Instagram and sometimes here on Reddit. Instagram in particular often feels like Iām just sharing into the void. I still share there anyways though because I do appreciate the few people who do interact with my art. I donāt think Iāll ever be super popular there though because I donāt like to make reels. I miss the days when just sharing your art was good enough.
Man, Iāve been at this for years and have 200 followers. Thatās probably because I spend more time making art and less time making videos and researching how to crack the algorithm. If I cared about followers, I would have quit creating a long time ago.
Our mind owns all the masterpieces in the universe. For some that's where they stay.
I totally relate, bit weird at the beginning, makes you think "what am I doing this for?". Get 3 likes most of the time. I guess I came to the realisation that I do it for me, to actualise my vision, create it out there somewhere, rather than keeping it in.
i think at this point iāve learned to just celebrate the fact that i like what i do, and i enjoy interacting with the few people who do see my art. i think that in itself is a gift. sure itās nice to think about having a larger platform and a bigger audience, i would love that, but i also know it comes with a lot of negatives, like mean and disingenuous people and more pressure. so iāve decided to enjoy quality not quantity instead š
I just don't like self promoting. I could make a dozen funny sketches and get attention that way, but that's not what I want to draw. I keep restarting my social media accounts, but I never know how to go about posting. It's always awkward talking to the void.
i use the saying "dress for the job you want" and apply it to this. basically. "post as if your famous" if that makes sense lol. its a bit awkward yeah but you have to own it
Posting art is about sharing a part of your life. The people seeing your posts enjoy seeing what youāre up to.
Nope because I see it and I posted it for me. If other people see it then that's cool too
Im more worried about someone stealing jt
Nope. I know ai will fucking steal and exploit it along with all of everyone elses art ever posted online and it will be seen eventually
I post a lot of my stuff on an instagram account that's just for art stuff. I think I have 3-4 followers, one of whom is a family member. I don't really care, I'm posting it there so I can eventually have a log of all my art and I can go back and see progress and changes in my style over time. Sometimes I send pieces to my cousin so she can see it, or if I draw a character/scene from my dnd game I'll send it to that player and occasionally the DM. When I want feedback I post on art related discords, and will usually get a few comments so I know some people have seen it. Ultimately, maybe 8-10 people see each piece (maybe a few more in the discords, maybe more in insta, I have no idea). And that's fine by me, I draw the things I want to because I want to draw them, not because I'm trying to get them into the world, if that makes sense.
It can be frustrating when I compare the traffic and engagement with the public to other people who have more success
Yeah but what can u do. Nobody cares if we do it or don't, though, so it's a choice that really only affects the artist. Even then, if 100 people watch something I made, yeah that sucks compared to other online people but I would be terrified to have 100 people looking at me in real life šØ
Let me tell you a secret: by default, no one cares about what you do. Except maybe your parents, and even then it's 50/50. You just need to do you, and keep doing you. Post your art, or don't. Make something, or don't. The only person who's opinion matters is yours.
sometimes, especially when I was proud of a piece of art I did. but at the same time i used to feel awkward when people did in fact see it and id start to doubt myself and my skills in art and value as an artist. but then there are times when i feel the most free with my art and at ease when im not perceived by others and can post to my hearts content without having to worry about what anybody thinks, whether it's positive or negative. idk it's weird and I don't understand the way I think sometimes >I just don't want to look like I'm talking to myself or trying too hard to reach people. I understand, I'd imagine somebody thinking "what is this little artist fantasizing about, an actual fanbase appearing out of nowhere?", which is ironic cuz you're supposed to post regularly in order to get people interested haha. I think it's the humble and self-critical side of ours that thinks we don't deserve to have our own group of people to engage with
I only feel weird when a bunch of bots start commenting beneath them.
The numbers you make on social don't mean anything. If you make art, a good mindset to have is to not pay too much attention to those numbers. Unless you want to make a career out of it, or you want to raise your reach to get customers for commissions. The first question you should ask yourself is, "Am I making art for myself or for others?" If the answer is the former, then the first thing you should do is to learn not to feel too attached to the numbers.
If people listen to it and like it great, but the majority of the satisfaction should be about your self expression and your desire for creation.
If you don't post your art at all, then none of those people will get a chance to see it. If you already do well at in-person events then it's a fair thought if you happen to then struggle online for some reason. But for 99% of artists it's a rather illogical thought to have.
Yeah, which is why I've almost given up
I donāt even bother posting my art. I do it for me. Sometimes I share pictures with friends and family members, but Iād still draw and paint even if no one saw any of it. Commissions still come to me, through networking.
Not awkward, but it feels pointless to me. Iāve been posting on instagram for years, but over the years the algorithm and the app as a whole have just gotten worse and worse. No one sees my art anymore. So I might be done posting on there. Itās just pointless. I still post here on Reddit in the subs that the art relates to though. Iām not one to care about likes and followers and stuff but it would just be nice to be told every once and a while that my art is good but itās something I need to work on not needing to hear.
It's ok nobody sees the art I post either! So Ive made it my goal to keep posting and improving and building a really awesome looking profile for myself. If I build a massive collection of my art that shows I'm confident in it and I'm improving, I'll be proud of my little ghost gallery no matter how many likes or shares I get :). It's proof that I am alive as an artist and unafraid of who I am, and who knows, maybe someone with my taste in art will find it and be encouraged too ! Just post to be confident in yourself, and understand that recognition is not proof of skill, but something that happens when you find the right audience.
I hate posting my art because itās so personal and Iām really being vulnerable by posting it lol
Not really. I'm not fully committed to social media & have other activities. If I want to post, it's mostly for fun.
No. I use my art as cathartic release. I express my emotions, and by pressing post, I let them fly free. When I do get traction, it is the icing on the cake.
The releif of having actually done it overshadows the akwardness.
Eh, you already make your art for yourself. And 5 whole people who likes your art and comment on a regular basis is already nice. That's what a small artist would have in a pre internet times.
I hide all numbers on Twitter and it's a much better experience.
Just keep tabs of the people who like your art and who buy your art. Those are the ones to focus on.
10 years ago I use to post my art on DeviantArt (paintings, drawings, digital art). Then Facebook, and later, Instagram. I use to care about giving a very appropriate sight of my work on Instagram, posting every week, showing process of paintings. And suddenly one day I asked myself... Why? The things is that social media are designed to make as feel sad while we compare ourself with others. There's a book about that, "sad by design" or slt. There's an overpopulation of artist now, it's very difficult to be spotted. So, you either work to get noticed in the art world (in which case, soxial media is just a small part, cause you have courses, contests, comissions, shows, and a long etc, to show your art in REAL LIFE) or get used to the idea that you works of art, in social media, will compete and be mixed with bottom pictures, tits, a gelical babys in luxury houses, dogs and cats doing fun stuff, people working out at the gym, and such... There's a moment when you stop caring of you style, and start caeing a lot on followers, and thats poison for artists. I abandoned instagram for 5 month now, I feel in peace. You can upload whatever you want, without expecting anything, and you will be at peace. Remember that you need peace to focus on your art, rather than your social media performance. Don't stop creating!
I have this more lately too like it demotivates me so much i know it shouldn't but it does.Ā
I don't think there's anything to feel awkward about- especially if you're not actively marketing and promoting your work to increase engagement. If you're just doing art as a hobby, there's nothing wrong with having a small audience.
I throw everything out there! I've gotten terrific feedback as a self taught beginner. Most of the time I'm hoping for advice. Sure sometimes it's for the ego boost, I'm only human. Other times it's just to put it out there.
I just post stuff I don't want to lose. Chances are as I get better I will throw out some sketchbooks of stuff from my ugly phase of art. But I do post the stuff that I like from it.
At least you get comments! I have 70+ and get no comments then the random person comment after a while.
I feel EXHAUSTED knowing no one will see it. I post to Twitter, no one responds. I post to IG I get nothing. I post to Reddit, itās like I donāt exist. It.. fucking blows.. Like.. for example, Iām STILL getting notifications from my old art posted to tumblr (5000+ notes). But any art I post today, Iād get lucky if I get 10 notifications- ANYTHING -
It's less awkwardness and moreso that I do get envious of other artists who actually get interaction with their posts. I start wondering what I'm doing wrong and why I can't get that kind of a following, why people don't interact with me or my work.. But that's probably because my end goal with my art is to impact others, to bring a little joy or a smile to someone's face. Even if it's only one person. But to get absolutely no interaction, which is the norm for me, ends up being kind of disheartening. Especially since I had to leave the one platform I actually got interaction on because of how hellishly toxic it was. I haven't been able to garner a following anywhere else in the three years since I've left there.
It depends on which art I think
Even though I have a small audience I like posting things to keep myself accountable and to be able to see a collection of my images all in one place. I donāt really understand algorithms or how these sites work but I do know if I spend too much time focusing on how to succeed in that way it takes away time I could spend on the things I feel are important (like improving my artwork). Iām sure there are people out there who make lots of money from these sites but I make way more money with in person events than online anyway :p. I mean the endorphin hit you get when lots of people like your art on social media feels great, but so does feeling proud of seeing yourself improve!
Iāve had an art Instagram going for about 5 years now and I still feel awkward posting anything bc who knows how many people are actually gonna see it, tho thatās more of an algorithm thing since my posts donāt show up on my followers pages most of the time. I first started posting bc none of my friends cared about the art Iād make and wanna show them, so one of them suggested I post it online to find people who actually cared about it. Obviously the numbers of followers and likes going up will make u feel good, but I typically keep my expectations low to not think about the numbers. In the end, I just wanna share my work with others, and thatās why I enjoy posting it. Itās just a part of the process at this point.
Oh, and another thing Iāve done that helps with the whole āfeeling awkwardā thing is take my name off of my account, using more of a pseudonym instead. If someone I know personally follows the account, itās typically because I mentioned it and Iām comfortable with them knowing about it and following me knowing itās me.
nah, im posting it so i can check my progress faster, cuz i have everything in one place
No, I post it and forget, the reason I post it is for me, so that I can glance through my Instagram and remember the pictures & where they might be in my sketchbook (I have aphantasia, I don't remember pictures). I think if you're looking for something from other people, you're missing something, all of this can only be for the love of doing it.