Thoughts on the current state of social media for artists
A lot of people are currently pretty upset about the situation with Twitter, which is in itself an unfortunately unsurprising continuation of things that have been going on for some time that make social media a challenge to use as a platform for art.
It’s disheartening to me, too. I don’t have a huge following anywhere, but I’ve been able to gradually build up an audience on social platforms over the last few years that has reflected in an increase in income. Though relatively small in the grand scheme of things, it has nonetheless been a big deal for me and I’m very grateful to everyone who has followed or interacted with me.
But…
What I want to say to people is… please, please invest your time in learning ways to develop your career outside of social media.
I’ve seen many artists I follow despairing about the fact that if they lose their Twitter audience they will have nothing and don’t know what to do, and I get it, because it’s very difficult to figure out how you can get anywhere without it when that’s been your only way of reaching customers.
And, yes, social media can be a great tool, it’s one of the main ways that people around the world connect with each other these days… but it should not be your sole base of operations. It is not the only solution for reaching people and creating income, and it’s often not even the best or easiest solution - it seems to have gained a reputation as the key to success with very little effort, but I do not think this is true and its importance is largely exaggerated.
A recent workshop I watched from an established art agent said the same - it’s a good thing to have and use, but you are not required to have a following on it to flourish as an artist and achieve stability.
Build connections with people through methods and communities that YOU have control over, not whoever runs a social media site and whatever algorithm it uses. This is exactly why I started up an email newsletter recently.
Do research, learn from each other. Learn new skills, or new ways to use your skills. Look into local art shows, galleries and organisations, agencies, art licensing, publishing, design, advertising… Create new opportunities for yourself. Even things that traditionally involve a direct communication between you and someone else like offering commissions, education & coaching or creating assets and resources for others do not have to depend on your social media following.
I have disabilities that hinder me from going about jobs and work in the ways many people can, but over the last few years focusing on the bigger picture has given me a far more solid groundwork, better skills, more meaningful connections and more hope for the future than posting on Twitter or Instagram has. It does take time and effort, but if you’re struggling with social media right now please don’t let it consume you, and look elsewhere.
