weird question, don't answer if you don't want to
how do you build up the confidence to actually post your art online? I want to but I'm way to scared
As much as it sucks, the simplest answer I can give is "just do it", just put yourself out there and see how it goes- after a few times and (hopefully) a few positive experiences, it should hopefully get less and less scary <3
But I also have some other affirmations+tips that might help if "just do it!" isn't helpful:
The odds of someone harrassing you because they don't like your art (which is where I assume is one of the biggest causes of fear here? Not wanting to be bullied, judged, or called "cringe"?) on Tumblr is very low. If someone doesn't like your art, it's FAR more likely that they will simply scroll past it, be on their day, and not bother you
For anyone who needs to hear it, it is considered extremely socially unacceptable to harass an artist who's simply posting their art in their own spaces. So if anyone gives you shit, block them and know that they're being the ones in the wrong
Tumblr, unlike other social medias, doesn't operate under an algorithm (or not NEARLY to the extent of other socials), so there's far less of this culture for wanting to scramble for attention and lashing out at other artists if they get the attention instead. Tumblr has also forged a culture of being far more accepting of """cringe""" than other social medias, so imho it's a far "safer" site to just- put yourself out there and give it a try
I have been posting art on Tumblr for a decade now. (Been on for longer, but only had an account to post with for 10yrs). I will be the first to admit my art is not professional quality, and I personally feel it doesn't hold a candle to my friends' arts. I have posted crossovers, OCs, ships and rarepairs, self indulgent AUs, self indulgent fanfics, self inserts, self shipping, gave myself an edgy alter ego, and have been a pretty large blog in the Five Nights At Freddy's fandom (a fandom largely regarded as one of the more """cringe""" ones). I am NO stranger to being cringe. And yet, over 10 years of doing this, I have almost never been harrassed because someone thought my art was bad or that I shouldn't be posting my art. I've gotten anon hate and bad faith takes, yes, but it was almost NEVER because I posted art someone didn't like. Im not saying it'll never happen, but from my personal experience, it happens far less often than people might think
I know this is easier said than done, but if you can, try to get at least one "hype man", aka a Tumblr mutual you can trust. Basically a great way to combat being intimidated out of posting is to have at least one friend who you know will react to your art positively. If you can send them art and feel confident they'll have something nice to say (hell even if its just reacting with a heart emoji over text or wordlessly reblogging), that can do wonders for your confidence. Sure they may not ALWAYS be there to back up EVERY single art you make, thats not reasonable to expect, but even having someone in your corner half of the time can really make the difference. (Think the meme "if no one's got me, I know [tumblr mutual's] got me, can I get an amen")
Bouncing off that last point, you can also try being the change you want to see in the world! You can find other artists and like/reblog their art! Maybe leave a nice comment or something in the tags, even something as simple as "I think this is cool!" can make another artist's day. Obviously this is not a guarantee that anyone will give you the same attention in return, and you shouldn't only interact with others to try and get something out of them, but I AM saying that if you treat others with kindness and enthusiam, people will likely feel more comfortable and confident to return that kindness and enthusiasm towards you!
If it's still too scary to put yourself out there, you can try posting art without any fandom tags. Please try to tag with common content warnings if they apply (eye strain, blood, gore, etc), but you don't HAVE to tag fandom art. It means you'll be way less likely for people to find your art to react positively, but hey it might be a good step to practice posting art without too much attention being drawn to it
I believe in you, anon! I know it can be scary to put your work out there, but the more you try, the easier it (hopefully) gets! You're far more likely to find people who love your art, resonate with it, and encourage you to make more than you are to find someone who bullies you for your art!!!
dailybridgerton
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annaxmalina
kaledo-art
stormborns
izzy806
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