Exceedingly relatable. I’ve just given myself permission to not post on Instagram and for that to be ok, it can sit there waiting to be found with links to my Substack.
The apps are deleted from my phone, I’ve recovered so much of my time it’s a welcome relief.
Not that I had a massive IG following, I’m definitely more popular here 🤣
I came across your post and this is a subject that interests me. Although I am in a phase of rethinking my relationship with IG, I recognize that it has already brought me some work and so I don't plan on abandoning it. I'm thinking about changing the way I use it. It's like you say, I want a complete meal and not an appetizer. Things done under pressure to keep the account active and so that no one forgets about us don't make me happy. Thank you.
I never considered how expressing a fondness for something an artist did in the past could potentially tie them to work that doesn't line up with where they are headed. Thanks for the post and best wishes with or without Instagram!
Great relatable post. I’m a very sporadic poster on IG so it’s never bothered me but I’ve seen lots of other artists looking for the holy grail of social media such as Threads and Blue Sky which are all the same if you ask me. I’ve already deleted X and my account and am considering maybe returning to a traditional website. For you I think sticking to your plan of finding an agent is a great idea. I think it’s time to go back to the drawing board and maybe come back to IG later, it will all still be there.
Just found your substack via notes and then this post. We were literally on the same wavelength back in December. One of my goals for this year was Quality over Quantity. https://bridgettemeinhold.substack.com/p/new-year-new-me
Hi there Marloes, I stumbled across your post and clicked because I’ve been hearing more and more artists considering the same thing. I’m curious to know how to market without social media?
I’ve been illustrating as a hobby for years but never used IG as a marketing platform. So when I decided to become an illustrator I felt that it was too late. The market is saturated, AI artwork, and my inability to land a first client has made things rather difficult for things to get started. So I’m here on Substack to see where it takes me. Hoping to meet more illustrators like you, and hopefully build community.
Hi Lindsey! I've been working on a follow up. In short, I think Instagram is still one of the best ways for artists to get eyeballs on their work. I'll work further on the follow up, which will take a few more weeks I think.
This was a fab read, thank you. I still enjoy Instagram, but mainly that's because I interact with people in stories. I also only follow accounts I'm really interested in so when I scroll I generally see cool things. That said, recently found myself looking at how many people were shown my work, something I never used to care about. I don't want to be that person, talking about or pandering to the algorithm....but it is starting to feel like it's not a good use of my time and energy. I like it here so far - it's taking a while to figure out but it feels good. Wishing you a happy year ahead :)
I feel the same way. I hate that social media is an expectation now and how many amazing, talented artists don't get book deals or jobs because their following isn't large enough. A large following doesn't dictate your worth.
I'm on Instagram less and less but I still enjoy looking at what other artists are posting and what my local galleries are showing. It's a conundrum isn't it? I feel the same about being tied to a particular type of artwork but that's an issue on and off Instagram - galleries like consistency, urgh! I'm thinking of cleaning up my feed, deleting a lot of older work, and just keeping Insta like an online portfolio of works that are available for exhibition or sale. For me, most of my Substack subscribers still come from Instagram, so I'll use it as marketing tool for my writing. I love Substack and it's great to see more visual artists moving over here, but if we all keep our posts behind paywalls, I don't see how we are going to attract buyers to our work, unless Notes really takes off and becomes an alternative to Instagram for readers. An interesting read, thank you.
I've cleaned up my IG feed and it feels so much more aligned with the work I do now. I also limit access to the app so when I'm on there, I'm more purposefully using it.
Since then, I've found IG a much lovelier place, much more intentional.
I agree completely with Substack: it's a wonderful place to elaborate on your work, but finding new people on there is so much harder. You find people who's work you like on social media (like IG) and then you go a layer deeper on Substack or newsletters. At least, that's how I feel at the moment.
It is such a refreshing thoughts, after you posted about cleaning your Instagram for this reason I went though my own Instagram and archived a lot of my older posts from when I was in college and when i was doing my foundation year, because my style has changed so much and what was once my personal account had become my creative account
Thanks a lot for sharing, Marloes! I am very behind on Instagram (always used it only for personal connections) and I was thinking about creating an account for my art, but I understand that growing an audience from zero is an additional job. I am just not ready to do that on so many levels, but I still feel some pressure, because "everyone is there"... Instead I try experimenting with other platforms and formats to find ways of sharing my art and connect with other artists & creatives. At the moment Substack sort of feels being a more genuine place for connecting and sharing.
It's so tricky, isn't it? It's like maintaining a way too big garden, sowing seeds everywhere, not having enough time to water them all, and hoping for the best.
What I'm trying to do is following my joy. I've noticed I feel worse about myself after more than 20 minutes on IG, so I limit my time there to 15 minutes each session, and I can only open the app 3x a day (I use the app ClearSpace for this). This gives me lots of extra time to spend on other things.
Yes, it is tricky! Still need to figure things out for myself, but following my joy is a great advice! Thank you for your answer and also for the tip about the app!
Thank you so much for the shout-out Marloes and for writing these reflections. That moment you had in the bookshop sounds beautiful and precious, a nudge to challenge you and help you take steps. I'm looking forward to following along with you again this year! x
I really feel conflicted about social media, specially as a writer who is just starting out and is still building an audience. On most days, I feel like I am swimming in a sea which has no end, and I feel so lost about the direction in which I want to head. As a result I end up posting, but not consistently. And I mostly feel drained when I check my instagram anyway. When I truly focus all my energy on my writing though, like writing here on Substack, I feel fulfilled. It's such a weird space to navigate and as a new entrant, I feel confused about the direction in which to head all the time
Thankyou for the advice. I think it’s time to let go of the fear that I’ll be left behind if I don’t have a “consistent” posting schedule on Instagram. It will ease so much of my pressure and I can devete time to Substack guilt free
Exceedingly relatable. I’ve just given myself permission to not post on Instagram and for that to be ok, it can sit there waiting to be found with links to my Substack.
The apps are deleted from my phone, I’ve recovered so much of my time it’s a welcome relief.
Not that I had a massive IG following, I’m definitely more popular here 🤣
I came across your post and this is a subject that interests me. Although I am in a phase of rethinking my relationship with IG, I recognize that it has already brought me some work and so I don't plan on abandoning it. I'm thinking about changing the way I use it. It's like you say, I want a complete meal and not an appetizer. Things done under pressure to keep the account active and so that no one forgets about us don't make me happy. Thank you.
Now THAT makes me think...
I never considered how expressing a fondness for something an artist did in the past could potentially tie them to work that doesn't line up with where they are headed. Thanks for the post and best wishes with or without Instagram!
Great relatable post. I’m a very sporadic poster on IG so it’s never bothered me but I’ve seen lots of other artists looking for the holy grail of social media such as Threads and Blue Sky which are all the same if you ask me. I’ve already deleted X and my account and am considering maybe returning to a traditional website. For you I think sticking to your plan of finding an agent is a great idea. I think it’s time to go back to the drawing board and maybe come back to IG later, it will all still be there.
I hear you too !
Just found your substack via notes and then this post. We were literally on the same wavelength back in December. One of my goals for this year was Quality over Quantity. https://bridgettemeinhold.substack.com/p/new-year-new-me
Hi there Marloes, I stumbled across your post and clicked because I’ve been hearing more and more artists considering the same thing. I’m curious to know how to market without social media?
I’ve been illustrating as a hobby for years but never used IG as a marketing platform. So when I decided to become an illustrator I felt that it was too late. The market is saturated, AI artwork, and my inability to land a first client has made things rather difficult for things to get started. So I’m here on Substack to see where it takes me. Hoping to meet more illustrators like you, and hopefully build community.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Hi Lindsey! I've been working on a follow up. In short, I think Instagram is still one of the best ways for artists to get eyeballs on their work. I'll work further on the follow up, which will take a few more weeks I think.
I look forward to reading it!
This was a fab read, thank you. I still enjoy Instagram, but mainly that's because I interact with people in stories. I also only follow accounts I'm really interested in so when I scroll I generally see cool things. That said, recently found myself looking at how many people were shown my work, something I never used to care about. I don't want to be that person, talking about or pandering to the algorithm....but it is starting to feel like it's not a good use of my time and energy. I like it here so far - it's taking a while to figure out but it feels good. Wishing you a happy year ahead :)
I feel the same way. I hate that social media is an expectation now and how many amazing, talented artists don't get book deals or jobs because their following isn't large enough. A large following doesn't dictate your worth.
I’ve definitely cut down my IG activity even though my career was not made in there, I’m not sure I ever really loved it, maybe that’s why.
But here is wonderful I’m loving it and if you enjoy bookshops I hope you’re reading Katie Clapham https://katieclapham.substack.com/
I'm on Instagram less and less but I still enjoy looking at what other artists are posting and what my local galleries are showing. It's a conundrum isn't it? I feel the same about being tied to a particular type of artwork but that's an issue on and off Instagram - galleries like consistency, urgh! I'm thinking of cleaning up my feed, deleting a lot of older work, and just keeping Insta like an online portfolio of works that are available for exhibition or sale. For me, most of my Substack subscribers still come from Instagram, so I'll use it as marketing tool for my writing. I love Substack and it's great to see more visual artists moving over here, but if we all keep our posts behind paywalls, I don't see how we are going to attract buyers to our work, unless Notes really takes off and becomes an alternative to Instagram for readers. An interesting read, thank you.
I've cleaned up my IG feed and it feels so much more aligned with the work I do now. I also limit access to the app so when I'm on there, I'm more purposefully using it.
Since then, I've found IG a much lovelier place, much more intentional.
I agree completely with Substack: it's a wonderful place to elaborate on your work, but finding new people on there is so much harder. You find people who's work you like on social media (like IG) and then you go a layer deeper on Substack or newsletters. At least, that's how I feel at the moment.
It is such a refreshing thoughts, after you posted about cleaning your Instagram for this reason I went though my own Instagram and archived a lot of my older posts from when I was in college and when i was doing my foundation year, because my style has changed so much and what was once my personal account had become my creative account
Thanks a lot for sharing, Marloes! I am very behind on Instagram (always used it only for personal connections) and I was thinking about creating an account for my art, but I understand that growing an audience from zero is an additional job. I am just not ready to do that on so many levels, but I still feel some pressure, because "everyone is there"... Instead I try experimenting with other platforms and formats to find ways of sharing my art and connect with other artists & creatives. At the moment Substack sort of feels being a more genuine place for connecting and sharing.
It's so tricky, isn't it? It's like maintaining a way too big garden, sowing seeds everywhere, not having enough time to water them all, and hoping for the best.
What I'm trying to do is following my joy. I've noticed I feel worse about myself after more than 20 minutes on IG, so I limit my time there to 15 minutes each session, and I can only open the app 3x a day (I use the app ClearSpace for this). This gives me lots of extra time to spend on other things.
Yes, it is tricky! Still need to figure things out for myself, but following my joy is a great advice! Thank you for your answer and also for the tip about the app!
Thank you so much for the shout-out Marloes and for writing these reflections. That moment you had in the bookshop sounds beautiful and precious, a nudge to challenge you and help you take steps. I'm looking forward to following along with you again this year! x
I really feel conflicted about social media, specially as a writer who is just starting out and is still building an audience. On most days, I feel like I am swimming in a sea which has no end, and I feel so lost about the direction in which I want to head. As a result I end up posting, but not consistently. And I mostly feel drained when I check my instagram anyway. When I truly focus all my energy on my writing though, like writing here on Substack, I feel fulfilled. It's such a weird space to navigate and as a new entrant, I feel confused about the direction in which to head all the time
Unsolicited advice, hope you don't mind. But, follow your gut and your joy. If Substack brings you joy, go there.
Thankyou for the advice. I think it’s time to let go of the fear that I’ll be left behind if I don’t have a “consistent” posting schedule on Instagram. It will ease so much of my pressure and I can devete time to Substack guilt free