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The Pros and Cons of Being a Social Media Artist By Christiana Votta
Social media is a great way for artists to share their work and grow an online presence. However, it can also leave a negative influence on artists' mental health, such as hurting their self-worth and leading to Imposter Syndrome. But, how can something like social media have such a wide range of positive and negative effects on artists?
Social media is a great way for artists to share their work and grow an online presence. However, it can also leave a negative influence on artists’ mental health, such as hurting their self-worth and leading to Imposter Syndrome. But, how can something like social media have such a wide range of positive and negative effects on artists?
As an artist, who uses/shares their art on Instagram, I would have to say that the art community has a great influence on me. For example, one trend that has swallowed the community was the #drawthisinyourstyle or #dtiys, where it’s stated that you redraw and interpret someone else’s artwork into your style. Many enjoy participating in this challenge because we get to see others’ interpretations of the same artwork, along with being able to find new artists whose work appeals to us and whose work we would like to study.
The art community is a very inclusive community and we can all learn from each other. If you find an artist who draws/paints something in a way that you like, you can study the way that artist draws so that you can apply it to your own art/style. This is one of the many ways I learned how to draw. I studied other artists’ works and their processes.
However, sometimes when I see someone who is younger than me produce amazing artworks with a beautiful art style, a feeling of inadequacy fills me. Why is my work not like that? I have been drawing longer than they have, why is my work not as good? These thoughts can be produced when you feel inferior to someone. Even if you do not have social media, these are feelings you can still feel when you see a friend’s work. But, when I get these thoughts and emotions, I try to remind myself that everyone learns at a different rate. Some may improve faster than others and that’s okay. Art is a personal journey.
In addition, Imposter Syndrome is very common in some social media artists’ lives. It is the feeling that you do not deserve the following that you have, that you are not good enough, and you feel like a fraud. Sadly, there’s always going to be that voice in your head that says “you are not good enough” and that you do not deserve the platform you have. But let’s be honest, you do. You worked hard, so you should not feel as if you don’t deserve the praise, even though it’s easier said than done.
It’s fairly easy to become obsessed with social media, especially when you feel the adrenaline and praise when one of your posts becomes popular. However, because of algorithms, sometimes posts lose interactions, which can lead a post to “flop”. This can cause people distress, especially if they put a lot of work into a piece of artwork. Why did I not get as many likes as I used to? Do people not like my art? It’s none of these things. It just means the algorithm did not push your post to the targeted audience, which is one of the problems with social media. It doesn’t always target the right people who would enjoy and appreciate your work.
Even though social media has its downsides, doesn’t everything in life? In the end, it is our choice if we want to subject ourselves to these jarring realities. We can embrace them or challenge them.