Dropping Social Media?
-
@Kevin-Cochran I think everyone's advice is really good. But I am struggling with the very same thing and I think the answer is basically, whatever you need to do to do your best work. There is a bit of performance anxiety connected to instagram for me, so at this point, I am considering going dark for a full year. I fully understand how social media benefits artists but I think what I need to grapple with is being productive and more sure of myself. I do not need all of those voices confusing me.
I also found this just yesterday: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/t-magazine/artists-creativity-social-media.html
-
@carolinedrawing Wow, that was an awesomely powerful article. Thank-you for sharing it!! It really spoke to me!!!
-
@carolinedrawing Awesome article! thanks for that.
-
Well, I say cut back in social media except for one or two sites that you can devote a LITTLE bit of time to while you level up your art. I recently took Facebook and Twitter off my phone after listening to a recent 3 point podcast. I use Facebook as my blog post now which I do from my computer. And made a decision to not worry too much about how my IG feed looks. I used to curate it so that it looked pleasant when viewed as a whole grid but now I’m slapping stuff on without caring what it looks like next to the other art. I also cut back on my hashtags. And would you believe it, I’ve gained almost 100 more followers since New Years. I’m posting more on Instagram too which I think has helped with the algorithm. Keep a social site going while you work on your craft so the fans you gather in the meantime will be there when you are ready.
-
I can see what you mean and I struggle with this too but I think followers really like to see your journey. If you think it's too big a distraction then maybe it's a good idea. I try to spend very limited time now looking at other artist's accounts as this can leave you a bit deflated, in the comparison zone, but if you're not really bothered by that then I'd say carry on sharing and the more you share, the more people will follow. My instagram following has been massively slow to build but now I don't really care, I just share anywhere because I've found it makes me more accountable to myself - if that makes any sense. Good luck.
-
I think it depends on how distracting social media is for you. I can certainly see the benefits, but also agree with the others that, if you can detach yourself from the results, keeping your accounts could be beneficial. I like the idea in the article (Great article, @carolinedrawing!) of the novelist who doesn't get online until well into the afternoon. That doesn't require deleting accounts, but does create a daily routine with personal head space.
Personally, at least at this point, I use my IG way less for promoting myself and way more for following others. For the most part (I follow a few personal friends on IG as well), my FB is for friends and IG is for illustrators. I have discovered a lot of artists this way, and that has in turned helped me to learn about current illustration trends. That may change as I get ready to market, but it's just to say that if you can discipline yourself not to care much as you go low-key for a while, you can have the best of both worlds!
-
@carolinedrawing wow, brilliant article, thank you for sharing!
-
I'm thinking about social media and internet distractions too! Great to share in the struggle together on the forums. Yesterday was the 5th work day I completed with zero access to internet, and I also deleted Facebook messenger and Gmail from my phone. Those 3 steps helped immensely! I get to use those sites when I'm off work hours, but it's revolutionary - I'm finding I spend less time online even when I have access after work. I'm training my brain to focus on non-electronic life (exercise, time with friends, reading, basically using work breaks offline) because internet is gone when I'm working so suddenly I have ALL THIS TIME
I also use the StayFocusd extension for Google Chrome browser, but of course lately haven't needed it because I took the nuclear option and got rid of internet during work hours. I do this by sending our wireless hot spot with my husband to his workplace so while he's gone, I have to either be doing art or taking offline breaks. Today I'm ordering art supplies and catching up with SVS so I'm using internet briefly then back to offline.
But -
Getting rid of internet or social media doesn't delete offline distractions, of course. Much of art success depends on the stuff we're made of as artists, to focus or not focus. Plus, life is unavoidable sometimes - I returned to my art table this morning to discover my cat had vomited all over yesterday's art practice papers and, ironically, a page in a library art book describing "how to draw grass realistically"
-
@Kevin-Cochran I’m doing the curriculum for SVS too. But if I post homework, I post it here. I keep my Instagram for pretty sketches and personal projects. I think if all I did was the homework, my brain would go crazy. I’m sure you probably won’t full stop all your art except class work either. But, that doesn’t mean you have to post everything you make to some social media site. I’ve thought about dropping mine too and restarting later, but for me it’s just a problem with perfectionism, so I’ll hold on to it.
-
I sometimes go off instagram for a while, and even the forum, not because of the distraction but because of what it does to my feelings of art inadequacy. Most often, seeing everyone's work is wonderful and inspiring but every now and then it makes me feel like such a hack I want to give up. That's the time I deliberately get off social media and try to get back to just me and my drawing until I'm enjoying it again instead of feeling frustrated because I'm not as good as ...... [fill in the artists I follow here and on instagram.]
