CARA: the new Instagram Killer?

Will Cara be the answer to our prayers?
Follow me on Cara.app at cara.app/digit...
Donate to Cara at buymeacoffee.c...

[@chiu-on-this]

Honestly, I don’t think it is an Instagram killer. Not yet anyways. Still a long way to go but it definitely has potential and something I want to support.

[@potahto-potatoh4655]

It’s only coz it’s new the ads will come when they need money :)

[@starcandy123]

@@potahto-potatoh4655which may happen soon. The indie team has expanded servers 7 times since jump in userbase. Its costing them $13,000+ a month to run. The slowness and crash have lowered significantly since the updates.

[@LaYvi]

@@potahto-potatoh4655 adds are not the problem. illegal data laundry is the problem.

[@lme4339]

I didn’t really understand how you use a protected image from Cara for instagram. Can you explain it more closely, please?

[@BBWahoo]

I have nothing produce to say. Just letting you know I like your aesthetic, handsome lae ❤

[@kupotenshi]

I have joined and only with a few minutes of browsing, I was overjoyed at seeing zero ads, zero offensive bots, zero promoted users or content, zero AI, and a chronological timeline 😭😭 I know how much money it takes to run a platform like this, but all other social media became ugly looking and unusable because of greed. I have a lot of hope that an artist-led social media will not make these mistakes. Everyone, please support this platform 🙏🏼

[@piusdoe8984]

Agree but they can at least have ads on the side or something. Goodwill and prayers won't help keep them going.

[@kupotenshi]

@@piusdoe8984 I don't necessarily mind ads. It's the weird, inappropriate, bot-like ads that have infiltrated social media that are very off-putting. A subscription service where users have an option to pay for cool perks seems the better way. Like Bobby said, a badge for your page.

[@kupotenshi]

@@solarydays That's something they'll have to figure out. Being unethical, selling data, screwing over users, isn't the only way to make money. Social media company shadiness doesn't have to be the norm.

[@kupotenshi]

@@solarydays Bobby said the founders are paying out of pocket for the platform right now. Obviously, that won't be sustainable. I'm sure they will figure it out.

[@kupotenshi]

@@solarydays No, I don't know, and neither do you.

[@EnzoDraws]

I'm tired guys. I'm so tired. I've moved platforms so much, so many times, they all end up dying unless they got a prick immature billionaire or government behind it. I just wanna draw and have my non-artist friends see it too...

[@alinerdelav]

I know. You moved also to mastodon?

[@khaleddwl5192]

“HAVE SOME FAITH… SOME GODDAMN FAITH ARTHUR MORGAN”

[@amenbrother8785]

stop whinnying about it, either post where available or dont.

[@EnzoDraws]

@@alinerdelav and Artfol, and Threads, and Bluesky, and...

[@EnzoDraws]

@@amenbrother8785 I will whine however much I want because I can, try to stop me.

[@dezzdinn]

My whole feed has been artist sharing their Cara profiles lol

[@pisimana1]

Thisss 🤭

[@beefling5390]

Same it's going to take forever to re add everyone on cara

[@celestearmilla]

Hahah mine too

[@CapturedByKen]

The same thing happened with Vero, happens Everytime a new app comes out

[@DarenKajiWolf]

Me too, slightly anoying but also interesting to see how far this will go as a new sudden trend

[@DAYMENEA]

Joining Cara as a resistance bastion against Skynet

[@chiu-on-this]

Haha right on

[@wabbledonkey]

So true! It reminds me of the Migrant Fleet from Mass effect except we as artists didn't choose this nonsense with data scraping and Ai.

[@GarrySingh-os8kb]

That's true man

[@izzylove89]

People complain that a platform for artists will only attract other artists, but here's the thing. It will also attract people who want to support real artists and not AI. We are on a historical precipice and it's up to us to set our standards or succumb to big tech companies who could care less about us as we continue using their platform

[@jesterfeathers]

this is a criminally underrated comment

[@CAdams_Art]

This! People forget that art directors, editors, etc are all people who will be looking in "artist spaces" to find people to do the work they need, or make the kind of art they enjoy. So long as the platform is freely open to the public, it'll work to all our benefits.

[@jenjoestar.]

Very true we need to be very clear on our values and where we stand as individuals

[@SUTAZZZ]

It's like a gold mine if you want to commission someone

[@alzamonart]

"Instagram killer" is not really what Cara is about IMO. Instagram, just like Photoshop, wasn't designed with artists in mind from the get-go. Artists ended up using IG because it became a convention to be there because that's where audiences were (and still are). My unpopular opinion on this is that in any case you should have your own portfolio website and domain, for branding/SEO purposes, because all these other platforms come and go. And social media fatigue from this platform merry-go-round is getting real - some are just going to be fed up of this cat-and-mouse situation. This said Cara is on the right path morale-wise and focus-wise regarding artists. If we don't want to see yet another great idea being swallowed away by big corporatios due to insurmountable needs of funding, then we should consider supporting it financially ourselves for it keep being that way. Running apps and servers online cost dearly money.

[@edit4310]

Agreed - really well said on the social media piece. Cara at best will be a strong standalone platform, much like Artstation. As you said, Artists interested generating income from art would do well to get their own folio site and domain, but it lacks the social validation MANY if not most artists/people seek, which is why social media will always be the preferred option. That's kind of what causes these 'rushes' on new platforms, look at Threads, everyone's trying to be the next massively followed artist. Cara is the new shiny toy, for now.

[@platy9586]

If it grows it will eventually need funds from somewhere, either the crowdfunded (unlikely) or investment, which will mean ads and more. Also, how do we get non artists on the platform? That’s yet another challenge. I’ve seen this happen too many times and I’ll wait before making a move to cara, because as nice as it is functionally, there’s many other factors to consider.

[@jmhorange]

Cara will never be swallowed up by a tech company, it's a non profit (Not Sam Altman's definition of non profit.) if artists don't support Cara, it will just die and Jingna will have more time for her photography.

[@paulkelly9769]

Shouldn’t be an unpopular opinion-I think you’re dead-on. Your own personal website should be your hub of where all your best stuff is, and social media accounts are just to drive traffic there. This is hard to pull off for a lot of people but I do agree it’s the right way to play the long game.

[@yukichan177]

even if it wasnt designed with artists in mind. they still legaly have no right to use our copyrighted works without permission or monetary compensation for their AI

[@RedGvi77]

I think it's great opportunity to reinforce the art community as a family that care for each other. And I really hope that Cara can implement Nightshade soon too.

[@pinkpunkgurl]

Screw Meta and their AI, all my homies use Cara now🗣️🗣️🔥

[@PigeonyStudios]

as Emperor Pigeon I confirm (meta AIs are good actually but don't kill me I was talking about llama 3 and not generative iamges)

[@lex1h]

fr we shouldnt even support instagram anymore for these decisions, people deleting their content and their accounts will show insta that they made a bad decision

[@Kristian179]

u say that now, ha, just w8!

[@serghonest9]

I like the fact that migrating to Cara will have a lot of benefits. It's not about supporting a fellow artist, but about picking the safest service to display your work. It's actually a great idea, so the project has so much potential!

[@Yuglut]

Given the quality of my drawings, I feel its essential i remain on instagram to completely bias and jeopardize their AI 😂

[@forestflex]

😂

[@Yuglut]

@@nikolnorthwind that would also be a very efficient way for artists to protest 🤣

[@lemeledicortes]

@yuglut @nickolnorthwind if lots of people do this it CAN actually help

[@littleerichsenstudios2292]

I also thought about creating confusing art with wrong anatomy and stuff... 😆

[@zanettilla]

same HAHAHAH

[@damianitamarwayne1447]

does anyone else feel like us artists are like mutants from the x-men world being hunted down by the Sentinels

[@chiu-on-this]

🤣

[@Blackflame-jl7pf]

That's a fantastic metaphor. Well done cause i felt that 🥲

[@georgebasumatary]

Mutant and proud...🤟

[@jeancouscous]

By mutant you mean ugly monsters from the wastelands. Don't overglorify yourself lol

[@yuihanima]

​Jsjsj mutant and proud B) ​@@georgebasumatary

[@steffimaier7297]

As long as it has a "trending/foryou" mechanism; I'm not going to join. This sort of stuff only benefits people that are already popular and pushes lesser known artists down. Sick and tired of seeing the same kind of famous artists like Loish goddamm everywhere! Get rid off the trending crap and allow new artists to shine.

[@ilovemytoy]

I agree 100%. I love Loish, she’s great, but there are SO MANY other less popular artist that needs social media traction to reach out more people/potencial clients to also thrive.

[@neenernina]

Its why I stay on tumblr tbh. I like my chronological dashboard, i like my tag system, I like having my own "customisable" profile page. I'm tired of twitter, instagram, etc.

[@steffimaier7297]

@@neenernina Reconsidering going back to Tumblr, even if I don't get as many eyes on my stuff. But sadly (at least last time I checked) is Tumblr trying to forcefeed me super popular accounts too. Is it still like that?

[@Bruh-vf8np]

​@@steffimaier7297 hate to break it to ya, but tumblr also joined the AI bandwagon as well😓 even though they have the option to Opt out, its sounds like bs so i deleted my art acc on there

[@horamigaun]

I really hope Cara will get popular, because there's literally no social media where you can post your art and watch others art. Not what the algorithm punches into you just because it thinks it's popular

[@Marolz]

Yes, Instagram kinda sucks now

[@lunayen]

Well, there is Artfol...

[@horamigaun]

@@Marolz I remember the days when instagram would AT LEAST have the option to show you the recent posts, not literally everything popular + stupid memes

[@yenshuliao1524]

Been on Cara since it launched and was looking honestly rather shaky and a fleeting existence. BUT! It has done nothing but solidify and grow and improve since then, slowly and steadily. I can honestly see it go places now, as long as we artists are willing to invest money into a team of fellow artists that wants to build a safe space for all artists. I have come to respect Cara as a platform, their team, and by now can see real worth and even more potential in Cara's future. I hope they get the support they need to grow through this period of sign-up surge. I can only imagine what they will be after this metamorphosis. Thank you for giving Cara a presence with this post Bobby.

[@Borahae-vo6gx]

I’m so upset about AI and Instagram. I didn’t know. I really hope the Cara app stays true to its goal for artists five or even 10 years from now. Thank you for sharing this. And thanks to Longstride for sharing this via her newsletter as well! The word is obviously getting out. I joined Cara. Now let me see when I can buy Cara a coffee 😂

[@j3fk4]

5-10 years is big ask. I am happy if they can keep it free of ads, free of subscription fee, etc for 2 years.

[@fxarts9755]

⁠​⁠@@j3fk4that’s a tall order. I would be surprised if it survives the next few months with these demands. Server costs aren’t cheap. No adds no subscription, where do u think the money will come from? Donations won’t cover that much. ArtStation only works bc it’s backed by big companies and they still have additional subscribtions

[@jimmyadrift]

Posting glazed artwork from Cara to instagram is such a smart idea Bobby. You've convinced me to sign up to Cara :)

[@inezkuijtnaiveart7873]

What does glazed mean (I am Dutch)😊Didn’t understand that completely.

[@beariv8158]

@@inezkuijtnaiveart7873 from what I understood, Glaze it's a kind of system/filter that helps to prevent your art to be detected by IA so it can't learn from it.

[@alicja5367]

@@inezkuijtnaiveart7873It’s a method to prevent your art being fed into AI. You “glaze” the image so it isn’t readable by these programs

[@TheMetalValkyrie]

@@inezkuijtnaiveart7873 its tool that adds a type of filter that will prevent ai models from getting good/accurate data from your images. There is also Nightshde another tool its good to keep up with the tools.

[@humanintelegence]

@@inezkuijtnaiveart7873 its a program thing that you use on your art to confuse ai

[@gonzalot.605]

A platform without ads, bots nor AI? OK, I'm sold! Seriously, we need to start supporting platforms that are made by artists for artists.

[@jesterfeathers]

100% AGREEEEE

[@lulu_749]

Just joined the app a few days ago and I'm liking it so far, but hope the Cara team finds a way to appeal to non visual artists as well. For example, adding a category for authors and encouraging them to add their book covers/blurbs in their portfolio sections. Same for musicians, maybe the portfolio could allow them to upload snippets of their music. One of the advantages of Instagram is that it helps all kinds of people connect with artists. As an artist focusing on book cover illustration, being able to easily connect with clients would be awesome. Ultimately, Instagram has too much of a reach that entirely leaving it behind is unrealistic at the moment, but it's cool that other options exist and they should definitely be supported.

[@jesterfeathers]

Instagram has reach for you? Pfft, must be nice 🙃

[@pafupafu_nya_nya]

I hope Cara becomes DeviantArt's replacement, I mean, like the old DeviantArt, full of creative and supporting communities, a space to share & learn and the #1 place to search for an artist you want to hire.

[@AutumnAprodithe]

Even deviant art as AI option.

[@NiaKovart]

thank you for supporting Cara and switching to it even though you are an instagram art star with many followers, Bobby🙏

[@chiu-on-this]

You are so welcome!

[@horamigaun]

There was a time when Instagram would at least give you the option to see the latest posts, but now the algorithm mainly shows popular content and silly memes. It feels like the platform is increasingly focused on promoting certain content rather than providing a convenient user experience. They are not interested in us, unfortunately

[@gonesavage]

I like using the Following button so it gets rid of a lot of crap.

[@deod087]

​@@gonesavage exactly, that's the least thing to do

[@RusPitman]

This feels like vero all over again. Cara is compelling for artists, now it needs to be compelling for non artists. Realistically they need to offer basically the same as instagram while also fixing or adding the things most people are annoyed with on insta. Long road.

[@NuriaSaladrigasLarroy]

So, is Cara like a Behance where you upload your work and people can follow, appreciate or comment? Or is it more social like Instagram where you upload more stuff to as your thoughts, promoting your work, speaking about your daily life, etc? I ask myself, an artist social app only for artists is what we need or do we need the rest of the audience (people non artist, regular public)? Will it be useful just for the need of our images to be protected by glaze)? Mmm, if your images appear in a google search will them be protected anyway? I have so many doubts about all of this. I’ll try Cara for curiosity and see how it works.

[@pinkpunkgurl]

Why tho? It’s a platform “for artists by artists”, it doesn’t have a purpose to become for “everyone” nor be a replacement for Instagram

[@NuriaSaladrigasLarroy]

I was asking my doubts. As a response of your Why tho? Because people uses Instagram as a platform to find customers and buyers, it’s a social media app, not a portfolio for artists. One thing is that artists want to use it that way, but it has never been an app thought only for artists, but for any type of user. So it’s more similar to behance then.

[@EugeniaLoli]

@@pinkpunkgurl Yes, but what artists actually need is normal non-artists users, because these are the people who buy art (due to their sheer number compared to artists). So an artists-for-artists app is only half the job. Instagram worked for artists BECAUSE they could access normal people.

[@Orgotheonemancult]

Honestly, I would much rather it be a place for artists to network with one another. Not every platform needs to be an open square to market one's brand to the public.

[@jeffbrowngraphics]

I think it's definitely an Artstation killer!

[@zanettilla]

yeah! I think so too! I never liked artstation (specially since any non "game concept art super rendered realistic photobashing scifi" art felt really out of place there, and yeah of course they have that AI and NFT shit beign super annoying)

[@bakawaki]

Cara may not kill Instagram, but it's an excellent replacement for Artstation.

[@studionimai]

I feel like it can be the Deviantart killer, but not the instagram killer.

[@valeriechern]

Oh, I thought DA was dead already

[@honey3762]

Yep

[@Gilokee]

I don't even draw much but I signed up to support other artists. Thanks for the video!

[@bcliston]

The elephant in the room for me is their NSFW status. As an artist that works a lot with the figure this is a problem. I actually appreciate that Cara states this upfront unlike Instagram that says it’s okay then punishes you for posting it. I can also see that while developing an app you might be wise to put this issue on the back burner and address it later which fine if this is what’s planned. But if Cara plans to stay in this status I can’t support it. I do know that the issues between what is art and what is porn are a complex matters. But there must be ways that the issue can be handled in an open and honest way, that supports artists that work with the figure.

[@cindyd.01]

I thought I heard they are working to allow this kind of work, but it takes time. Better to do it right the first time!

[@jesterfeathers]

I know Google Play and Apple app store have weird restrictions on apps that include adult material, so I think it's partially their fault that Cara isn't allowing nsfw right now. I'm sure the Cara devs also want to build a site-wide filter toggle too, so that those who don't want/legally shouldn't see nsfw don't see it. I'm sure it's a consideration for them. I wonder if there's anywhere users can suggest features for the site..? hmm

[@nightly145]

⁠@@jesterfeathersThe Devs had mentioned they’re going to add NSFW later on in the future, but they can’t do it right now due to being a small team and not having the resources to properly moderate the content yet. Especially due to the influx of new sign ins. And there’s surprisingly a lot of minors under on Cara despite the state supposed to be 17+

[@noiJadisCailleach]

Every year there is always an app that emerges to be the next "killer" of the biggest player. Then soon after gets forgotten after 2 weeks. Or 2 months if it's lucky. I mean, sure, i'll try. But i won't get my hopes up.

[@jmhorange]

Cara isn't claiming to be an Instagram or Facebook killer. It's merely a social media platform to protect artists' work created by a non profit. That's it. It's worth joining if you want to help in the fight to push for regulations and hold Tech companies accountable.

[@veggsbacon1891]

The term "(insert social app) killer" is cringe to me. How about "competitor" instead? We need more competition against the monopolized world or whatever. So let's kick some ai booty, shall we?

[@fxarts9755]

⁠@@jmhorangeif it’s just that than it’s just a waste of time and doomed to fail. U think regulators or companies care if a very small portion of their user base make a second acc on cara. Bc no one is even leaving the big players. There is accountability.

[@sweetmimi286]

It's a good replacement for Artstation and DeviantArt.

[@White25390]

This ‘window of opportunity to get traction’ is so naive… everyone that is already a giant on instagram will carry over and everything else will be pretty much the same… good thing is no AI tho

[@razym819]

Yep, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Cara is just artist jerking off to each other, smaller artist sharing the bigger artist work in the hope of being seen for once and the bigger artist sharing their working hoping to be the biggest and telling always his sad story '' I used to get 1k likes a day, now i only get 700, why Instagram so bad :(('' while most artist can't get even 20 impressions

[@jesterfeathers]

I disagree. With a chronological timeline, reshares that don't expire, and the ability to sort Explore page by "latest" (recentness), Cara actually presents a real opportunity for new folks to rise.

[@sccrespoc]

What I'm worried about is that I don't want to share only with other artists, but with the general population. I will join, but not sure if it would be s good fit for me.

[@elliart7432]

The site accommodates text only posts, so I think that'll be a huge help

[@sweetmimi286]

The solution now is to continue to post on Instagram but upload glazed images. I also rely on Instagram audience, so that's my plan now.

[@idkwhatever9561]

Cara is what DeviantArt wish it could be. It looks so much like DeviantArt, but DeviantArt is fulled with Ai art and fetish content. Cara seems so amazing, I cant wait to join it.

[@camwoz5181]

You have to follow convoluted steps to just find the darn option to opt out. Then post a screenshot of how their AI is specifically harming you and answer questions ("min 100 characters") that you shouldn't have to... only for them to still say "Nope". Getting "approved" to opt out is absurd. Instagram or Facebook or Meta are soooo out of touch. They have more money than they know what to do with and zero consequences to face should anything fail.

[@Nabs_Draws]

First of all, thank you for this video. I'm using Cara since it's beginning last year in April. It's such a lovely website and community, as you already mentioned and I'm glad to see that Cara is growing now. They absolutely deserve this

[@pinkpunkgurl]

True, but all platforms once were unknown so we can never tell for sure if this certain one becomes popular, and imo, Instagram has been real mean to artists, yeah I understand it isn’t “meant” for artists only, but still, and now with this Meta AI update it’s actually really nice that people are trying out new platform that ACTUALLY meant for artists and even has a protection feature against AI, so I really hope it becomes something big and valuable

[@dd2_valid]

It’s been out for this ling??

[@Nabs_Draws]

@@dd2_valid yeah! Cara popped up a view days after Artstation announced that they allow AI Art on their platform, which was about last year in April I believe. This is also why Cara also has a Portfolio feature! :)

[@Abcdefg-nto]

How can u grow or be more popular in Cara? I’m new there and still learning how it works

[@pinkpunkgurl]

@@Abcdefg-nto it’s a young platform so it doesn’t have a defined algorithm, but in my experience (and some of my art moots) on the day you just joined do a few posts at once (4-5) at least one of them should get 10+ likes and gain you some followers, and after that just post whenever you like, but most importantly engage with others, especially with your audience, write comments, repost etc.

[@blue-angel]

It's like constantly being homeless as an artist when AI "art" creeps in and floods the various art sites. So thank you for pointing to Cara. I will definetely check it out! I didn't know that Instagram had been scraped too but I'm not surprised. It was a matter of time.

[@tonyl5344]

Cara is fantastic. Once the server speed and other kinks are smoothed out, this will continue to explode. There is still a lot of value with platforms such as IG - Though the ethics and baffling experiments they run are completely destroying what they once were.

[@SerilaBuck]

i don't think it's an instagram killer because instagrma ins't limited to artist... But it hopefully will replace the place isntagram had for artist. i'm glad there is a big push for Cara(even if it cause crash). i'm glad for jingna zhang, she deserve a win

[@deprecor1]

I agree, artists want to reach a broad audience, not just other artists. I don't think non-artists will flock to social media for artists. The idea is completely ridiculous.

[@MichaelHoweArts]

I agree about the design - I just did like two things, and was like "I LOVE THIS." Yeah, not sure how well it will last, yet, but really happy it exists and hope it will do well. Don't care about it "killing" Instagram - just need a good spot. :) Thanks for making this video, Bobby!

[@vaskoobscura_]

I recently signed up to Cara love the platform. I'm a photographer and honestly it's so nice to be in a place with other photographers and other artists. It reminds me of what Instagram used to be like back in 2010.

[@rosanilebron1566]

I'm not a professional artist, but I LOVE art in its vast universe. As a "consumer" what I hope for artists is that CARA pull art-oriented minds to their platform so artists can expand their clientele. Because is not only about a safety net to protect original artworks, but also that it should translate into revenue to artists. I will definitely join CARA to support artists.

[@SimgoonArtPod]

Omg Zemotion The one that fought over her work getting plagiarized for over 2 years So proud of her and i hope something good and huge comes out of this Cara app..i still want more info but it's a good news to hear as an artist❤

[@jmhorange]

What more info do you need to decide to join Cara? This is all part of a bigger fight to push for regulations and protect creatives.

[@ren_nay33]

Thank you for speaking about this Bobby, I've wanted Cara to popular for awhile now! It has so much potential!

[@omarortizytc]

remember the Vero app introduced by Peter McKinnon? that exactly! this Cara is only a temporary hype for sure.

[@vividfox8287]

I've known about it for a few months, but I wasn't entirely sold on the idea until I saw your endorsement of it. Thank you, Bobby Chiu, for being the tipping point for me to join. I also agree that Cara needs a "subscription" model or at least a Patreon. If we can keep it ad-free, that would be another benefit to encourage other non-artists to join the platform too.

[@inquisitorinluzifera3406]

4:14 - it was in the EULA for YEARS. This is why most artists didn't use Instagram and warned against it. It states in the EULA that with posting your pictures there, you by agree that Meta is allowed to use these pictures for their purposes.

[@don7117]

Not even close, unless you are into anime.

[@MoniqueWilliamsArtist]

Thank you for sharing this! I've been looking for an alternative to post my artwork and photographs that is protected from AI scraping. Not happy about Meta's recent changes. Especially annoying is the new IG search which combines AI image creation with search. Super annoying to search for other artists by description and get a computer-generated image as the result.

[@chiu-on-this]

Glad it was helpful!

[@cozyartchives]

is it allowed to post photography there too? could not find anything about it and i did not see any photographs there so far. but i like to combine art with photography, so i would not like to post only my art on cara

[@jesterfeathers]

@@cozyartchives You CAN post photography there! Writing, music, drawing, dancing, 3d sculptures, animation: any kind of art is welcome on Cara!

[@solvi122]

If anything, Cara has a potential to replace ArtStation, not Instagram. Although I really hope I'm wrong about this!

[@MultiMetalsnake]

Gonna be tough refollowing every artist i love

[@una2150]

just joined, but like others said, I'm kind of tired of social media platforms and the whole online art scams where everybody is just looking for the next steal. Let's see where it goes from here.

[@NeoOnyx]

As a fellow artist I welcome initiatives like Cara. I joined and posted my first art piece. As you say in the video, it’s still a bit slow and scrolling is a bit choppy, but I’m sure that’ll get better in time. I was wondering, if there are no ads, and joining is free, where does the money to keep Cara alive come from?

[@nimroddormin9844]

I've joined right at the start - and it was very slow for a long time, but today it exploded. I like the simple and clear setup and design and the fact that I can upload files over 10 MB, which I can't on Artstation. It's easier to grow a following, especially through commenting on other content which leads people towards your profile. Yes, it is more for artists than for the general public but this in turn makes it more of a community. And a friendly one, I must add. Go for it! By the way I'm doing my part to nudge it more in a direction where comic styles find a better home than on Artstation which focuses on concept art and a very narrow set of styles.

[@Cam0PAL]

What, again? I thought we got through this with VERO already. "Instagram killer" for artists & photographers it is.

[@PhillipRauschkolb]

A platform made for artists will only attract artists.....while that's all well and fine, who are you wanting to see Your work? Other artists? Or anyone that may want to pay you for your art? As someone who never used ArtStation, Cara seems analogous to that rather than an IG competitor. So if an artist is looking to grow a fanbase that's larger than the artist community they'll have to at the very least stay on other platforms....making the act of maintaining multiple accounts even more laborious. @6:14 is a good workaround for those in a twist about the image scraping, it's a hassle and I have a hard time believing it would become a consistent posting workflow. What I think is more likely, is people will grow tired of the AI panic and just move on with their artistic lives. They'll stop worrying about the AI boogey man, and instead will just soldier on with their art. The panic over generative AI came two years too late, the cat's out of the bag. As much art that gets 'glazed', there will be plenty that doesn't.....I'm not saying the data scraping or generative AI is good, but it's not going anywhere. Your energy is better spent focusing on your craft and your audience, not on whether AI is stealing from you.

[@jmhorange]

I know friends who have lost jobs to AI. The Animation Guild did a study earlier this year and discovered a lot of artist jobs will be lost over the next 3 years. Though I am not a member of the animation guild, being in the UK, I know someone on their AI council and have been passing information I come across about about AI developments that I think could harm artists to help them get ready for their contract negotiations. The creator of Cara is also a member of a lawsuit suing AI companies. This is all part of a bigger movement of artists that are contacting federal, state, and local governments around the world to explain the need for regulations and how AI is currently harming creatives. This includes meeting with Congress and the Federation Trade Commission. The FTC agrees that tech companies are using our data to displace artists from the marketplace and this is monopolistic behavior. The department of justice also agrees and warned tech companies they need to figure out a way to compensate artists for data scraping. And as far as Glaze and Nightshade, it protects your work but it also raises the risks and costs of scraping while we attack tech companies on multiple fronts. The goal is AI regulations from governments and AI worker protections from employers and one day glaze won't be needed. Now this is just some of the things going on to fight for artists and indeed all labor from tech companies. This has required lots of work and time from many amazing artists I know. I wouldn't call Glazing a hassle. What Jingna has done building Cara is a hassle. What Ben Zhao has done to build Glaze is a hassle. what many of us are doing to help artists is a hassle. We are putting in a lot of energy to look out for artists when we could be focusing on our craft. We want to protect future generations of artists though so we make the sacrifice. It's easy to look at the great thing in society and assume it just happened. But it didn't just happen. People advocated, people educated the public, educated politicians and fought to bring about all the things you love in society. And many sat around and said it can't be done, the world is how it is, the powerful is too powerful, the cat's out of the bag... Not trying to give you a hard time but Cara is a great app, glaze is too. It may be a little inconvenient, but the promise of AI is the ultimate convenience, that nothing should require any effort. Please give Cara and Glaze a chance. You don't have to glaze every artwork if you don't want, every little bit helps. And you can keep your other social media platforms, Cara is an addition, not meant to replace your other apps. So try out Cara, I think you will enjoy it :)

[@nicbeese1]

I have to agree with you and that is my question also, would i be happier with 2000 other artists following me out of curiousity and 'support' or 200 actual real people who buy art, i know which i would choose any day of the week. Also on the Ai element I agree, the frankly enormous volume of work out there means that the Ai is never actually going to replicate a piece of YOUR work or your style, thats incredibly unlikley and, well, its here already so trying to outrun it seems futile... I dont like Insta much, but right now there isnt an alternative that has a audience (and i mean BUYERS not fellow artists)

[@jesterfeathers]

instagram started out being just for finding good bourbon. Every app that's a big deal today started out small and REALLY different from what it is today.

[@AliasEveWatches]

Ooh I remember Zemotion on deviantart in the 2000's! I wish her and Cara success.

[@andymarshallart9505]

This app is a breath of fresh air! Like Bobby i don’t care about the bugs We as a community need to nurture and support this platform

[@jesterfeathers]

100% BIG AGREEEEEEE

[@frits1463]

Don't know.. Last year "everybody" moved to Vero..

[@qsoart]

I don’t see many non artist joining and they’re the ones that purchase commissions mainly

[@harshvenigalla1221]

As an artist, I am on Cara but I do not think that I am gonna leave Instagram. I am a small artist with 367 followers and it has taken me 2 years to get some fan following. I am a student and things will get tough for me this year so I really can’t afford to try making a fan following again. I respect every artist’s choice to leave Instagram but in my opinion I do not think it is wise for artists to COMPLETELY ABANDON the account they worked so hard to build. Anyhow, I am with Cara and what it stands for. Its gonna be tough but I will try to build the account ground up. I just hope it will go well..

[@ELTABULLO]

Just take those 200 people to cara

[@deprecor1]

​@@ELTABULLOeasier said than done. Those 200 followers have ALL of their friends on Instagram. Why would they switch?

[@GiannisMihelakakis]

I really wish this becomes an instagram killer. An art/artist social media app is the perfect excuse to ditch the fiery hell hole that instagram is. I wish we all migrate permanently to Cara!

[@chiu-on-this]

Seriously

[@PetrikNZ]

@@chiu-on-this I do have to have a little chuckle about all the Instagram killer talk when you see Cara actually has an Instagram Account. How long before Meta kill that for them?

[@nalublackwater9729]

6:55 I'm sorry but I have to strongly disagree. Artists from other disciplines? Yes! Everyday people wanting to post picts of their daughter's BD, bathroom selfies, or their cat? *Absolutely not* I'm sorry but we have to gatekeep this. Leave Cara for artists and those who want to appreciate it, whatever the discipline it might be. Opening the door for "everyday people" to post their selfies will turn it into a second IG and we will be back to square one! Do you want your art to be drowned in a sea of picts about brunch, Starbucks coffee, b0t0x ladies or 'roids bros? I don't!!! I'd rather think of Cara as a revival of DeviantArt, and I hope that's the general direction their creators want to follow.

[@elliart7432]

Completely disagree. What we're starved for right now is a MAJOR social media platform that actually respects us as artists. Making the site only appealable to artists, a niche group, will make it so it can never grow big enough to act as a true alternative to IG or Twitter. The problem is already that we have nowhere to go anymore except for little specialized sites most regular people have never even heard of before. I don't want Cara to be just another one of those. We can't run our businesses or grow our careers with no one buying or looking at our art, and non-artists aren't gonna make a whole separate account and take the time to thoroughly browse through it just for art, when they can get that, more, AND post themselves elsewhere. People like to gab online, and one of our priorities should definitely be enticing non-artists to stay.

[@nicbeese1]

Question, if you dont want non artists on it then what is Cara good for? it will never by that measure generate you any business or sales, just be a closed group of artists My instagram feed is a closed group of artists now as thats who i follow, but i have collectors who follow me as they are on the platform, i dont follow them so I dont see their posts... how is that a bad model? Cara has to have broader appeal but be able to manage what you see and how you see it better than IG does. And for the love of god it cannot have any fees, that will kill the app in a matter of weeks, kill it, dead

[@DOCTOR.DEADHEAD]

My response to this at first was negative, but the more I think about it I think I'd prefer this too. Sharing my art on general social media for so many years has made me forget how fun DA was in comparison, in its glory days that is. It was pretty much the last online platform meant specifically for art that was fun to use, algorithmically satisfying, and popular. While I don't dislike the things "everyday" people post, they have an abundance of platforms to choose from while artists have to share a space with them due to a lack of options.

[@ShazEire]

just signed up off the back of this vid. my gosh, so much talent! fills my heart with joy, thank you for sharing about this ❤

[@laurenceChaux]

I was meaning to move there but have been delaying it, since the whole fiasco has left me down this post reminded me, thank you Bobby. I took hope that it'll grow and be a greater place for artist

[@hatthawattha]

Oh, I have followed her from the start! I didnät know she started Cara. Awesome! More reason to jump on Cara because it's started by a photographer!

[@youtubechanelle]

Instagram is mostly about videos. Cara is clearly not a competition as it's only usable for drawing artists. This doesn't take in consideration all the dancers, musician or film makers. Doesn't even seem to be a platform for photographers.

[@costinha_arts]

Everyone has been crazy about social media for a long time and we have been looking for a new option ever since. Some of our attempts didn't work and now I'm not as excited as I was before about a new platform, but I still want to see CARA growing up. I'll support as much as I can!

[@unknownn5509]

I started following you on Cara. I'm so glad you made this video. I deleted my Instagram today. I loved Instagram, but ever since reels and everything else it's gone down hill.

[@ELTABULLO]

What if furries keep deviantart, ai bros keep Artstation and regular artists take Cara?

[@ELTABULLO]

Zuckerberg keeps a dying facebook and his TikTok Clone (ig)

[@saalle9432]

Please people donate some money to Cara, at least 5$ cause this people really need our help. They want to reverse this AI trend that plague us artists. We need them as much as they need us.

[@jesterfeathers]

100% AGREE

[@huymaivan8671]

I already donate mine

[@mrsplosh999]

This is an awesome introduction for artists! Hope it stays strong!

[@MorteGraves]

Really pleased there is a new platform that cares about protecting artists work. Kudos.

[@Nkanyiso_K]

I think this is a big cultural moment for artists, I feel like we're all in the same boat so CARA is a great first step & I love the integration of Glaze

[@ScottHebertArt]

I just found your channel, "Chiu on THIS" is such a great name lmao 😂

[@ethereal7328]

6:47 that’s a bad Idea. Really specific socials is better than generic social.

[@royareyzabal823]

thing is; we need that reach to people that aren't artists or designers

[@ethereal7328]

@royareyzabal823 you are right I thought about it but a space just for artists is needed but for business ecc Instagram is perfectly fine

[@maddiedoes3571]

​@@royareyzabal823that's fair, but I think maintaining a separate space specifically for one niche is worthwhile. Maybe a different general website would be a good advertizing hub, but niche sites are a valuable and dying breed :/

[@aeoligarlic4024]

I don't mind as long as they are fellow creatives from other fields. We need them as much as they need our work. Influncers and celebs on the other hand..!

[@ethereal7328]

@aeoligarlic4024 sure other form of art is ok but people just posting their food o face its a no for me, there's already Insta for that.

[@george_MF_washington]

The cow chop beatboxing in the beginning was so nostalgic

[@dwintster]

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Bobby. I saw Aaron Bliase and Wouter Post about joining it this morning. I downloaded it a couple of hours ago. I'm going to start posting on there.

[@Modernwriter_2]

I didn't know about the data scrapping thing, I heard of it but didn't know it started, I'm glad I came by your video I've been working hard on a passion project, and having it stolen by AI with a click or less than a click is heart breaking. I read from the comments that a lot of artists are moving to CARA, so I think I'll give it a try.

[@ArtofWEZ]

The hard part is getting non artists on the platform.

[@RSFeed]

I love your ethic as much as I love your art. I'm certainly joining Cara. Thank you!

[@davechoate]

I just signed up. So far, so good.

[@DrawingDownLore]

Just joined! Hello from Drawing Down Lore!

[@DeluxeGroupie]

I'm still unsure why I would even want to be on a platform with only artists to be honest. Seems like time could be spend better otherwise.

[@SmillyDonut]

My thoughts exactly.

[@CourtneyMermaid]

I'm really upset about the AI of it all over on Instagram. In my field I am already ripped off and copied often so this was just the cherry on top. I have also joined Cara but you touched on something important about also needing to reach an audience outside of the artist community and that's the main reason I'm hesitant to jump to commit to a new platform. I'm definitely keeping an open mind though. Thanks for the video!

[@AdamHarrisonEros]

Another thing to like... It looks like Cara's image compression is not as aggressive as Meta's. This makes for much sharper images. That alone would be enough to get me to switch.

[@nikolailockertsen]

Awesome video and insight Bobby! Thank you!!

[@teddybearmei8713]

so far i love cara and all it has to offer and the people behind it, i cant wait to see what it becomes!

[@Kaalokalawaia]

I haven't seen art on my Instagram in a long long time. No one's art is showing anymore. I only use it for my dance groups now.

[@roywijnen3833]

Since the rise of AI art I became very unmotivated to continue making digital art. Knowing that an AI can just read your work and make work like yours in the fraction of a second is very de-motivating. Now with Cara, I believe there is finally a platform where you can just look at art without having to figure out if it is made by a computer. This is a BIG relieve and I hope to see everyone there!

[@suolainenomena7631]

Thank you and thank you for subtitles

[@agymayachelonia8381]

It will be interesting to see how it grows and becomes financially stable

[@stevecarmean2059]

Joined Cara a few days ago. I love the platform in design and use. I think it’s time I bought someone a coffee!

[@kyounokuma]

I’m cancelling my Creative Suite subscription soon. I’m going to take some of that sweet sweet Adobe subscription money and support Cara monthly. It’s about time artist start fighting and say no, collectively. 2024 just got interesting for us.

[@roggos3668]

Yo bobby man you’re the shit straight up thank you for supporting many of us in our journey, much appreciation for everything including schoolism ❤

[@chiu-on-this]

Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙏🏼 They are very encouraging to me!

[@stephenschildbach940]

You did a fantastic job stating the reasons why AI is so harmful, and my hope is that many artists go in the direction of actively opposing AI. The term I use is "humanism". I am a "humanist". This is even deeper than protecting our art, opposing AI is an act of protecting our humanity.

[@deprecor1]

every artist wants to reach a broad audience, not just other artists. Cara is not the future.

[@kiryushataskete]

thank you for highlighting this topic! i would love to try Cara asap

[@sethydeathy]

The problem is that the creators are uncertain on how to pay for the site, it costs hundreds of thousands to run and they don't have a solid plan on how to pay the bills :(

[@3-piece129]

Sounds like the whole Vero push of a few years ago and it went away as fast as it came.

[@annorraxx4341]

And while everyone leaves IG, artists who stay can finally have a chance to shine. AI can scrape my art all it wants because it already has anyway and there's nothing i can do about it. AI still can't do what i do and isn't me.

[@valeriechern]

Kinda my thoughts too

[@gabrielbored5398]

So refreshing to see human art