I’m sorry but… Cara won’t kill Instagram. Nothing will.

I can't tell if some of my takes are boiling hot or lukewarm lol. Thank you to Squarespace for sponsoring the channel :) squarespace.co...
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The dustpan of history is littered with the corpses of apps just like it, and there's no reason to think that it can actually replace Instagram for a majority of artists.
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[@mf--]

Cara is an artstation replacement and not an instagram replacement. Need non-artists to be on it in order to be in the same comparison as Kelsey addresses directly at 12:40.

[@ArtByEmilyHare]

Exactly, it was never trying to be an instagram replacement

[@M_k-zi3tn]

Nah it's also not an artstation replacement. Artstation is now such a big part of the industry.

[@ecupcakes2735]

YUP. cara was a direct response to artstation allowing AI data scraping and AI art. the users umping platforms is merely a reaction to instagram announcing AI data scraping. which came years after cara was already in development. nobody said cara was supposed to replace Instagram.

[@stephenj2014]

Ugh Art station ... *Oh look, the 9999999th concept rendering of a spaceship that looks like yet another toaster oven with thrusters*

[@ruekurei88]

@@stephenj2014 It's an online portfolio for recruiting artists by various art industries pretty much(job recruitment is literally built in). It's not really for regular users to browse. So it doesn't matter if it's the billionth rendering of a spaceship, it matters to the people looking to hire the artist, or for other artists.

[@artloveranimation]

Cara will be good for artists to find other artists to stay in touch with, and has a portfolio page so art directors can find us. But it's obviously not for promoting/selling stuff because we need non-artists to buy from us since it's a wider demographic

[@UnderTheMoon3]

You don’t NEED non artists to sell art things Major art supporters are…. Artists ! For example I’m an artist and I always buy merch from other artists or support their kickstarters And I commissioned many artists before and I plan to do so again when I have a better salary Sure artists do have non artists fans that do all those but to say you won’t sell enough in an artist centered social media is false, I do think it’s easier for artists to buy from artists

[@NilamBiru]

Like the person above said, artist are buyer too, Who's gonna buy an artbook? It's artist or art enjoyer Who's gonna watch this kind of videos? It's mostly artist Who's gonna commission you for a character design? Mostly OC artist 😂 It's either artist or big company, and Cara provided that

[@peirogi8871]

Yeah i've always found the opinion "but non artists arent there!" to be VERY weird. Im also in a different creative industry and you really do not see that opinion in any other creative space. Where did that come from? Did people come to that opinion on their own?

[@victoriaveeart]

@@peirogi8871 I don't think its weird, its just acknowledging that the people artist primarily target are usually average consumers. artist 100% look for other artists yes, but in the grand scheme of things the public will always be a bigger audience. whenever I have sales 95% of the time its from a regular consumer. thats why cara won't work overall its more of a niche social media. from a business standpoint, you have to think where does the average consumers (or your target audience) naturally spend their time on besides work and family? the core social media apps are what everyone has on their phone, even the people who are not online a lot will have an account. cara would mainly be known from other artists through word of mouth, people who are chronically online and invested in the social media space which isn't the average consumer.

[@Waspinmymind]

@@NilamBiruIgnoring large audiences of people who aren’t artists that buy from small businesses. You’re directly being ignorant in an unhelpful manner.

[@ArtWench]

🤣🤣🤣 Cara isn't killing Instagram. Instagram is killing Instagram. GenAI is killing Instagram.

[@allaganqueen]

for real, IG killed itself. 🙄

[@ELTABULLO]

"Lazy millennials are killing poor billionaire businesses 😢" -Forbes

[@xmaryHXCx]

This

[@Waspinmymind]

Neither of those are necessarily killing Instagram. It’s more complicated than that.

[@stephenj2014]

GenA.I is killing the creative end of the internet as a whole. I've basically bailed on all the Facebook traditional art groups as it's just one self congratulating doorknob after another posting A.I """""artwork"""""" and and the comments section spamming heart emoji's

[@AdamDuffArt]

Your opinion is very timely Kelsey. I'm sharing my own - supportive - response to Cara tomorrow. I too very much support Cara, but it does need some tweaks to be an "Instagram Killer"

[@mutemidorianimations8745]

Oh hey it's you

[@jpeckdraws3932]

Love your channel man 😀glad to see you here

[@StrawberryRaine]

I honestly really love Cara BECAUSE it's an artist only community. I don't expect it to replace Instagram, but instead use it as a supplement. Insta is where I want to build my audience and promote my work, while Cara has felt like a cute little community to look at other people's art to get insperation and actually see what other artists are up to. I don't LIKE Insta, but I think both apps have their place.

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I think that’s a really good way to look at it!

[@meiimacca4054]

​@@KelseyRodriguezthat's how a lot of people look at it.

[@I_am_Lauren]

At this point Instagram seems so negative that I'd like to get off of it completely. I don't use Instagram to sell my art but to look at other artists and keep up with artist opportunities. Instagram is not a safe space for sensitive beans like myself. I deleted my Facebook a few month's ago and I never think about it. It's great! haha

[@Erinba]

Nice one! May I ask how you sell your art outside of Instagram?

[@tundraillustration]

​@@ErinbaDo you use other platforms like Etsy for selling? Thanks!

[@teddybearmei8713]

Honestly with how bad it's gotten I've stopped using it and I think alot of people are doing the same if not cutting out social media entirely

[@rodrigoalvarezavendano3905]

I don't think there is even a reason to be an Instagram killer, the purpose and demographic is different. If Cara works as a safe place for artist if "Normies" want to look for them they will know where to look at, and that is probably enough.

[@jessicajovel7162]

Normie here, picking up again art after many years, and believe me... normies don't know where to look, I don't think people that don't have that much interest into art have any idea of that this is going on, much less of the existence of Cara Although, the audience that creators already have will know since the creators will announce that they're migrating

[@MagdaLenaS2312]

Ngl I'm kinda tired of ppl comparing Cara to instagram and if it's gonna replace it for good... I don't think it was ever intended to be IG replacement... If any, then Artstation alternative. It just so happens that they also added social feed which is really nice, but I still wouldn't call it "new instagram" Also forgot to add that not every artist is doing stuff for individual clients... Those who were already using sites like Artstation or even Behance, were ppl who were more interested in companies and connection with other creatives. Not every app needs the common ppl there. Not every artists makes the BRAND^tm. But ofc for those who do focus on their brand and following from regular folks, Cara might be not enough.

[@charlieloffler4713]

Respectfully. This video misses the point: Artists leaving Instagram is a statement and a significant protest. Of course people who depend on it will cling onto it, but will only do so begrudgingly: same thing happened with Deviant art. The tide will change precisely because it will affect these artists. And once Instagram starts to steal personal photos and music and videos from people. Regular folk will start to abandon it too. Meta's Achilles heel is that it already invested millions into these machine learning programs so they have to implement it to get a big return. Which people who use it will eventually be turned off by their own posts being regurgitated back at them as frankensteined abominations😂. It's going to get much worse with the direction these A.I. vampires are going. I believe that artists will always find a way to thrive. But being complicit to outright theft at such a massive scale isn't something we should just let happen. People should go to alternatives and use glaze and nightshade.

[@Hsvdm_89]

Well put. Thank you.

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I really do see where you’re coming from here and I’m on your side when it comes to being anti-AI and wanting a better community for artists, but leaving IG isn’t a meaningful or sustainable form of protest if it’s hurts your bottom line more than it hurts theirs. The art community is big but it isn’t so massive that some people leaving for Cara would actually have enough impact to force internal corporate change. If 10-15% of artists on the platform left for Cara, I doubt it’d even affect Meta’s bottom line by a fraction of a percent. I hate to say it and I know this will be unpopular but- I think we’re overblowing the size and impact of our community. And if those artists that leave don’t have a plan to find new customers, they’re screwed. I don’t think people should accept these changes lying down, but there are more effective ways to protest that DO actually have economic impact on Meta while not hurting our own bottom line.

[@elysesimpson2207]

@@KelseyRodriguez staying on a platform just so you don’t lose your numbers is not fighting back. Saying twitter is still active like it’s not half incentivized bots at this point. Bottom line you know what helps artists make money? Not having their artwork stolen by GENAI

[@aronhelios1734]

​@KelseyRodriguez this is a very reasonable and clear-minded insight. I share this view too. Best thing would be to Glaze everything and post it on IG bc at that point AI cannot understand shit. At least for now...

[@kanachiaki]

I dont get why people keep saying Cara is trying to be a replacement for Instagram, it’s not! Cara’s goal is to connect artists and be more like a mix of Artstation/deviantart/twitter where to share your portfolio safely. Nobody is trying to replace Instagram but now it’s nice to have a choice where to have art online for artists who don’t want to sell their art necessarily.

[@Hsvdm_89]

Yes!!!!! Exactly

[@daneesia]

Yeah! In recent years, I've wanted to start posting art on Instagram, but my problem was that I didn't like the overall environment/culture of Instagram and I became even more uncomfortable with it as this Meta AI stuff started becoming more pervasive (even on WhatsApp, for crying out loud 🥲). I haven't tried Cara as yet but I've been meaning to since I don't really need all the marketing and flashy stuff that IG has to offer; I just want somewhere that feels safe for posting my art. Art Station feels too professional and Deviantart just... doesn't feel like the cozy Deviantart that I liked in the past (not that either of them is* bad, just not very suitable for my purposes, I think). _* Edit: minor rewording_

[@ArtByEmilyHare]

As others have said. Cara was built as an art station alternative, it is not trying to be an instagram killer. This is to be found by art directors, not everything is about entrepreneurship, some of us are freelancers looking for gigs.

[@christopherjohnson9167]

Then what’s the point? Artstation/deviantart already exists.

[@meiimacca4054]

​@@christopherjohnson9167it's full of bots and ai accts now. No one wants that.

[@aronhelios1734]

The difference is: Cara doesn't allow AI to use its platform to train and scrape data. Which is what artists want, bc AI generated "art" is pure shit. ​@@christopherjohnson9167

[@NikitaCoulombe]

Thank you for sharing your very practical thoughts. After being a full-time artist for the last 5 years, I think the number one way to sell art is to build relationships in person. Good old-fashioned socializing. People want to buy art they have a connection to and it helps when there's a connection with the artist. Most of us are introverts and sometimes I need to kick my own butt to get out of the house... but getting out there works, and the conversations can even inspire new art.

[@ingrida1121]

It is literally impossible to grow on instagram. I used to have 50-100 interactions on my artwork first few years of me posting, and after recent instagram changes ( like not able to search for recent posts, instead of just getting the most popular posts, even with #, people can only see most popular posts) artists are not able to reach people, and now I barely get 1-2 interactions per post. So it is all good if you already have following after those changes happened, but for new artists that just started posting, it is just posting in to the void, because instagram does not show new posts to new people. So knowing your target audience on instagram doesnt matter, if you cant even reach that audience. Even the people that follow artists barely have those artist posts showing up in their feed.

[@krispjeanseamz]

I think this is an important conversation. I agree with you that we need to understand what these platforms actually do for us. I love Cara for the purpose it serves and that I've been working on: connection with other artists. For the business side of things, I'm shifting my focus to licensing, commissions, and local/in person events. To do this, I need to build a network, and I love Cara for that. Getting to talk with artists at my level as well as industry pros about their work and their experiences has helped me tremendously already. So no, it's not going to kill IG or any big platform. But I don't think it's meant to. Love your take on this! Thanks Kelsey 😊

[@GhostCatFromHell]

Cara won't kill Instagram, but maybe it can become popular enough so that Instagram feels the pressure and starts to consider some changes.

[@Waspinmymind]

Not happening instagram is owned by Facebook. It’ll have to reach billions in revenue to even touch the two. And it has a small dev team. Reaching that many might just crush them in the process. Be realistic here.

[@rebekah1362]

@@Waspinmymind Instagram wasn't realistic to someone at one time. It's not impossible. Look at how many people started using Affinity as a replacement for Adobe. A significant number of illustrators and businesses completely embraced it. It takes time and persistence but it's definitely possible and not unrealistic. It's early days. There's a saying, "Don't despise the days of small beginnings."

[@carultch]

I just imagined your comment in Daria's voice.

[@huymaivan8671]

Cara was never mean to design to kill Instagram, so please dont give people false impression about Cara. If anything it mean to work like Devianart or Artstation. Even Devianart or Artstation start as a place for artist only at the beginning and look how big those thing grow now.

[@crystalrose5693]

@@EscapeFromTripWire chill

[@dan_mnght]

@@EscapeFromTripWire It literally isn't lmao

[@anabell.21]

Its not about killing anything, its about having a safe space for artists.

[@maila319]

So glad for pointing this out. When I first heard of rumors saying Cara is killing Instagram, I looked it up only to find out that it's a niche community which made me confused on why a niche community would kill a giant platform that has a far wider reach and more diverse than Cara.

[@osanneart9318]

TBH I don't care about whether or not Cara (or any other app) kills instagram. I just want something different than instagram. Killing instagram isn't the point, I have no interest in some sort of imagined david-vs-goliath-looking revenge. I just have no interest in instagram anymore, and am glad an alternative has been offered that does (seem to) have my interest at heart.

[@ELTABULLO]

Clickbait, no one moves to cara because it will kill the billion user Zucc-media, it's because we're sick of it and is legitimately the better option.

[@SpaceBandit666]

I don’t know who started saying that shit because no logical person believes that.

[@crystaleldridge3988]

Safe from Ai maybe, but I got hit up by a scammer this morning wanting to use my work for NFT's. And there doesn't seem to be a "block" option that I can see.

[@elysesimpson2207]

She doesn’t even have a CARA account so it’s not like she knows what the community there is like anyways

[@DudenamedSoo]

There is a lot of truth in what you say but I'm hoping something happens to diversify the internet again. I really don't like this repeating cycle of gatekeepers. We went from cable to netflix, but now we are back at square one, because streaming services are essentially cable. In the early 2000's, forums helped us find like minded individuals and websites were basically "digital mom 'n' pop" shops. Now its all consolidated down to around 5 to 10 websites. When it comes down to buying stuff online I don't think its good that it gets narrows down to amazon or esty. I don't disagree on your points on reaching people today as a artist, but more people need to give a chance to new stuff for the sake of tomorrow.

[@SpaceBandit666]

When I think about this, I think, Im going to go search something and see where it takes me! (Just like I used to back during the early interwebs) and then I get overwhelmed at the amount of ADS that get pushed to the top, shopping, BUY BUY BUY SELL SELL SELL. The niche cool internet is still out there, its just a pain in the ass to dig through.

[@miroircosmique]

It's a david vs goliath issue at this point. I don't think it needs to kill anything. It can blossom into its own space and attract the type of people who appreciate it for what it is. Instagram will kill itself lol.

[@jeanbot]

I don’t think anyone is hoping that Cara will KILL IG, but I think it’s a space that is more artist friendly. ALSO, CARA HAS AI PROTECTION BUILT INTO IT.

[@WalterCReel3rd]

- nothing will kill myspace - nothing will kill napster - nothing will kill yahoo - nothing will kill deviantart - nothing will kill Twitter - nothing will kill Instagram

[@KelseyRodriguez]

honestly i hope i’m wrong

[@WalterCReel3rd]

I'm just going to say this: it's important to have the audacity to punish hosting companies for abusing and outright stealing your property. Letting them claim your work is the EPITOME of using social media incorrectly. Far far beyond artists not knowing how to market. Frankly, the way this argument is framed misses both points.

[@SmillyDonut]

To be fair, twitter is still alive and its decline is due to Musk's actions, not another platforms. Deviant Art is also not dead. It has its users as it always has. So, this is a moot point.

[@teddybearmei8713]

You forgot about vine 😭

[@xmaryHXCx]

Once again we artists are shown that society actually hates us, or at least maybe not society they may not respect us but big boy corpos definitely hate us. I think all this algorithm and AI nonsense was put in place to put a stop to career seeking artists so they can “get a real job” no, they don’t want us to chase our dreams they want us to be apart of this hellish system forever. Okay I’m sorry I’m ranting but that’s just how I feel… and it hurts because creatives are the ones that made these platforms so big!

[@kats4606]

I hear you! Its so frustrating...whatever they keep throwing at us, it makes me more determined to succeed as an artist out of spite 😆 To 'cheat the system' as it were...

[@kalilavalezina]

They probably feel indifference more than hate. Artists are usually slow-producing creators (because art takes time to make), and in that sense, not ideal for the app, which demands a constant stream of input from users. Hence, the more you post, the quicker you grow. This pressure to produce is detrimental to most artists and bad for our mental health, but probably works well for creators who can produce several videos a day. In my view, IG is a sh.thole now, it's an app for ads. If artists can't post regularly enough (and with hook-based content) they are less valuable. It's a weird space and I think it will eventually fade away and be replaced. I don't think society hates artists, I think non-artists are generally indifferent. We are taken for granted, but so is everyone else. Where I go online, good art gets a lot of love from the general public, if indifference is not present as well. Living your life thinking you're hated is probably not going to help you find success as an artist (said with love).

[@Rhaxma]

Its not tho, that's just a statement from clickbait youtube videos. Ofc cara ain't killing IG. The main focus on moving to Cara was Meta's AI issue, which this video kinda misses the mark on. You briefly touch on it but didn't offer or talk more about the real solutions, which was just either Glazing/Shading before posting to IG.

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I plan on making a video about Glaze/Nightshade because I’m a bit skeptical about the claims they make in their academic papers, so I just skimmed that topic in this video for a reason

[@meiimacca4054]

Of course she didn't because she has to break up her points into more videos for more clickbait and interaction.

[@meiimacca4054]

​@@KelseyRodriguezwhat aren't you skeptical of? Personally I'm skeptical of your actual care and concern as an artist over being a business person.

[@rrdcreates]

Cara gives me Behance vibes - just a platform to show your work for those looking for it specifically...more of an echochamber of other artists and gives the opportunity for possible collaboration and networking. Since most people in your audience will be looking at major platforms to merch and content from you, putting all your eggs in the Cara basket seems like you'd just be performing for your peers, not paying customers.

[@Talimediaart]

This video was a good reminder of how I can make it but without Instagram.

[@SkwithOv]

if artists are all moving to cara, that doesn't mean everyone else is... and if it's only artists, they're not going to get anywhere near as many views or sales as they were before :(

[@bluebay1031]

A lot of artists don’t use Insta to directly sell their art though??? At most, they link to their *actual* shops and online stores in the bio of their profile, which is something most of us do on *every* platform we’re on. Posting art on Insta was mainly about having a consolidated and accessing format for sharing work without having to go through the trouble of making your own website. It was basically a more interactive version of ArtStation. So while a lot of people will be losing out on the views that Insta provides, that’s really all they’re going to be losing, and even then it’s only going to have a massive impact if you either have Insta as you’re main or ONLY platform for art, or if a sizable chunk of your audience only follows you there. I’m not saying there’ll be no repercussions for leaving, but they aren’t nearly as dire as you think.

[@teddybearmei8713]

I've been telling my normal friends and family to get it and I suggest you too ! It's a great way to get them on the app and it is useful for them too as their images will be protected.

[@PeepshowMenagerie]

I'm confused by this video only because I joined Cara knowing it was an 'island' for artists and photographers to post their portfolios and share ideas - most of whom seem to understand that it's the case. I've personally never seen it marketed as an instagram killer, but I heard about it from other artists who were discussing exactly what it is. Most people don't expect a wisk to work the same way as a spatula.

[@adamthorntonillustration9281]

Hi Kelsey, Thanks for another great video, and to Squarespace's wisdom to sponsor you. Really informative. I do feel that many artists don't understand the fundamentals of marketing, and understanding who their customers are. It would be so useful to them to learn. Interestingly though, I feel that's Meta and Adobe's problem too. I know this wasn't the main point of your video, but I'm not sure if we artists actually want to kill Instagram by going to Cara. I don't anyway. I'm still into wasting my life watching funny videos. TBH, I don't think that artists leaving Instagram will really have much affect on them. With all that's been going on recently with Meta and Adobe, I feel that artists are leaving not only because of the daylight robbery of their artwork, but also because of the way they have been treated. The blatant arrogance of the individuals who run these companies, that made these decisions and executed their plan, has been the nail in the coffin for many artist's patience. I'm sure many artist's who rely on these companies for their living, and have decided to stay, are just as disgusted. It just comes down to relationships. We tend to forget that we are not individuals in a relationship with a company or app, but we're individuals in a relationship with other individuals that work for these companies. Companies are merely a collection of people and Adam Mosseri, who runs Instagram, clearly has no customer service experience - he's been a designer his whole working life. If you've been in a relationship with someone who makes bad choices yet, because you were naive when the relationship started and your subsequent familiarity just made you reluctantly tolerate them, there will come a time when their behaviour and disregard for your basic needs becomes so intolerable that you just leave them, if you are able. And that's what's happened with Instagram. As Martin Owens said recently in his video 'AI in Inkscape (an Adobe response)', there was nothing stopping Meta and Adobe saying to its users, "hey, we've got some new technology we think would be useful. Here is a link where you can voluntarily upload your art to help train our machines - but only if you want to of course". But the people who run those companies made the choice not to behave in that way.

[@ChantelleArts]

Cara is very different from instagram, but instagram sure is making some bad decisions and I get why people might feel that they can't post there anymore ❤

[@Jaderabbit3485]

It's frustrating how monopolized some of these areas feel. I think long term I'm going to quit Adobe for my personal use but as a graphic design student looking for a corporate job being adobe savvy still feels like a must 😢

[@BarbaraClayArtisticsoulwithin]

I love Instagram. I am a legally blind artist, and my style is pop cubism. I really did not want to be on Instagram at all at first because social media can be addictive and distracting. But I got the best advice ever, and it actually worked. The advice that I got was to give value first, then receive. What I do on Instagram is look at amazing art and encourage the artists. I give genuine comments on the art that I really love. For one, looking at other artists work gave me loads of inspiration. Then I started to get likes, comments, and sales. The advice that I got worked. There are thousands of artists that are on the verge of quitting. I give value by encouraging other artists to keep going. If I can keep going as a blind artist, I know others can keep going as well. I am a few days away from starting my own KZbin channel. I want to teach those who are visually impaired to do art and love art again. All of this requires a mind shift. Success will come when you give value first and then receive.

[@SkwithOv]

good luck with your youtube channel!!

[@BarbaraClayArtisticsoulwithin]

@SkwithOv Thank You 😊 ❤️

[@GoingApeCostume]

I'm thrilled with Cara as a cosplayer. I often look for images to recreate in 3D with artist permission. Pinterest has been my go to for this, usually linking back to Artstation or Tumblr....but it's so so so full of AI. Cara has made it easy for me to search for non-AI costume design images and talk to artists directly!

[@daviid_ee]

this video hit a soft spot because I learned a while ago that I was doing instagram wrong. That said, IG is still my source of income and I cannot justify moving away from it. Cara is just not a solution, like you just said, when it only focuses on artists.

[@lauritaeart]

always looking forward to hear your thoughts on stuff !! also did not expect the part of you speaking how we've been using insta in the wrong way all this years XD it makes so much sense it hurts. Thank you always for bringing nuance to the conversation and specially for the pearls of wisdom 💡⭐

[@misswomble]

I'm keeping both we can find new artists to connect with on Cara

[@SpaceBandit666]

Honestly, I see it as a breath of fresh air. Im tired of being skeptical if something is ai on IG and Pinterest, I just want to appreciate art and get excited about someone’s process on making a piece that resonated with me. Cara is my place right now, to explore art for the sake of art!

[@pppotatoes]

This is more to your points at the end, but one thing that really grinds my gears (because i want artists to succeed and stop wasting their time on tactics that won’t work) is the amount of professional artists who are primarily trying to sell to consumers constantly making IG reels specifically to complain about having to make short form content… or that their art never gets seen… or just complaining about IG in general. Like that’s a good convo starter if you want to target other artists. But not when you’re trying to sell prints to a casual consumer!?! I want to just shake them and be like “your audience will not care about this!! stop wasting your time complaining about IG and just make a cute reel!!”

[@StormEscape]

I don't think Cara was really designed to kill Instagram specifically, it's in a niche & it knows that. So should everyone drop every other platform? No. However, I do think people should support these new platforms as much as possible because it's only as much of a fad as we let it be. To make a change, we need to start being more proactive in support & showing long-term interest in these new platforms, every big company was once small. I wish the best for every artist. I suggest that people don't just "choose", they have a presence on both. Artists should base how active they are on each based on what gives them their desired results rather than other people's opinions. Some people will make a successful career completely by selling to just artists (that's where I've made most of mine), some will sell to mainly non-artists and others, to both. Like you said, it really depends on your consumer demographic, the demographic you want to have, but also the type of art you do.

[@DreamingBlindly]

Why kill it when it's already killing itself? Insta is going to die since it is extremely reliant on content creators we're just searching for places to survive the aftermath.

[@Inkwell]

Great video, I can't agree more. I feel like every time the Art community rejects a major platform for one of these new platforms they unintentionally become more disconnected from the audience they had previously gained, reinforcing there distaste for that major platform.

[@bxwieknife]

While I see validity in this concern, and it’s definitely been the case for plenty of these platforms, I really don’t see artists (at least the ones I follow) who intend Cara to be the new Instagram. I see artists just excited to meet other artists and network with them, and a lot of people comparing it to early DeviantArt! I think the timing just really matched with a lot of people leaving Instagram due to their awful policies, and since they found a new platform at the same time, it’s easy to link the two. But everyone I personally know is just happy to have an art community again! Of course, that could just be my circles, and I don’t speak for everyone, but I know I’ll be forced to stay on Instagram for my business, and I can live with it. Cara is just a little art haven for me :)

[@bxwieknife]

Also huge fan of your work Dustin! I’ve just started hitting the in person art market scene, you’ve been a huge help!!

[@Inkwell]

@@bxwieknife ahhh thanks, best of luck at your events!

[@OgieSifter]

I like cara not for th AI stuff, it was like finding deviant art for the first time. I dont like looking at it like app killers its like finding the new app everyone posts on. I always find new artists and network in a more fun low pressure way, not that theres pressure its just a chill vibe on these satellite sites thats more just artist hubs to organize with other artists, the idea of just having artists as your audience as your goal sounds bananas though. At least on Cara i feel like its just a jam studio where we talk work approaches and shitting on AI in every other posts. Like an artist alley at night. Not bussling but you dont care you just mostly wanna talk shop and eat by your stall while you draw. Great for weekends but a night market will not Give me the growth to compete against corpos alone.

[@huymaivan8671]

Yeah, feel like you met your first lover once again.

[@thecalicoartstudio]

At this point, I think it is smarter for the artists that can do it, to have your own website and emailing list and hop on KZbin as a chosen platform. The possibilities here are endless and with some networking with other creative people, I am sure everyone can thrive! I am, to ber 100% fair, looking forward leaving instagram as an artist once for all (and maybe even with my personal profile, because I don't like the idea that my personal posts will be feed in an Ai program, at all) and I know it's a scary jump, but yes, it's all in the planning and knowing where your potential customers are (or experimenting, if, like me, you are a totally new artist, with zero experience and audience!) Thank you for being so transparent with your opinions, as always, I love the value you are offering to the community!

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I 10000% agree with that take. There are certain communities (like the high end art market, for example) that I expect uses IG more than other social platforms, but I think KZbin can be really great platform for artists!

[@teddybearmei8713]

For me i have been enjoying cara, i dont really care if instagram dies or not, i personally dont like it regardless. Just happy theres somewhere for us where we can post our art and be sure that its safe for the most part. I have been following the journey of its creation and i think that zemotion has been putting so much money and time and effort into it. I dont think its supposed to kill anything i just think its meant to be just a safe space for creators :3 I am really excited to see what it becomes because right now I'm loving it

[@RebekkaHay]

IG now charges you to be seen at all, they e become the yellow pages - IG is in self destruction mode.

[@AudreyGaleArt]

You’re so right! You talking about hashtags on instagrams to fit with your target audience totally clicked with me and I realize now that I’ve been approaching this all wrong. I’ve heard for years about finding your target audience as an artist, but you’re the first person who’s actually given a good example of how to apply this to REACH that audience. I’m definitely going to be switching things up and looking into your workshop.

[@artrabum]

Very smart perspective. Esp with the hashtags and stuff. Most artists don’t realize they shouldn’t be targeting artists. I saw a few artists give farewell speech as they left for cara. I hadnt heard of it but knew they were not thinking about it right. I’ve always thought even when trying to sell a painting in an actual store, don’t target galleries that sell art. Target stores that don’t sell art so you’re the only artist there. Then make pieces that cater to their clientele

[@timtoongamer]

Great video, lots of valid points. The thing I've noticed with some newer platforms is that for example when Mixer 1st hit the scene and streamers where moving over there from Twitch there was(most notable 2019) this huge push to cancel Twitch, then when KZbin was starting to do their exclusive contracts with Streamers from Twitch the same push to bring Twitch down happened again. Now more recently with Mixer defunct plus in addition to newer streamers coming up on Twitch and big streamers returning to Twitch that mindset seems to be gone. I'm not saying Twitch or any other platforms doesn't have its issues and there's always room for improvement but the way ppl want to jump on bandwagons to cancel a platform when a new one emerges just confuses me. Glad you mentioned Clubhouse cause I think what's hurting that platform is that you can't archive the content and can only listen when the creator is live which mightve worked during the lock downs but with the world opened back up agian ppl can't always tune in at an exact time. Anyways great video with great info

[@FayN_]

Cara isn't instagram replacement tho. it was created to give artist a social media without AI practice and cara is mostly for artist not for regular people who use it to share their daily lives so yeah. Cara will not kill instagram, that is obvious.

[@nicolasb.henry294]

Cara won´t kill Instagram but...nothing is eternal and those tech com must learn to be more respectful. The good times comes to an end for them. I will open an account at Cara while keeping my Instagram account but I will publish my work first on Cara. In the meantime I have always used Instagram as an extension of my business cards and website.

[@tekilatree]

Your remarks are very valid! The one that resonated the most is when you say that an audience of only artist is not the one that make a business work.

[@vampireantihero]

I like how you did a deep dive into this. It is really well put and well thought out, with a lot of good things. I do disagree with the thought of not having a presence on Cara, for whatever my two cents are worth. :) I don't necessarily think Cara is trying to kill Instagram-- it's been around a lot longer than this and came after Jingna's work was stolen by a photographer (that the thief won a contest with). I know for me, I just want somewhere to post that doesn't have the pressure to sell. Not every platform needs to be integrated into our business prospects. I want somewhere where I can connect to other artists, where I can have discussions that don't need to lead back to a sale. Yes, I'm running a business, but my business posts can go on other platforms, with my work glazed and nightshaded. I personally like Cara, not for the business aspect but for the community aspect. I love what you talked about with getting into other communities that coincide with what you like to do. I'm an author and an artist, and I'm trying to break into book covers so I've been showing those things in author spaces. I think this is great advice. At the end of the day, it's all going to come down to people alchemizing the solid marketing advice that you give into something that works for them. I haven't jumped ship off of meta yet, but I haven't posted artwork on insta, either. Threads seems to do well for me. I hope that people can ultimately find some solid footing in these crazy, unsteady times.

[@lunazamoraart]

I have not seen you in about 6 months, and your marketing sense has really grown. Thanks for the perspective. You are right!

[@art4anj]

This is why I announced to my IG community that I won’t be going anywhere. As someone who’s doing art FULLTIME, it’s HIGH RISK for me to leave what I’ve built for 14yrs(created in 2012). It’s up to me to just do my part to protect my art as BEST as I can because that’s all I can really do about it. ALSO, I love reaching out to other creatives that are outside my niche like videographers, musicians, trad artists, gamers and so much more! I look forward to the growth of Cara BUT we can’t deny that I won’t be able to see these kinds of creators there.

[@AnnaBucciarelli]

You are absolutely right 💯

[@lucasmartines6115]

LinkedIn didn’t replace Facebook, but it serves as an alternative for business. Perhaps Cara will become a safe alternative for artists, but its success depends on whether art enthusiasts choose to use the platform.

[@inthemakingca]

I agree Kelsey and I am also very interested in sucking less at finding my ideal customer. So far friends and family are excellent ideal customers, but I have yet to sell to a stranger.

[@noname-nu6oo]

I'm a new business starter and although Instagram is the app to use for artists, I don't want to contribute my images for their AI meta to consume.

[@BrandonNeely-op1xc]

Thank you for making this video and so many others in your catalog. It’s been super helpful to helping me develop my own dream business and actually have hope to do so. Your positivity but also forwardness really has helped to avoid many issues. Thank you Kelsey it means a lot to have someone out there doing what you do 🙏🏻

[@abba9881]

haven't expected such a cheap clickbait from you. especially in a such a turbulent time. unsubsribed.

[@violetorange-xh5po]

Can you explain how this is a clickbait?

[@elwirastadnik]

Well, we still have 500px for photographers. For those who cannot take photographs, Cara can be a salvation.

[@marek_tarnawski]

I think huge portion of artists on IG were on the platform to just be part of art community and for those jumping to Cara makes sense. For me Instagram was place just to put some rough sketches instead of a treating it as an serious marketing tool. Only after while I found some people put there only portfolio level work for specific non-artist target audience.

[@CozyCabbit]

I still haven't seen non-artists (casual art enjoyers) talking about going to Cara, so it's still hard to see it as something other than an artist only platform. I only see it as a place that works best for people who want to work in the industry, just like Artstation, so there's not much appeal for a hobbyist like me to leave. Even non-artists are tired of moving platforms, so most are still are Twitter and Instagram. They don't have an incentive to leave either. Do I like the direction Instagram is going in? No, but I'm also not leaving an account I've had for almost 10 years. My reach has honestly improved 200% since artists started leaving, so that's more incentive for me to stay.

[@ManAtArmstrong]

7:09 From the moment you rolled up your sleeves til you reached the Squarespace ad, I felt like I was in a Zoom chat and you were speaking directly to me. I had to run it back and let it all sink in.

[@frankie_smith]

NOT looking for a Instagram killer. Just looking for a home on the 'net to share art and look at art; meet other artists ( you know, what Instagram use to be)

[@TimRidleyArt]

Great advice, Kelsey. I had never thought about hashtags or communities where your audience or target customers would be. Very valuable insight.

[@zinzolin14]

This is a great message creators need to hear. I'm seeing so many artists treating Cara as the solution to the struggles they're having with Instagram and even wiping their presence off the latter altogether. While I hate the whole AI thing, but there's just so much value you can get off IG, meanwhile keep on fighting within the platform and supporting fellow artists. I do hope for the best with Cara, but it's not replacing Instagram.

[@levisimpson516]

I don't think people moved to Cara to kill instagram, most of them seem to be using Instagram as well as moving to Cara. I think artists move to platforms like Cara and make a bit of a scene about it because it's the only way in which they feel they can attempt to make their voices heard about something they disagree with. They feel powerless and upset and want to say something, be heard, and sadly this is kind of the only way to attempt to do that. I look at it as a sign of protest and even possibly a potential reminder that there are other platforms out there and possibly, some day, one may have the functions and design to give it the staying power to actually attempt the seemingly impossible task of taking a real chunk out of the large platforms. So I like many jump over and start using Cara because I want to say something, I see the community of which I love hurting and wanting to say something, something I support, so I join in to help amplify that, even if it's just a drop in the bucket to those in charge, I want to help shout that message because you never know and it costs me nothing. For the record, I'm more a hobbyist, I've been on IG for 8 to 9 years at this point I believe, I don't have much of a following, never have, though I have a lot of amazing artists who have followed me over the years along with a fair amount of good friends I've made through it. I use instagram as a sort of open window into my sketchbook. So it's very uneven in terms of what I post, medium, content, etc. I'll continue to use it, but for now I'll continue to use Cara because it's kind of fun, I like it, and I like that it's a feed I can go to full of art and not ads or reels.

[@lu.luxxie]

The main point I'm getting is that artists don't know how to market themselves, and Instagram is one of the best places to do that either because there is already a customer base there or more potential for a customer base. But isn't the conversation regarding this shift to Cara more about protecting artists' works and less about marketing & customer base? And if, for example, this push was successful and artists used Cara as their primary marketing platform, wouldn't that be where the customers go?

[@KelseyRodriguez]

It’s possible that Cara could get large enough and wean enough artists off of other platforms that it becomes a really incredible community, but I don’t think that would change consumer behavior. Lots of people that buy art and products from artists don’t go out looking for it, they just stumble upon it on their feed or in real life. I think artists will always have a better chance of making a sale if they are deliberate about finding their customer base, rather than waiting to be found, that’s all

[@lu.luxxie]

@@KelseyRodriguez Your take on consumer behavior makes sense to me. However, to my first question, isn't there a potential threat in opportunistically using a platform like Instagram for sales with the rise of AI? If AI got a hold of their artwork and someone sold it at a significant price reduction or for free doesn't that defeat the purpose of finding their customer base on that site? If there is no protection for art on Instagram, and they could potentially lose sales in the long run, is it really where artists should be sharing their art? If marketing on Instagram included not posting their art that would make sense so I could see that, the desire for something like Cara seems more about protecting the integrity of artists' works. Nothing wrong with casting a wide net but that means artists wouldn't be posting their art on Instagram, just redirecting their customer base to their portfolio (and with limited references for customers to decide if they really want to invest in their pieces).

[@tonidigati1481]

This is exactly why I didn't hop on Cara. My IG already has established customers following me, and Cara seems only geared towards artists. Going forward, I will use Glaze to protect my art from AI scraping (although the damage has already been done). Great info regarding the hashtags Kelsey! I'm definitely guilty of using #watercolor every post.

[@foxxxtheworst]

It's like telling a bodybuilder that in order to follow their dream, they need to stop training and start being where the untrained people are in order to train them or sell them products. Artists don't sell products, they make art... f**k marketing. F**k working for instagram for free.

[@creativejargons]

100% Agree!

[@SmillyDonut]

Yeah. My problem was that I started Instagram as a way to connect with the local art community and local artists and I haven't been able to make the shift to trying to sell. I think I'm just stuck at the target audience phase and struggle with marketing because of that.

[@Blaze6108]

In the discussion about the economics of platforms like Insta, it often comes up that platform businesses are somewhat like private railways or roads, IE a natural monopoly. This basically means that after the capital costs have been incurred and the business established (this includes attracting users, who are part of your capital), the business is near-guaranteed to be forever monopolistic in that product category, short of exceptionally bad mismanagement. The main difference is simply that the product category for a railway to monopolize is the connection from A to B, whereas for a platform it is the feature set of the application. After 2005 or so, I don’t think there has been a single case of two platforms competing on the same product.

[@jngarrettart]

You made really excellent points here. I definitely have things I should think over and do much better for marketing than I have in the past. For myself, I’m part of the demographic that’s not leaving Instagram FOR Cara - I’m leaving Instagram. Meta’s new TOS year including the scraping of content for generative AI was my final breaking point on what I can accept from them. Am I trying out Cara? Yes, but not to replace Instagram. I’ll try Cara to see if some support can get them reach their goals and so I can see beautiful art, but it won’t be my personal strategy for my art. In general, I’m going to pare down where I’m spread too thin on social media, target the social media and sites that I believe are most relevant to what I’m actually trying to do (such as KZbin, Etsy, and Webtoon for now), and take my website and an email newsletter more seriously. Your advice here to think through what terms and tags our target audience might search is also awesome. Thanks for sharing!

[@LouiseStigell]

Such. Good. Points. 👌🏻 Target audience comes first. Your own preferences second. Platforms later. In that order. Thank you for explaining this so well. 😊

[@nataliasouza6444]

i don't see Cara as a competitor of Instagram, for me is a platform more similar to Behance, where artist and art directors go to have a better view of there respective market. And I know that a lot of artist prefer this kind of platforms, where you are not competing for everyone attention, but directing your efforts to the ones that are more likely to hire you for projects. I remember of an art director saying that, he would spend hours on Instagram but would only hire artist active on Behance, just because the platform seem more professional. I think similar thing will happen with Cara.

[@korendhatz.d2816]

Cara is not killing instagram but insta is killing itself cause of ai and the fact that they wanna use artist works. Insta is just not that special

[@jacquedemarr]

I completely agree with you. People use social media for art completely wrong. These apps aren’t made with artist in mind they aren’t made for that. Also, many artist post on these apps not for conversions but for clout and ego boosting for being artist.

[@Artist1974CH]

Kelsey also made a video about why she quit Instagram which she never did.

[@evtheangel]

I got nothing to lose on Instagram, so I’m totally fully switching to Cara (as an artist) in hope to successfully reach some audience there

[@ConifuriousTree]

How would one go about defining or finding the words to describe their target audience?

[@KelseyRodriguez]

I gave some examples in the video, I should make a dedicated video on this topic!

[@nebulaquatic]

NGL I see it more as a Deviantart replacement rather then an Instagram or Artstation replacement

[@resistcontrol]

“Im not a shill for instagram”, that is exactly what a shill for instagram will say… She doesn’t think artists should quit instagram right now? lol I’ll tell you what, not only artists should leave instagram, EVERYONE SHOULD LEAVE INSTAGRAM RIGHT NOW!!

[@meiimacca4054]

That's what I'm saying!

[@Artist1974CH]

Since Instagram is a Meta product, Meta is a supporter of the genocide of the Palestinians. Mark Zuckerberg is not a nice guy what-so-ever! There are other horrible things about him, but there are shills out there who encourage people to stay with Mark Zuckerberg so-called products to help him continue to make profits by exploiting everyone. Anyone who uses Meta for business is a fool! Kelsey Rodriguez once made a video about why she quit Instagram. I checked to see if she quit Instagram, and she actually didn't. And also, I saw her having large amount of followers on her Instagram. Another KZbinr did the same thing. Most of these KZbinrs are fake and they make these videos for views and profits; and they are doing the same on Instagram. There is no telling how much extra cash they are being paid by Mark Zuckerberg to defend Instagram or Facebook.

[@chryselene]

Interesting how opinionated about all of this when you aren't even an active user of Instagram.

[@Artisteser]

Dude people say this once a week! You know how to kill Insta? Stop using it

[@EarthToIndiaa]

Ok ive been off insta for about 3 months and have no idea whats going on💀

[@moranababic8450]

Amazing video! I learned so much and this really got me thinking more. I agree Cara is just full of artists and no costumers. Thank you so much for making such an awesome resource

[@Apheleion]

Fully delted all meta accounts,fb and instagram and moved over to cara.

[@autumnsartstudio]

If consumers don't care about the generative AI parts of these platforms...then why should artists? It's gonna be a long haul to fight that no ai fight but it's like talking to a brick wall at this point when the consumers wont listen and it will only turn them off if we get to a point of raising our prices for our art just to make ends meets. My problem is it's a pain to have a to record your process just to prove that you are not using AI as part of that process, no ones gonna just take your word for it because depending on your style no matter what you put out it will be called "AI art". Someone told me to go back to traditional art without the computer because that will be the only way to get anywhere in the art sphere soon. I have severe carpal tunnel and hand numbness in both hands to where I can't do traditional art anymore. I'm not saying we should give up...but taking sides when the consumer doesn't care wont get us anywhere. If there are consumers that do care, you are a small group of people. Most consumers don't care as you can see and will buy whatever.

[@0_PsY_0]

I'm losing hope on all platforms regardless!! I don't who to trust at this moment because I don't know who's telling the truth or lying I can't trust KZbin as well!! 😭

[@cloover-jg5zd]

I personally use cara for inspiration, there's something to learn from each piece always and it never fails ti cleanse my palette, ig until and unless you are very into art the majority on my personal account has just been ai fanart and it always visually kinda seems off and as a designer i like get oddly frustrated with that lol. So yeah i do think ai will essentially be harmful since majority of its use is for monetization and since it's easy access everyone does it and most of all you can never tell who's art is who's? And it's not copyrightable either , yes it does increase competition for artists but at the same time i don't think new people would want to enter after the market is so saturated. Idk it's shaky rn i hope glazing or nightshade works

[@lunazamoraart]

We have been populating social media since 2006. Our content is not our own. It’s the price for exposure.

[@meiimacca4054]

Is this clickbait? Feels like clickbait. Also no one, at least from what ive seen, is saying its an insta killer. Also what is your point? I saw you said theres better ways to make an impact on fighting instagram and such but do you list how, are they reasonable methods? Whats the purpose of trying to sht on something that others are trying to give momentum to?

[@AHylianWarrior]

I'm sure you mean well but as you pointed out in another video you make plenty enough money per month to ignore things like Cara. I get it that you think artists don't need other artists to grow a platform but who do you think buys a lot of commissions? It's other artists or people who follow artists to these platforms. We're not looking for mums and dads most of the time, it's people with original characters and those interested in fanart, people who create accounts on art platforms just to follow artists. I'm just tired of artists with big numbers telling others what will work and won't work. I'm sure you mean well but how would you feel if you had to run around to every single social media outlook where other artists are just so you can make a living? It's not even about killing Instagram, it's about ESCAPING GenAI. You've got the point all wrong.

[@Kathysart]

WOW! You really lifted me today! I had never thought of the perspective you shared in the way you shared it. I feel enlightened! So my first step is to create my products. Then? I think I’m going to contact you for launch help. You are wonderful! Thank you. 🍃🌸🍃

[@FerdinandZebua]

Instagram doesn't even bring me any business. At all. For more than a decade.

[@FerdinandZebua]

And I've been on Cara for a week, and I'm almost pretty sure I will bet at least $100 that Cara will not bring me any business, either.

[@rileystewart3170]

If Cara is by and for artists, you can’t use it to sell. It’s currently more like an overly friendly critique day, but also, the only people with followers are the ones who have a following on another platform and posted about Cara, so it’s not good for discovery either. I want to see small accounts, but my feed is like 5 images for the day which are all from big accounts with digital art that doesn’t really interest me. Hope it turns into something, but don’t know what purpose it serves right now.

[@JamesHeather]

I use Mastodon and Pixelfed and it's the best for me. Your argument to submit to big tech corporations is not correct. I come from the Czech Republic. A country that is now part of the EU but experienced Soviet totalitarianism in the past. If all people thought the same way as you, my country is still part of the USSR today and I had to live in totalitarianism. What many people don't realize is that totalitarianism only survives because many people simply accept it.

[@MugiHours]

Completely true.

[@Artist1974CH]

How is that capitalistic totalitarianism doing for ya in Czech Republic?