Why I Hate Instagram and Tiktok As an Artist

Please, share your thoughts about creating / watching art content, or even just content in general, on Instagram and Tiktok. I'd love to have an actual discussion in the comments :)
I promise, next week's video will be more positive and fun; sorry for all the negativity in this video! Just felt like ranting, as these are things that have been on my mind for quite awhile.
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:04 - Short-form content
2:22 - Lifespan of short-form videos
4:02 - Posting consistently
8:00 - Keeping up with trends
10:36 - Your content does not belong to you.
11:16 - Changes moving forward

[@Queencobra526]

YES! THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING AN ARTIST AND CONTENT CREATOR. I WANT TO SHARE MY ART, BUT IT IS LITERALLY BORDERLINE UNSUSTAINABLE FOR ME 💀💀

[@artbymadeleiine]

I AGREE!

[@Queencobra526]

@artbymadeleiine It's so hard getting engagement because art takes time. HOT TAKE: Honestly, I think the whole system of how we consume art currently is actively killing it.

[@kyupiangel90]

​@@Queencobra526 That's not a hot take: That is the factual truth. Having to keep up with big numbers as small individuals IS FKNG INSANE as a concept ALONE. Yes, individuals CAN reach big numbers by sharing their things on social media, but we CANNOT keep up with the extreme competition, that the creators of the platforms we post in, CREATED, when instauring algorythms that benefited THEM and not the ones CREATING THE CONTENT, and i ain't talking about whole teams of people, i'm talking 'bout us, THE USSERS. If we weren't there, those teams and apps would be targeting to the void, so we need to take this matter in our hands, the hands of the ones using their product, and stop posting in slavering sites. Try artfol, cara, bluesky, furaffinity, whatever, no need to stop posting on their app altogether, but rather just not feeding their imposed systems of reels, numbers, addiction; just make them FEEL the panick of abandoning their platform at all They ALWAYS get scared of it, so maybe, that could be a wake up call for them to change. If 1 person does it, it doesn't change shait, so we all have to do it.

[@akatastrophe]

@@Queencobra526yes definitely! We consume art so quickly that there’s no room to breathe and think about what we’re actually looking at. It doesn’t take long for all art pieces from multiple accounts to merge together, and the excitement about art can easily plateau to indifference

[@KYLETISZAI]

​@@akatastrophethank you for saying this. I feel like a loser for not creating. But I will be posting things soon

[@luttras]

Someone said it finally. I'm working my ass off trying to keep up with reels and stuff like that, and I just can't honestly.

[@artbymadeleiine]

@@luttras Yea fr it’s so draining

[@clarancewoo]

I'm also an artist who can't keep up with the consistency while getting burned out by the algorithm on Instagram and Twitter. I tried my best to post more art, but what I got was one real follower and a lot of spam bots. That made me doubt my skills as an artist.

[@artbymadeleiine]

@@clarancewoo aww oh no I’m sorry to hear that! We gotta remind ourselves to not determine our worth or the worth of our art based on the attention it gets / doesn’t get on social media. I’m sure you’re a great artist! 🫶

[@justmilkcat6274]

NO IM SURE YOU’RE GREAT. I’ve seen literally so many people with super gorgeous art and they have like 600 subs and that’s all

[@solarydays]

isn't the expectation here is unrealistic? social media gets millions of images/ videos uploaded daily. you upload one thing and expect people to find out that you exist among the other millions of stuff nobody looks at ?

[@omer7895]

This was randomly recommended to me, but I’d have to say I agree. I remember long ago when yt artists would post real-time process videos which are hours long, and I enjoyed it because I get to learn a lot. Now I can hardly find anything past 10 minutes

[@artbymadeleiine]

SO TRUE. I used to just sit and watch speedpaints with no talking, just music over it and I would watch for hours.

[@hazzahannah]

We seriously need to bring back this kind of content!! To this day I love watching speedpaints. But it’s unfortunate that it’s not as popular as it was. I remember always wanting to make speedpaint vids, but with the music copyright thing that’s gonna be rlly hard for me 😭

[@mintycoffins4155]

As a cosplayer I feel like I'm also having the same problems. I don't really care enough or have the time or energy to cosplay and post all the time and scroll on tiktok to make more short form content that will just rot my brain. It really was so disappointing for me when the reach I used to get before reels were a thing is practically gone. Feels like the only way to get interaction and for people to possibly follow me is through anime conventions. I'm waiting for there to eventually be a platform for people like artists and cosplayers where they can easily get reach without short form content

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for sharing your perspective, I could def see how it might be the same for cosplayers too - I hadn’t even considered that. I also hope one day there’s some new platform for artists of all kinds to share their media without feeling pressure to post new content consistently

[@mintycoffins4155]

@@artbymadeleiine It takes me a good 2 hours, possibly more depending on the cosplay, to get into it and do makeup and it doesn't seem worth it to do that multiple times a week just to keep up with the algorithm. Ofc artists take even longer with their art, and it seems like none of it is worth it to keep up with everything. It will hopefully be so much better when there's a new platform

[@suicideshy451]

It's also cuz there are so many different forms of cosplay but to keep up with short form content the only types of cosplay that work are the cosplay that you buy at an affordable price and then buy a lot of it. There is an overconsumption issue but it's doesn't make room for other kinds of cosplay at all. Especially the long and slow detailed cosplay that some crafters like to do going all out to make individual props and taking months on one character at a time.

[@daideusx5637]

Social Media has for short terms killed the artist soul. Before it was created artists weren’t valued by what they do/got but valued by their hardwork and merit. Art takes time, patience and attention to detail. Something that social media doesn’t want which in turn burns out a artist. You either be a artist or content creator and thatll define whether your work gets its small attention.

[@Modernwriter_2]

It's depressing, I made an account in this new app Cara, the invisible pressure to post is less but it's still there, I posted one thing and I'm already burned out, I think it's best for me to continue creating new stuff but offline, and to practice animation. Ugh

[@artbymadeleiine]

Ahhh I'm sorry to hear that the pressure to post consistantly is super discouraging to you! But yea, do whatever you feel is best for your mental health, and whatever will make you happiest :)

[@Modernwriter_2]

@artbymadeleiine hopefully I'll get more creative and better ideas 🤞 great video, btw, excited to see your future videos.

[@kqlolll2618]

Im fr just paranoid to post what i have made because its concepts for a fangame and i dont know if i actually want people to see it (but i do know that cara, the app im going to post all my stuff on, doesnt have any bullying problems.. yet, unlike tiktok.. or god forbid instagram with its horrible reels)

[@mariarzyt_3D]

I absolutely agree :( Feeling like wasting my energy on feeding the algorithm instead of being creative and making new art, providing actual value... What I find especially disgusting about IG tho is how bad this platform got over the years, they really push you into spending money (which I never will because fuqq meta lmao)

[@artbymadeleiine]

OMG YEA THE PUSHING TO SPEND MONEY TOO -- Tiktok has gotten pretty bad with that as well

[@RuiiPlumee]

The title enough is what got me here to say, you cooked! Ain't nobody got time to do short form content 25/8/367! That's a recipe of an easy burnout speedrun 😭 i tried doing reels and im already wanting to hibernate until next year

[@randomlefy4285]

Maddie, I just wanna say that your channel is a literal underrated treasure. I know this might sound clíche as a commenter bot that spams stuff like: "Can we just appreciate how they keep us entertained with their content." You're the only art youtuber I can relate to. The thing about your videos is that they feel so real and natural. You're so honest about your opinions Your content form is not any flashy and really contrasted or any bland and feels washed out. And your personality and the way you edit your videos are unusual in such a good way. And not to mention how much I like your artstyle. You can make any beginner or expert artist feel welcomed. Your channel is truly a gold mine. I would be happy to see you gain a bigger audience.

[@artbymadeleiine]

Awww this is such a sweet comment, thank you so much. You’ve made me feel much more confident about my content, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy it 🥹

[@randomlefy4285]

Honestly, I am much more glad that I made you feel better. You need to be aware that your content is underrated and that people actually think they're informative.

[@KodokunaSenshi]

Right, there are no texts jumping and images flashing all over the screen

[@randomlefy4285]

@@KodokunaSenshi Exactly. Searching for content like this is just as difficult as mining and searching for diamonds at this day and age. And honestly, I kinda blame short form content for this. Like Maddie points out in the video, short form content creators are aware of how much over-stimulated their average viewer is. So they seek for heavy, loud and flashy editing. It's literally so refreshing to see someone disobey this and point out their frustration with it. It literally courages other long form content creators or viewers to speak up about this.

[@moldycheesedoodles5894]

I like short form content because of all the things it introduces but thats really it. And even that has flaws because it's so easy to spread misinformation,simplify/gentrify things, or even exaggerate or demonize.

[@artbymadeleiine]

@@moldycheesedoodles5894 yea there are definitely positives to short form content, but I’ve mostly only experienced the negatives

[@creamypeanutbutter7769]

Thank for this video! I was watching a video of an artist the other day telling how she made $10,000 a month as an artist. And she was saying if you are an artist, you’re also a content creator. And this bothered me because I felt it wasn’t true or shouldn’t be the automatic truth. I have an art instagram that isn’t poppin’ at all but I still enjoy posting my art from time to time. I’ve tried making and posting reels but it’s so much effort. I just wanna draw and do my digital art, not record me doing it at the same time. I normally just post art after I’ve drawn something I was proud of, but it wasn’t with the initial intention to draw just to post something. Im also very private about myself online so idk what to do. But i do not want a 9-5 job. I want to make art freely and sell it. I also fear being a trending artist and then that popularity being gone in an instant. The internet is weird and unpredictable for creators.

[@monztr0]

Foxy is staring into my soul

[@artbymadeleiine]

hehehe >:)

[@HikaTamika]

Real… so well-put. I like letting myself actually COOK when I make art or videos. Making art, showing my process, or doing yap essays that I'm actually proud of and feel have depth and value, taking as long as I need to on them, and posting them when I want, as frequently or infrequently as I'd like to. Doing what inspires me instead of microwaving trends, etc. I feel like TT and IG's post-quotas make people spend less time on their work and produce like, "content-art" or "content-videos" with a bit less substance to them. And I can't even blame them. The algorithms punish them if they don't keep up…

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for the compliments on the video! And yes! This comment is so well-said!! I really wanna start spending more time on making QUALITY content, but the pressure to post often and consistently makes it so difficult :

[@captainsparkle5946]

I've been trying to distance myself from short-form content for a while now. For at least 4 years I was a social media addict. It truly made me miserable and made my attention span almost non-existent. Thankfully I've been able to slowly but surely regain my life. I now enjoy longer form content much better and am getting back into my hobbies such ad drawing. Btw, I love your art on the wall!

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for the compliments on my art :>> Also happy to hear that you've found joy in watching long form content again and have succeeded in distancing yourself from short-form (I've been working on limiting my consumption of short-form content, and only watching it for "content research" and I myself have found it super beneficial to my overall mental health. I appreciate you commenting!

[@vascotabasco5179]

For starters, I loved your commentary, it was genuine, real, relatable and you had excellent points throughout the video! As a very beginner artist, I wanted to start my journey by showing my progress to the world through Instagram and Tiktok but had them deleted after a short period of time because of the recognition it didn't get. I'm imagining I have to improve so much in order to show my work but having to face the things you mentioned in the video is so frustrating. At last, I hear you about the appreciation of the art as a whole and not following someone just by one reel or post, it gives little to no feedback to your creation whatsoever and it's sad honestly.

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts 🫶 I know this is easier said than done, but I think it’s important that we remind ourselves to post for ourself and not pay attention to views and likes and followers etc. You should totally consider trying to post your art online again ! I know this video was pretty negative, but if you just wanted to do it for fun, I think you should give it another go ^^ Or, if you’re interested, I’ve really been enjoying making KZbin videos, so you could consider maybe starting your own channel to share your progress as a beginner artist! Completely up to you, ofc, thanks again for sharing :)

[@vascotabasco5179]

​@@artbymadeleiine Aw, you're so sweet and absolutely right! At the end of the day, we do it for ourselves, even though it takes time to be at that state of mentality 7/24 but gonna try nonetheless. And yes, I'm gonna consider it posting again or even making videos on yt hehe. Thank you again, I wish you a nice day!

[@artbymadeleiine]

@@vascotabasco5179 I’m happy to hear it! I wish you luck :) Have a great rest of your day as well 🫶

[@SheerKhan]

Maybe you should try being a streamer! You can work on your current art piece and talk to people/answer art questions.

[@artbymadeleiine]

I've honestly been looking into doing livestreams, but I'm still kinda figuring out how I would go about doing that. I also have trouble finding time to livestream for more than 30 minutes because with school and work, my schedule is pretty packed! But maybe in the future!

[@Romutforsker]

I relate so bad. Also, the only interaction I get on insta and tiktok is from people who are obviously 15 years old and or other artists. I have no clue how to reach the wider audience my art is intended for when I release comics and such. Don't think these platforms work for interacting with art, cause you know it demands something of the viewer. It's so sad to see, but hopefully people realize their lives are wasting away with mindless consumption and that it's actually so much more rewarding to be an active player than a passive one. KZbin is a little better, but it's slowly going towards being just as ass as everywhere else. It's the trenches out here man

[@KarlSkorger]

bro, i can fucking relate to this...but after i stumbled on Bemci's video on "FCK The Analytics"...my whole mindset to creating contents for my art changed....cheers to the new generation artists, we bout to change the system.

[@maymaecat5149]

I've been having this problem since 2019, I want engagement. I want to have ppl comment but I don't want to be a content creator. I don't want to be constantly posting on instagram. I don't want to make reels all the time, and I haven't even tried it. I don't want to make videos I want to make stand alone art. Unfortunately I still need to learn how to market myself well. Instagram is HELL for none reels shit, and it's so annoying for smaller creators. Let alone the ai shit I HATE that bc I like instagram as a interface. I'm gonna move to Bluesky at some point but I'm stubborn. I have been posting on insta since 2019 I would like to keep the small following that I have

[@artbymadeleiine]

I completely agree. A huge chunk of my following has been sourced from Instagram, so although I really would like to move away from the AI situation on there, I don’t want to lose those people from my community. Thanks for commenting your perspective 🫶

[@DbagDraws]

Agree 100%. I want to make art, not sludge content! I don't want to feel pressured to post something new every 1 to 3 days and end up always rushing and making stuff that i'm not really putting my all into

[@artbymadeleiine]

agreed

[@CrimesNewRoman]

i'm a designer who has been researching more and more ways to promote my work online and you cover a lot of the frustrations i've developing. i dont care about skits, or reels, or making dime a dozen "tutorials" on shit that literally everyone else does but it seems like stuff like that is almost a requirement to develop some sort of traction in the now video focused platform instagram has become. tiktok is it's own beast that i dont even want to think about. i just don't feel like i'm built for this on top of having a full time job and hobbies, and yet it feels borderline mandatory. i spent a while doing longform content on my channel and it was fun but some part of my brain just feels like it's borderline a waste of time, despite having fun, and that's a whole other psychological problem to deconstruct. anyways good video, i feel you bigtime.

[@Hellogokuhihi]

I am surprised to think this, but i LOVE seeing that artists are starting to talk about these social media topics. I´m an artist and i have an instagram and tiktok account, and while i enjoy filming sketchbook videos, i realised how shitty it is for artists who want to grow on this apps. I agree 100% with everything u said. I decided to definately leave instagram, and just make tiktok videos that i enjoy watching, like sketchbook tours, sessions, i hate making "meme" or funny content just to get views. I think is really positive tho, seeing more people thinking this, i think it might make a positive change in the future

[@artbymadeleiine]

glad you enjoyed the video! and i also hope to hear more artists talking about this and no longer following this trash fire trendy reel-making. I wanns see some original content

[@FluiidGliitch]

This randomly came across my feed, and I love how candid this kind of video feels. Keep it up! As a fellow artist trying to get back out there (I've been posting online since 13), the domination of short-form content is actively destroying our ability to intentionally engage with art and artists. Not to mention how degrading it feels to call one's art......content. Having to keep up with rapidly changing trends, constantly monitor your activity, research other artist's posts, AND post consistently for little to no returns? It's damn near soul crushing. I'm right there with you in hating Instagram and Tikok for posting art and I find it SOO funny how the enshittification of social media is now forcing people to go back out to cons/in-person community spaces to get genuine interaction with their art.

[@artbymadeleiine]

I wanna go to a con/in-person event so bad (the enshittification of social media is definitely probably a factor in making me feel that way lmao). Glad the video resonated with you! Thank you for watching

[@c10udyday]

Im a beginner artist who posts on instagram and although i have gained friends and i like posting its hard to stay. I am planning on moving to mainly posting on tumblr soon. I love that you brought up that you have to keep wasting time watching videos just to be able to make your own that barely has a chance at being seen at all. I dont make reels and its definitely affected my account as ive been posting for a year and a half and have less followers than posts

[@artbymadeleiine]

@@c10udyday Oh wow. Honestly, props to you for not caving to the pressure to make reels. Keep creating what makes you happiest and the right people will find you 🫶

[@OFFICIALMIKI]

I JUST SUBSCRIBED UR SO REAL FOR THIS LIKE ive been saying conflating art and content as the same thing is literally killing artistry it robs creations of meaning and stifles creativity and punishes individuality frl likeee. and the follower to engagement flop asylum is so real too

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for subscribing! ALSO bro just said everything I was trying to say 100 times better than I ever could’ve said it lmao

[@OFFICIALMIKI]

@@artbymadeleiine LOLL NO I DIDNT THE OTHER COMMENTS MOGGED ME IN PROSE BUT THANK U

[@boxofspoons8867]

I’m so glad this video found me when it did. I’ve been stressing so much lately over the art I post on my social media, over how to make it appeal to the most amount of people possible and toning down my own style to do so. And I don’t even make art for a living, I do this for fun! Art is supposed to be fun. When did it stop being fun? It’s because I stopped making art for myself. I’ll be doing more of that and less of the other kind from now on. Thank you for this video

[@artbymadeleiine]

I'm so happy I could have helped remind you to MAKE ART FOR YOURSELF!! Your people will find you, just make sure to stay true to yourself and make the art+content YOU want to make :)

[@WaterDefysGravity]

I have the same feelings too. I want to be able to share my art so people can see it but I don’t want to market myself, I’d just like to upload my art and that’s it. I prefer KZbin because like you said it provides more value and it’s more intentional than TikTok or instagram. I don’t want to make short form content that doesn’t really serve any purpose but I would like to make long purposeful videos in the future. I wish these social medias wouldn’t force us to market ourselves just to get our art out there :/

[@GuardianSpirits13]

I'm so glad to finally hear someone voice the same things I've been feeling for years now... yes, the difference between artist and content creator is a crucial distinction, but also feeling that I have to spend time watching content I have no interest in in order to learn what is popular is exhausting. I have never had much of an interest in short form content for precisely the same reasons you laid out- the algorithm chooses it for me whereas on KZbin I choose what to watch and will even invest time in topics I'm not interested in if they are made by creators I find entertaining. I want people to see my art, but it feels like the only way to do so is to spend time pouring over empty trends and catering my posts to an all-seeing algorithm. Nearly every day I find an artist whose work is incredible but who hardly have an audience because they don't make reels and the like, and it makes me sad that there are artists missing opportunities simply because they don't want to devote their limited time and attention to social media. Anyways, this is just a long winded way of saying thank you

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you!! I'm really happy this video resonated with you

[@moraeza]

I don’t use social media much anymore, I’m going to school for animation and always wanted to open up an art shop. Most of the artists I follow that have followings started off constantly posting art, and running their art shops. Now that they have a steady following they seem to focus more on commissions/taking their time. I hate that that seems to be the only choice. I love art but social media kills me. Like you said we’re artists not content creators. I love making art but even thinking about doing it for social media makes me feel weird. I’m big on privacy and not sharing too much about myself, I am still working on potentially opening an art shop but we’ll have to see how it goes. I have allot of designs and things on the back burner. I hope moving forward you can find a better balance too.

[@artbymadeleiine]

I totally used to be the same way -- when I first started posting my art, I was actually completely anonymous. I realized that although it would be possible to sell art without showing my face or anything about myself, I think a lot of people will buy things from someone they like / they relate to / they look up to, so I recently have started trying to be a bit more open online. And it's honestly been nice. It feels like I am genuinely have authentic interactions with the people who comment on my videos. (Ofc, if you are completely uncomfortable with sharing anything about yourself, that's totally fine. I just thought I'd share my personal experience as encouragement / reference to maybe help you consider it in the future) And yes, I've always felt the same about social media being so draining (I still do feel this way). But I have definitely found recently that as I have started to post more the things that I ACTUALLY WANT TO POST, it has attracted "my people" you could say lmao and sharing my interests, thoughts, opinion etc. with those people has felt really cool and rewarding :) I hope you find success in your art journey !

[@bilsuart]

I totally relate to this. During the pandemic, short form content became the norm and I just couldn’t do it in a way for it to be satisfying. I chose to go to KZbin since if video was going to be the norm then I’d actually like to benefit more from making my art into video format plus I wanted to make long form content to try and get the most out of it. So far it’s been very successful for me in comparison to just posting on IG or trying to make reels!

[@jasmineyoung8827]

Great video! I couldn't agree more. I think I started to this massive disconnect between content creator/management and being an artist before I knew thats what it was. I thought it was my art, which was upsetting. But no, it was how exhausting it is alone to post across many platforms and then all the algorithms? It felt and continues to feel like my time and brain space is being stolen haha. It's a hard balance.

[@isabellascafe4648]

Your commentary was very smooth and nice to listen too ^^, i personally post on both Insta and Tumblr, I don’t really bother to post consistently or doing reels, but it can be a little frustrating seeing other folks do the same thing as you and explode in terms of “views”, also most of the time if you are an oc artist you are done for lol, I’m thinking of going back to tumblr but that’s also very fandom focused..but anyways very cool video! As a non English spear, your commentary was very easy to follow along with!!!

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you!! I'm really happy to hear that. I wish you luck wherever it is you decide to post your art :)

[@atlasquinn6563]

everything you said is so true. i have 300 something followers, yet only 8-12 people like any art i post, and usually they’re irls. i have only one or two art regulars. taking a break from instagram to help my mental health absolutely destroyed any chance i had in the algorithm. sometimes i wonder if i need to just make a new account - but i really don’t wanna be chronically online again.

[@BlueOnMars]

I’ve recently started KZbin and much prefer it as an artist compared to Instagram especially, I used to use Instagram for YEARSS and never got anywhere but after 2 months on KZbin making what I love I’ve seen so much good and ORGANIC progress ! Tiktok as well I prefer tiktok to instagram but my reach there is only good when I post 2x a week or more. Really good video! It’s nice seeing others frustration

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for the compliments on this video!! I'm glad you resonated with what I had to say, thank you for watching! I'm glad to hear you've been finding success on KZbin. My experience has been similar to yours in terms of moving from Tiktok/Instagram to KZbin. I have definitely found my experience on here much more pleasant than IG and TT

[@midi_enjoyer]

im so glad ur talking about this, cause this is how Ive been feeling for years, been posting for so long and my art gets around 20-30 likes I'm fine with that, I notices I grew but its been like 3 years..id rather have my 300 followers that care instead of 3k that dont

[@mezoskulls]

Dude as a really small artist, I UNDERSTAND THIS ive been trying to post as much as i can on insta but the fact that trends and videos go by so fast it's hard to keep up. Especially since i'm working on an animated short film rn but i've been mainly been focusing on posting what i wanna make now it dosent get me many likes or views but i like it because the new people who do like it i know they ACTUALLY like it idk

[@2dents513]

Im going to add my point, the lack of artistic nuances is infuriating. If your art isn't socially acceptable, it will be villainized, and people will call artists horrible names. The number of times I've seen vent, political, commentary, experimental, or even simple horror art be seen as 'illegal' or 'wrong'. Is ridiculous. Art isn't just sunshine and rainbows. It can be dark, gross, and uncomfortable as well. Comfort the disturbed and disturbed the comfort and all that jazz.

[@artbymadeleiine]

Yea, for some reason a lot of people are so vocal and entitled to their opinions on TT and IG to the point where they're rude and close-minded.

[@waldenbenjamin5393]

THIS right here I can resonate with. This whole "content creator" thing on Instagram, trying to copy off TikTok is not something I have the time for. Short form content don't really do so much to inspire. Let alone educate. The closest thing I can get is posting on stories here and there. Then again, I won't have much time to screw around on Instagram. From algorithms to A.I. training, it's hella draining! Thankfully I don't worry too much about numbers or views. So long as anyone can see my latest works, I'm cool with it.

[@artbymadeleiine]

Glad to hear you don't let views, likes, follows, etc. affect you mentally! And yea, short-form content is so brainrotted -- there is rarely any value being provided through those videos, ESPECIALLY on IG.

[@FevercoatStudio]

I feel this so much. It took me maybe too long to realize that it wasn't just the persistent imposter syndrome voice saying "I'm not making good/consistent Reels and I'm not growing on Instagram because I am a bad artist/creator", it's just that I don't like short form content. I don't enjoy creating it, and I ultimately don't enjoy watching it, even though I admittedly spend hours per week doing so. I mean yes, I do see a handful of cute animal videos and occasionally find a new artist to follow, but at what cost lol.

[@Amelia_PC]

You remember the Massive Black website more than ten years ago? Artists there were nuts, posting more than 2 times a day. Many artists, even professionals, gave up on the website because of the insane "hustle" culture. Then Instagram and others came, and we had the same different stuff. We, artists, have always been slapped to become an entrepreneur.

[@artbymadeleiine]

i don't even mind learning to become an entrepeneur, i think it offers great skills. but yess i completely agree with the problematic "post 4 times a day" -- it's so unrealistic, especially for artists (considering actually making art takes soo much time in itself)

[@OpalsRealm]

You’re so right and a lot of my mutual hate this too. It burns me out as an artist to be pushed to post consistently as well or hop on trends for exposure. I’ve even seen bigger artists say they got popular from a joke reel and now they have no interactions with their actual art posts.

[@artbymadeleiine]

yUP. that is meee -- i was making joke reels and those would get views, but my art posts get like no traction (not saying I am a big artist AT ALL lol, just similar experience)

[@nd.mangaka]

been posting on tiktok and just started posting on ig. im almost at 80k ok tiktok and my expeirence is that trends literally dont matter all i do is show my art and talk about whatever show, or anime or whatever the case may be that im interested in at any given time and eventually ur people find you. its all about just being consistent and just being urself and the people who are for u will find u.

[@artbymadeleiine]

Great advice! I definitely agree with this. I think I just needed to take a step back and remind myself to make the content + art i WANT to make

[@missliv.404]

My favourite Instagram moment was when 2 reels showing some Miku fanart suddenly both started getting likes and views again, only for the audio on on both to get removed a day later lmao. Or when my drum cover got 10k views but i obviously got nothing else out of it because i make art content, but my art reels don't get views 🔥

[@bujomoss]

Totally get this. As an artist, quitting Instagram was the BEST decision. It was slightly difficult as someone who had, what felt like a large following (30k+) but I ended up deleting that account. At the time, I felt so much pressure to keep posting- especially fandom related art, which is the whole reason why I had the audienceIt was constant anxiety to have to conform to instagra

[@bujomoss]

(Oops I clicked post by accident lmao) -Instagram’s algorithm* Not to mention the horrible comments over there. Like, you go through reels expecting to see positive comments and you get anything BUT that. The whole AI thing was a deal breaker as well, insta is like a hellsite to artists at this point. Thanks for posting this bc the word needs to get out there.

[@ravenbaetiong5112]

I litterally just finished doing a plethora of art and I do felt like I was doing it just for likes and follows rather than my own interest. And I do get your point that the quality was mostly not there and I focused too much on the number of art that I make. You deserved not only a sub but also a Notification bell .

[@artbymadeleiine]

omg thank you for subscribing AND notification belling, I feel honoured

[@caramelfrapz]

i feel the same way, im slowly preparing to just do youtube full throttle for this reason

[@himansh-q2x]

love your stuff. keep at it :) i think the problem with being a creator on platforms like instagram is that from a creator standpoint there is literally no room for "improvment". Creator is just caught up in the cycle of regularly posting just for the sake of posting, this also has a timebomb on it as burnout is going to be inevitable as youre just constantly pulling stuff out of the reservoir (your creativity) and not adding/changing/expanding anything to it... the fun fades away on this journey without you even noticing it.... you actually forget what "fun" actually is lmao. i still post on instagram or many other platforms but ive kinda set a foundation. might sound pretty cringe but everryday i ask and remind myself WHY am I creating content... Ive set the "FUN" factor as a foundation and no matter what i wont move away from it despite any big numbers. ive found out ...if you do this then all social media platforms just become a sidequest to your main goal of just being a creator and having fun... i think it really is just that simple... sorry for the long paragraph haha. your insights and personality really resonated with me (this rarely happens lmao) cant wait to see your future content :)

[@artbymadeleiine]

thank you! i'm glad you enjoyed and am happy to have you here :)

[@elisalikesbread]

this was a great video! i totally relate to your frustrations with shortform content, i don't really like doing it anymore because it feels like a waste of time. I perfer long form content because watching shorts or tiktoks feels like brainrot. Maybe it could be worth it for you to focus on making more long form videos on KZbin? There's plenty of art related things or topics you could do in long form videos. Good luck with the rest of your art!

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you! And yes, going forward, I definitely am planning on putting more energy / effort / time into making actually valuable content (aka content that I actually enjoy making) on YT.

[@BernellJonesII]

One of the things you said was so true I had to screen record it and post it on my story 😂 It’s hard to find people who will follow me for both my reels and my music. I have been getting a shit ton of attention on my music-comedy reels but when it comes to posting about my upcoming music or my album/single release, it gets way less love by people who are already following me

[@InfiniteText]

for me it's the usage of the word "content" as if it's something ...ANYTHING to be created and shoved out there.....like...if you don't have something to say right now, it's ok. Rest, enjoy things, breathe. When you create or have something to talk about nicely it will come. When I hear people stress out that they have to "Create content" it's like nails on a chalkboard. Great video

[@artbymadeleiine]

so true honestly. Content needs substance; I needed this reminder. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed !

[@JDM_Films]

I hate short form content so much and I literally deleted insta for a month just because of it. I hate reels and always and your never retain any info from it istg. thank you for speaking what I was thinking.

[@artbymadeleiine]

I'm glad this video resonated with you, thanks for watching

[@Purssona]

i feel the same way but as a writer and tabletop designer. This is why having a social manager or assistant is crucial if you can afford it, they worry about studying trends and making crafty content to showcase your art and develop an audience. And that audience gives you business and allows you to do literally whatever you want I think some short form content is incredibly unique and valuable, but I've also limited time on tiktok per week, sometimes only checking it once a week

[@artbymadeleiine]

Yes, I definitely agree that some short form content is valuable. And I find that tiktok is much better for pushing out "valuable" content. But from what I've seen on Instagram, shitty trends seem to be taking over (i think they changed their algorithm recently and it might've made things worse, I am not sure). Also, yea it would be awesome if I could afford a social manager and I am certain it would be helpful

[@yvainees]

I’ve been doing art social media for such a long time, for basically all of my teen years, just to get burnt out by lack of engagement, not being able to post due to art block or other responsibilities and seeing people who were way better than me causing a lot of self-doubt I guess? I haven’t posted art properly online in about 2 years but I’ve decided I want to give it another shot, just to find that reels are the only way of gaining any traction. I’m lucky I have friends who support me or I’d be throwing myself in the deep end. But that being said, I’m trying to stick to it this time, whatever the algorithm or engagement throws at me. I just want somewhere to display my art, not really worry about the follow count and just be able to go “yeah I made that.”

[@yvainees]

Unfortunately that’s my take entirely as a hobbyist who will occasionally take commissions but won’t commit to doing art professionally. It’s upsetting how unsustainable it is for freelancers or professionals in the field and I wouldn’t wish starting fresh like that with no help upon anyone :(

[@Jveator]

Just wanna say I love your BG3 art hanging on your wall!

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you so much!

[@treymykel]

I'm glad you made this video because I've been feeling the same way I'm going to clean to my art to the point where I killed my social media accounts I don't need social media account really I got is KZbin and I'm trying Cara I'll post a picture every once in awhile but other than that I just became over it.

[@dayleywhaley2420]

Don’t worry I’ve had an art IG since 2013, and only just got to 2k followers, but I love sharing my work so I’ll keep trying to post

[@artbymadeleiine]

Congrats on 2k!! And yes, keep doing what you enjoy; don't fall into the pressure to make "content" if you don't want to

[@lovelyfluer]

I have been feeling this way for so long. I am detesting posting on TikTok because I have to basically market myself but in a few second videos that get barely any views or likes its frustrating. I want to start a KZbin channel and post art videos there. I think I like Instagram more than TikTok because I am posting things I like on there but with TikTok I feel extremely lost sometimes I feel it isn’t meant for more serious art more like trendy audios with anime characters drawings which is fine and I enjoy that content aswell.

[@swaggmoneybounce]

I made a reel abt a year ago on my art page that had nothing to do with my art and for some reason it really blew up! I had gained so much followers but I started posting my art again and lost so many followers who thought I made different content. Which sucks cus I enjoy art but it’s hard to get my stuff out (especially bcus i got shadowbanned for some reason) Keep up with the amazing content btw 💜 I love these videos!

[@RetroPolly]

It's funny, but the only short content I watch is the one my friends share with me 😅 And this is already more than I would like to consume.

[@artbymadeleiine]

SAME (at least now, that's the case lol. I have been working on spending less time on social media)

[@RetroPolly]

@@artbymadeleiine Yeh it is difficult, but impossible. We'll make it through (I hope XD)

[@GalaxyArtStream-qd1qc]

Stay strong! Keep going!

[@Schmellayes]

As an artist that's just recently started posting on youtube after posting on tiktok for literal years lol, youtube is like what tiktok used to be for artists. I think tiktok is slowly going down the route of instagram when it comes to posting your art. It focuses on trends and memes, and whatever the heck "art lore" is. If your art isn't made fun of or a trend, no one really cares, and it doesn't get pushed as much. It's upsetting to see, since as you said if something happens to your account and your social media platforms are the only thing that's helping your art sell, it can be really dangerous. It can make you lose originality in your art, and that's just really sad.

[@kawaiimagicalex5170]

im say this i miss old instagram so much

[@KYLETISZAI]

This is SO REAL❤❤❤

[@AdamDuffArt]

I think you just perfectly defined my feelings in a way I’ve really been struggling to articulate - a huge thank you!

[@artbymadeleiine]

thank you!! I'm happy you could relate

[@av.benils.ozyurukll.m524]

I’ve been listening to Rick Rubin this week and he delineates perfectly that art is what you want to express in a fashion that first and foremost pleases you; whereas what you do to please others (people or algorithms) is called commerce…. I also fell into listening to a podcast (there’s also a YT channel) called ‘Make art not content’ which tackles the same ‘dilemma’. Might be worth listening into 😇 The only short form content I watch are animal videos.

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for recommending -- I definitely think I'm gonna check it out. And also valid for watching only animal videos in short-form lol

[@ryanmurphyart]

Hey. First time watching one of your videos. I like and agree with what you said. I hate how Instagram is right now. I was mostly posting still images of my art (the way it was intended), and my work never gets seen. I've been on Instagram a lot of years, and can barely break 80 followers. I'm not into making these short videos, nor do I have time to post everyday. I think Instagram and TikTok are killing a lot of artists out there. I haven't posted anything on Instagram since November 9, as I just don't care anymore. It should be about the artwork, and sharing your process.

[@artbymadeleiine]

I completely agree -- Instagram needs to improve their algorithm relating to posts because my actual art posts get viewed by like 1% of my followers

[@Lady_Midori]

I've created a new instagram because I wanted to start anew. I have an old acc but I have my personal reasons as to why I made a new one. So sometimes, I save other's contents for inspiration and eventually I will forget them later on because I don't have any schedule or consistent with my posting. I think I'm being shadowbanned or even though I am simply getting new followers, there are still spam or bots. Because I did a reel that I didn't know was going to get a huge engagement but none of those who followed me back are liking my new posts, reels, etc. I'm getting more feedback in here (KZbin) so I'm not sure if staying in insta or starting back in there is the right path. I'm already having second thoughts to transfer in Cara but I'll observe for now. I just post whenever or do challenges to support fellow artists and for engagement, but it's not always effective.

[@sarapregel5981]

I have seen one good video talking about this topic and there is solution (sort of): you pick one main platform and other use for promoting main platform. If you like yt more, focus more on yt and have fun with it. Share experience, progress, talk, even podcast etc. As much i would love to do video content, to make one you gotta spend like 8+ hours which realistically i rather spend on art- at least that would i do. I give up on social media bcs i never had success with it, no matter how much i grow my skill or try every trend just to get an attention. Some mainstream art will always beat my original ideas so why should i even try win them over. Thats the biggest problem- right audience. That doesnt come up out of the blue and if you are lucky enough, right ppl will watch what you do. Some random ones like your skill but in 90% is pure luck of getting any attention we wish. Not to mention fucked up algorithm who mostly forces you to pay the views. Content creation is a job and sharing what you love is like a hobby- that cant be changed. It isnt sustainable to depend on content creation so its better to have job and if content blow up every month, then switch that to full time. I have tiktok but creating video is like pain...pure pain to me even tho i would love to document what i do every day.

[@jpeckdraws3932]

That’s a good point they just shove your content weather you want to see it or not 😂 this is a good video I agree with a lot of your points

[@artbymadeleiine]

glad you enjoyed!

[@cinthiagoch]

I'm talking to some developer friends about creating a social network that actually focuses on a good experience for the users and helps build a sense of community around the things and people they love. And I'm bringing back a chronological feed of the people you follow to the front and center of it! \o/ It's just the seed of a distant dream, but I hope I can at least launch it someday, even if it doesn't take off.

[@artbymadeleiine]

I PRAY THIS SUCCEEDS!! You are our savior -- I am manifesting the success of this app. Good luck!!

[@cinthiagoch]

​@@artbymadeleiine Thanks! =D I'll save this video in my project notes, so I can come back here and share it when/if it gets finished. But it'll probably take several months, if not years... it's just a very bare-bones idea so far. I'll let you know anyway. ; )

[@EVONOPOLIS]

I despise any social media platform in general, trends are pointless to follow or pay attention to in my opinion. I'm only using KZbin as a tool and for helping my siblings with their stuff by voicing over things. I agree with everything you are saying, my sister is an artist but the algorithm isn't giving her enough recommendation for her creative artwork. She doesn't use tiktok but she does post sometimes on instagram, and tumbler. she mainly uses KZbin. plus I think tiktok and instagram should be banned because they are dumbing down society. I used to have tiktok but I deleted it a year ago because it was about to change me in a negative way. Nothing but poison to our brains. I hope you get enough views for your art. Stay safe everyone! Also, you seem like a chill person to hang out with. :)

[@aagodzilla]

Understandable but the banning part is basically not gonna do anything permanently maybe for an good few months before something else takes it place it basically gonna be an pointless move to point it gonna be an cycle. first app get banned then new one pops up, everything goes smoothly, until brain rot shows up,then you gonna say let's banned it and then repeat

[@Almarts27]

So I got kinda lucky and many of the first reels I made blew up right after I made them, even though I barely had any followers. I didn’t really use a trending audio I just I made tutorials with insane editing. I did this for a while but it was just so tiring. It took like two hours to edit each reel because I put so many sound effects and transitions and shit like that. Then I had two videos that got over a million views 😭 and my account has blown up since then. I have almost 50k followers and it hasn’t even been a year since I made my account . If you want some encouragement, once you get to a certain point you don’t need to post daily, or post reels even. I just post whenever I can and since I have a fan base that cares amd they’ll interact with it. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to post everyday and i still think that’s what got me where I am, but now I realize it’s not even necessary anymore and I’ve been having a lot more fun

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for the encouragement! I am definitely getting to a place where I don't feel as much pressure to post EVERYDAY, but I still feel a little anxious if I don't post at least once a week. Glad to hear you're finding success in creating that kind of content!

[@oatmilk606]

Honestly, I think I have the opposite of this problem whereas when I find an artist from reels that’s funny and I like the art I end up checking their page and turns out the last post they made was six months ago, but the most recent real they made was literally less than a week ago and it’s just so irritating because I don’t want the reels. And I understand that they post reels for the same reason that you said it’s the only way they can get more followers and more eyes on their art but at the same time if I want to support them how am I I supposed to when they don’t make art as often as they do with memes and trends? it’s just a little bit disappointing. however I may be biased because I am also an artist who wants to support other artists especially with A.I “aRtIsTs” coming out. I’ve been wanting to put in more effort with my art on Instagram and then the AI meta news came out and now I’m not sure what I wanna do with Instagram anymore. I’m still going to create stuff but I don’t think I’m going to try to make a living with art anymore.

[@beachsick]

i don’t like insta or tiktok as platforms for the exact reasons you described, i would delete my insta entirely but that would also mean abandoning seeing content from people i genuinely care about 😭 so now i mostly just lurk on those apps, i thought about getting into youtube again i just have no idea how to go about it

[@pinkie_draws_stuff]

God I agree! I want to get off instagram but the only thing that's stopping me is the fact I've met so many cool artists on insta and I feel like that if I leave instagram, I'm leaving them all behind. Sadly, I'm not sure if there's any other way to grow as an artist these days. I hate doing reels. In fact, I avoid making them. I joined cara recently and it was a breath of fresh air tbh. I'm just not sure what to do now.

[@artbymadeleiine]

@@pinkie_draws_stuff that’s actually such a good point - I also don’t wanna lose the collection of artists that I am following on IG. It really sucks that it feels like the only way to be successful as an artist is to make reels and be on multiple of these social platforms

[@pinkie_draws_stuff]

@@artbymadeleiine Yeah I know right. It sucks! 😭

[@StariNoah]

I have 12.6k on tiktok and my videos get less than a thousand views and less than a hundred likes. It really looks like I bought them, but it was because I posted two videos that people latched on and followed and now everyday people unfollow cuz I don’t post that one video everyday 😭

[@artbymadeleiine]

Literally my IG account

[@Mrkrillis]

Not gonna lie I'm glad KZbin took me here, I feel short form content is smoothing out my brain

[@artbymadeleiine]

Yayy welcome

[@CariCat95]

Genuinely the best choice for my mental health and art was to take apps like Facebook, Instagram, Xwitter and TikTok off of my phone. Like I'm just tired of scrolling and feeling down. At least on KZbin if i do find myself on a doom scroll with Shorts, i can switch back to classic youtube and watch long form stuff.

[@artbymadeleiine]

I've honestly wanted to delete all social media since I don't use it much in the first place (aside from my presence as an artist online). Unfortunately, I find my inspiration to make content declines whenever I stop using social media altogether. I'm glad you found a benefit to your mental health in deleting these apps though! Thank you for sharing

[@sabiksphinx]

yeahh. Tiktok only pushed out my isopod videos, all of my art content only reached the double digits in views- aside from one, only because it was a trending topic and it took me like 10 minutes to make -_- I quit tiktok not too long ago as it kept muting and hiding my videos. Sticking to youtube even tho I get no views here, it doesn't restrict what I can upload. :)

[@TVHEAD69-247]

Yes, I feel so much better after cutting short content out

[@silly-silly-silly-silly]

THIS IS SO REAL!!!!! i want to post my art but it takes so long to make so nobody ever sees it + i tried to be a "content creator" on tiktok for a couple months and already got burnout. IMMEDIATE SUB!!!!!! love the realness

[@artbymadeleiine]

Thank you for subscribing and DW ABOUT SUPPORTING ME MONETARILY IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO! Your subscription and comment is so so appreciated already! ALSO SAME MY ATTENTION SPAN HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY RUINEDD

[@hriday.b9423]

Been going through the same trouble.... burned out years ago off of insta cuz when my drawing didn't perform well I'd get depressed so I stopped caring for what I drew and started following trends.

[@artbymadeleiine]

Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you're still creating art and learning to find value in it (aka not basing it off likes views follows etc. cause social media can reallllly cause some mental struggles if we're not careful)

[@saturn17210]

Instagram took away “recent posts” tag and I’ve never been more annoyed in my entire life. I have scroll through the same images every time I go through a hashtag and I hate it. I just needed to vent this out somewhere because I’m loosing my mind LMFAO.

[@jellybeanie151]

FRR, I HATE IT SO MUCH, literally it wasn’t harming anything it was a good feature 😭😭 HOW CAN I HYPERFIXATE IN THESE CONDITIONS

[@artbymadeleiine]

I wasn't even aware they removed that feature, that's so dumb tf

[@saturn17210]

@@jellybeanie151 It’s always the advertisement posts under hashtags too. Oh my god, not a day goes by that I don’t miss the recent posts option.

[@saturn17210]

@@artbymadeleiine It honestly ruined any chance anyone has of building a following, especially if you like very niche content. The main way to get an audience on there is from reels.

[@jellybeanie151]

@@saturn17210 Right! :/ I ended up deleting instagram because there is no point having an app with mostly things I don't want to see. I still use browser for messages though

[@Ryan_Wiseman]

As a musician, it is near fucking impossible to get noticed on KZbin or any of these social media platforms. At this point, I just feel like I'm becoming more and more like the girl version of Rick Beato, because so many people are just fine with the meta of "I only make content because I want to compete with others and be the one who gets the top, and so long as that happens, it isn't a problem." Social media SHOULD be a fun place to engage with, because anything other than that, what's the fucking point? I really wish there was more of an effort for these sites to accept feedback, because these are longstanding problems that these companies refuse to address, and the artist has to suffer because of it. It's not like these platforms just came into existence and these problems are new, creators have been complaining about these problems for years, and social media companies refuse to fix them in any significant way

[@yennikarual]

yup

[@bearygood2519]

Honestly i tried making art on instagram without looking towards trends/reels but i still felt an immense pressure to make make make make!!! I just ended up deleting everything on my account, mainly because of the wholw meta A.I. stuff but i just wanted to reupload and post art in the future... right now i have been enjoying myself without Instagram and honestly, now when i log on i get so overwhelmed with all of the content i can only stay on for 2 minutes at most lol

[@artbymadeleiine]

i don't even enjoy scrolling through reels anymore because i will see the EXACT SAME pattern of reel repeat within the first 5 minutes of scrolling

[@meli09na]

I just got recomended this and yes i frickibg agree

[@rexthemega2ndchannel178]

Sukuna once said “yo bro, ngl bro, we’re cooked”

[@milkteamachine]

I also find short form videos extremely distracting. I don’t want to be a content creator because…I’m busy making art. I sell my art at events and mostly use social media to keep in contact with artist friends and people I meet there. I literally hate posting lol, I’m dreading it at this point.

[@artbymadeleiine]

EXACTLY! I spend wayyy too much time and energy towards social media and it slows down the pace at which I could be improving my art

[@keremgo3d]

I stopped posting my artwork to IG & Twitter a while ago. I removed the ones I posted before which perhaps too late anyway; everything stays on their servers.

[@cannibaldotcom]

all of these exact reasons are why i just full on stopped posting my art to instagram (never did it with tiktok to begin with) I never even had a platform big enough to profit off of (like commissions etc) so with all the work I was putting in I realized it wasnt worth it. i'd like to start posting to youtube eventually and from your perspective it seems like a lot nicer of an experience. this is just such a frustrating era of being online, i hope it gets better one day

[@artbymadeleiine]

Agreed; they seriously need to fix the algorithms because it is rewarding consistent but shitty/brainless/empty content. I hope you genuinely do start a KZbin channel! I find it's been a lot easier to not focus on views or follows or likes and just make videos that actually have substance for fun, even if no one is watching them!

[@GeminEyeArt]

Are you an artist who is a hobbyist or a careerist? Let’s forget content creator for a moment… which of the two are you? If you’re just a hobbyist then sure, expect hobbyist results. But if you’re a careerist then you can only solve this issue from the angle of a business owner and sadly, too many artists don’t educate themselves on this stuff. So your question should be how would a business owner maximize these platforms as tools. First of all, nothing on a platform is yours. Your views, your followers and subs, your comments… it can all be taken away from you. These platforms should be used as funnels to grow your most loyal base. You don’t have a business at all if you don’t have an email list of your most loyal people. Whatever you’re offering, find out what your audience wants and give a sample of it away for free if they join your email list. Emails of your most loyal audience members are the only thing you can own if you happen to lose a platform, and you should be building relationships through the value you share in those emails. For example, if art is what you offer, then offer something like a free desktop/iPhone wallpaper of your art if they sign up to your list. Those people who sign up are more likely to buy your art releases as well… maybe it’s posters, maybe it’s stickers, whatever. And follow it up with periodic insights into your process or what’s going on or what you have coming up. At that point you won’t really care about the views or clicks you get on platforms nearly as much. You should still have a content strategy, just figure out which platforms fit your production style and if you want faster growth, find ways to be consistent. With shorts for example, you can use very similar footage multiple times so long as you talk about something different in each video. That’s a hack you can use as an artist if producing new art rapidly isn’t an option, but actually have something substantive to say or an idea for people to think about. That’s perhaps more suitable for YT than IG, but this way it’s both quality and quantity and you won’t have to sacrifice quantity which, for better or worse, is practically a necessity. But anyways, do some research on growing email lists if you haven’t already. Hope this helps 😉 PS. F*** TikTok though.

[@hollowedboi5937]

You want to provide long term value to an audience that will engage with your art and advice rather than “consume content” like some school lunch gruel. I whole heartedly agree. Sounds like instagram and tiktok, and to a degree youtube, just ain’t worth it as main hubs for artists. They can be a gateway to your other channels of information but not a main hub. Which sucks because they’re where everyone goes. But, there are the few that want to actually learn and engage who fight off or don’t have that goldfish short form brain that these companies have manufactured over the decades. I’d say best we can do is make our art for ourselves, in person, and using other channels like patreon, kofi, discord, things where longer form content and longer form fans can remain. It’ll be less that the subscriber count but way more engaged than that too.

[@hollowedboi5937]

See it like this: how do you search on instagram? You CAN search manually, but there is a push for the “for you” section popularized by tiktok (google tryin’ to make me autocorrect tiktok with a capitalization is funny) What they’ll find on for you pages, which these platforms will default on when you open the apps even if you don’t fancy it, is a lot of short form content, memes, pets, sexual stuff, the basest of human instinct and values. And now with AI, it seemingly doesn’t matter when you scroll for a “good art piece” because its everywhere. Often times they’re doped up brains just want a good time. Memes like that are familiar and may get that same hit. Idk how you feel about this, but I wouldn’t want my viewers to all be doped up dopamine jockies who are mindlessly scrolling and double tapping. I’d want, as I mentioned before, engaged viewers that I can have a dialogue with over a longer period of time, and have them communicate amongst each other too.

[@hollowedboi5937]

I believe beliefs don’t work with action, but I gotta look at socials as: do I wanna continue being on these platforms watching the same things over and over again in a year? In 5 years, in a decade? I gotta believe there’s another way of making income that isn’t just online with these platforms. Or at the very least to not be stuck studying these platforms that take advantage of us scrolling for hours. Even if true, I don’t wanna be doing this in a decade’s time, that’s depressing as shit. There’s more to life than social media.

[@keeysOST]

I remember only making fan art on Twitter and grew a bit just pumping it out over and over. I managed to get 1k likes at 250 followers cause I grew a girl in a swimsuit, and the gratification quickly left once i realized i wasn't drawing ehat I wanted. I deleted my account and started a new one where i just draw what I want, and guess what, that account is mega dead. At least a get a few people that look at it lol

[@artbymadeleiine]

As long as you're making what you enjoy

[@etoileshine1011]

I'm not on those apps but it pains me to see my art brethren suffer at the expense of these garbage apps.

[@KodokunaSenshi]

We should all move to spacehey and bitview (2000s dupes of myspace and youtube) as a way of rebellion... sorry I have a revenge complex LOL

[@artbymadeleiine]

LOL IM DOWN LET'S BOYCOTT THE SOCIAL PLATFORMS

[@Chato13]

hope you figure it out

[@bloke1348]

I think short form content is really just the instantly disposable material that is used to feed scrolling addiction.

[@artbymadeleiine]

YEP. Perfectly said

[@odrex4467]

real. my only question is now. what is there that can be a subsitude for insta and other short form content. like there is cara. but what else

[@artbymadeleiine]

That's the problem we're all stuck in this cycle. 😭Either someone needs to make a new app that doesn't suck the soul from your body, or these current apps need to fix their algorithms