Today’s post is about how you shouldn’t look at likes, and comments as a level of status. I can say that I have too fallen in this abyss how social media can swallow you whole. This addiction of checking your phone on constant, when “likes” don’t stack up to other posts, or against other IG users who in comparison, make your accomplishments seem dismal. It is not what it’s all about. You might say, “You get this X amount of likes, comments, and this amount of followers compared to mine - how do you know how it feels like to get three likes, compared to your hundreds, or even thousand plus likes?” The thing is... I do. I started with zero, and I kept working at it, and my audience grew. After some time, it started to pick up.
Moving on, there are a lot of times I’ve noticed people who followed my work for years, and then all of a sudden, unfollowed me. I have said to myself plenty times, and you (the reader) might have too, “What did I do wrong?” These are the same people who I had great conversations with, or had some sort of connection in the art world. It all can be very disheartening. The hours you spend on your free time just getting to know someone is heavily frustrating when they move on without closure is a huge bummer. The human touch isn’t there like years ago. It raises concerns with anxiety, trust, and how to keep these people wanting more, and why the support is no longer there? Also, the walls build higher, and it’s like, “Why should I keep taking time out of my day to talk to everyone who might just not be there later?” Is it worth it? Yes! Move on, and keep going.
They always say all publicity is good publicity, and that’s very true, because an audience will always have good and bad - positive and negative, and why the hell not... let’s throw a neutral in there kind of feedback to stir up the pot. Social media is like the stock market, it will always be up and down, but you have to realize that if you want to share your story with the world, and make a name for yourself, you have to keep going, learn and be able to take critique. It’s how you get better. Never quit.
5 Tips To Keep In Mind
1. Always be ready to accept failure.
2. Always treat people the way you want to be treated.
3. Get out there and study what your audience wants. Take action and start asking questions, and get creative with it.
4. Take a step back when you feel that you are on your phone/computer way too much.
5. Find motivation, and inspiration from everything, and everyone. Art is everywhere. It can be from working out, exploring, taking walks around your town, studying a favorite artist(s). Talk to your friends, family, and those who support you. It could be a humbling experience.
Just remember, you will fail every day, because it is how you grow, and how to accept your faults. It’s a much more humbling experience when you realize that. Hope you all have a great day and I hope this helped.