I am so pleased that your time away in Scotland has helped make things clearer for you. There is so much pressure on us to do 'all the things' these days. I wish I could give you some great advice - but I'm struggling with it all myself right now. Here's hoping we can find a sane road forward.
Not wishing to disturb your social media free zone but have you tried Cara? No unfair algos and actually seeing posts by artists that you follow! Still very much inhabited by digital artists but more traditional artist are joining and I've discovered painters that I've never seen before on IG. Regarding disconnecting from SM for periods I think this is essential, espeically for professional artists as we need time in solitutde to actually think things through without the 'inner nagger' telling you to feed the algo.
Oooh, no Alex I haven't tried Cara - will check it out! I find the problem with all platforms is that, whilst they all start out great, the powers that be fiddle, add, try to imitate others - and then it's just the same old, same old! Hopefully, Cara is the one that bucks the trend! And yes, totally agree about SM - whilst it has its place in this modern world, we do need a pause every now and then, as you say, to think, to work things out for ourselves without the influence, or the pressure! Thx Carolyn
May I suggest you include some prominent links to your Shop in your posts? I found it took some hunting to locate. I had no idea you had such a large body of work for sale, love it all 💕.
Hi Carol, thanks for the suggestion! As you can maybe tell, I'm not a huge self-promoter of my work.... Will take your idea and highlight the website, thx! Carolyn
Though I've not nearly as many followers as you have on IG, I 100% relate to how exhausting it can be, and lately, how little fruit. I spent the past year or two trying to crack it just to a small degree, but the notion of having to post every single day (and in the era where long exposition is required to get people into your story) was just untenable to me, so I never even got to that point to try it!
I'm glad you had some realizations and clarity while you were away, even if the answers haven't coalesced yet. Knowing what you want (and how you want to feel about / in your life) if a big step!
Thx Elizabeth - yes, it can all get overwhelming can't it, especially as SM isn't your full time job!! Just posting as and when now, with no strategy in mind, just going with the flow! xx
It was so interesting to read your take on Instagram, because I now feel much the same and resent the time making reels to find that hardly anyone sees them! It has changed so much since I started out and, like you, I would much rather be doing other things. It was such a positive force, and gave me an audience, which I am so grateful for, but it has lost its spark, or I have!
So pleased you had a lovely time away and a valuable lesson to be learned about social media - the world keeps on rolling without it.
Exactly Deborah - it was a positive force initially, and yes, it still has it's place, but not to the detriment of myself or other things... I think a lot of people are beginning to feel as we do. The platforms start out as a great idea, but they have to keep fiddling and faffing around with them, adding more stuff, tweaking the algorithms etc , that to keep up with them would be a full time job!!
I am so pleased that your time away in Scotland has helped make things clearer for you. There is so much pressure on us to do 'all the things' these days. I wish I could give you some great advice - but I'm struggling with it all myself right now. Here's hoping we can find a sane road forward.
Thanks Gillian! Look forward to wending our way down that 'sane road' together!! x
Not wishing to disturb your social media free zone but have you tried Cara? No unfair algos and actually seeing posts by artists that you follow! Still very much inhabited by digital artists but more traditional artist are joining and I've discovered painters that I've never seen before on IG. Regarding disconnecting from SM for periods I think this is essential, espeically for professional artists as we need time in solitutde to actually think things through without the 'inner nagger' telling you to feed the algo.
Oooh, no Alex I haven't tried Cara - will check it out! I find the problem with all platforms is that, whilst they all start out great, the powers that be fiddle, add, try to imitate others - and then it's just the same old, same old! Hopefully, Cara is the one that bucks the trend! And yes, totally agree about SM - whilst it has its place in this modern world, we do need a pause every now and then, as you say, to think, to work things out for ourselves without the influence, or the pressure! Thx Carolyn
May I suggest you include some prominent links to your Shop in your posts? I found it took some hunting to locate. I had no idea you had such a large body of work for sale, love it all 💕.
Hi Carol, thanks for the suggestion! As you can maybe tell, I'm not a huge self-promoter of my work.... Will take your idea and highlight the website, thx! Carolyn
Though I've not nearly as many followers as you have on IG, I 100% relate to how exhausting it can be, and lately, how little fruit. I spent the past year or two trying to crack it just to a small degree, but the notion of having to post every single day (and in the era where long exposition is required to get people into your story) was just untenable to me, so I never even got to that point to try it!
I'm glad you had some realizations and clarity while you were away, even if the answers haven't coalesced yet. Knowing what you want (and how you want to feel about / in your life) if a big step!
Thx Elizabeth - yes, it can all get overwhelming can't it, especially as SM isn't your full time job!! Just posting as and when now, with no strategy in mind, just going with the flow! xx
It was so interesting to read your take on Instagram, because I now feel much the same and resent the time making reels to find that hardly anyone sees them! It has changed so much since I started out and, like you, I would much rather be doing other things. It was such a positive force, and gave me an audience, which I am so grateful for, but it has lost its spark, or I have!
So pleased you had a lovely time away and a valuable lesson to be learned about social media - the world keeps on rolling without it.
Exactly Deborah - it was a positive force initially, and yes, it still has it's place, but not to the detriment of myself or other things... I think a lot of people are beginning to feel as we do. The platforms start out as a great idea, but they have to keep fiddling and faffing around with them, adding more stuff, tweaking the algorithms etc , that to keep up with them would be a full time job!!
A while ago I would have put huge effort into working out out to beat it, but now I would rather read a book!😂
Me too!!