When I first started writing this script I was obsessed with pop culture, more specifically Coco Mocoe’s trend predictions podcasts and TikToks. She said that you learn about trends so you can give them something different that they can’t get anywhere else and I immediately thought about how modern social media algorithms especially Instagram’s current algorithm discourages that by usually only promoting content that is part of a trend or an existing niche.
It also got me thinking about how art exclusively being made by or recommended by algorithms can be harmful. If all artists only made art to appeal to the largest amount of wealthy people then that will result in people creating art that reaffirms the status quo. Like art that supports current hierarchies like the hierarchy of white supremacy. An example of this is eurocentric beauty standards or racial stereotypes that may result in internalized racism and discrimination. I’m not saying that you should never make art that appeals to the algorithm and that you should never make characters that fall into a stereotype but it’s important to be intentional and aware of the message of the media you share. I was also thinking about how indie pop music can have more interesting guitar and drums than some modern rock music and I assume this type of music is harder for algorithms to recommend to people since it doesn’t fit in a specific niche. I think the solution to this problem is to learn about art and each other so we can make better recommendations to each other so artists won’t have to rely on algorithms to get their art out there.
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First let’s get the common stuff out of the way
Collaboration Find someone to do the things you don’t want to do and/or keep you accountable. To find potential collaborators you can join or start a collective get involved with local or online communities through shared interest like fandoms or hobbies or going to events like workshops and exhibitions. You can also break it down into steps like thumbnailing, storyboarding, sketching, and inking to make it easier to make a schedule and focus on specific tasks. How to Appreciate the Process More Method 1: Make the process more enjoyable by approaching it the same way you would approach something else that you like For example I used to hate writing but when I approached it the same way I make visual art I found it more enjoyable. My process is to start on paper and then edit it digitally. I can bring my notebook in a comfy place and jot down what’s on my mind and then on the computer it’s a lot easier to change or add things and move stuff around. Another example is that I used to not enjoy learning about marketing and business since I’m not a big fan of manipulating people, destroying the environment, or profiting off other people’s work which is what a lot of girl bosses promote. I would attend business and marketing workshops and be disappointed that I thought I didn’t learn anything I would want to do. I later realized I could enjoy learning girlboss tactics because it’s entertaining like watching a YouTube video for fun to learn more about people who are different from me and only apply the advice I agree with or try to think of ways I can make it work for me. Method 2: Observe how other people approach things and/or try it yourself and note what you like about it and then incorporate it into your practice. Through observing how other people do things you could learn a more efficient way or incorporate something new to make it interesting. If you want to tell a story you can write down the lyrics of a song you like and note what rhyming patterns, storytelling methods they use and note what specifically you like about it and figure out what you can use in your project. You can also watch videos of people giving advice like artist interviews, q and a, process videos, and tutorials. You can also ask people you trust for feedback or advice directly. Explain what you’re going for and what specifically you want feedback on first to make it easier for them. Method 3: Improving technical skill To improve at drawing you can try going to workshops, taking classes, doing drawing exercises, master studies, photo studies, or life drawing to improve your technical skills to make things easier and increase confidence. The study does not have to look exactly like the reference. I think it’s best if you focus on achieving a specific goal like more dynamic poses, clearer silhouettes or dimensional form. What if people don’t seem to care about your project? Have low expectations I actually expected people to not like Mean Spirit since there was a magical girl parody cartoon for adults called Magical Girl Friendship Squad and people on Twitter hated it. I didn’t even get why they hated it. I thought it was funny and cute. So if Mean Spirit got 0 views that would still be better than I expected which makes it easier to stay motivated. Gaslight yourself into appreciating your audience or lack thereof If your audience is small you can appreciate that you have less expectations, more freedom and less hate comments and people complaining about hiatuses. You will also get a rough idea of who likes what which will make marketing easier. If absolutely no one liked it then you know who not to market to and that the strategy or format you’re using doesn’t work right now . How can you appreciate your audience more? You don’t have to change your art to appeal to them but you can change what you talk about. For example if your audience likes music you can talk about the music that inspires you. If your post performs well within your audience you might attract more dedicated fans. Also thanking your audience is nice too! Gatekeep Remember that art that is unique probably won’t be popular right away because when you introduce new things to people they might not get it at first. When the album Electra Heart first came it got negative reviews by critics. This album ended up being very culturally impactful by inspiring other artists like Billie Eilish and me. This led to more people being exposed to music similar to hers and TIk Tok kids rediscovering her music in 2021. When you continue to share your art you increase your chances of inspiring a trendsetter and then it will be likely for people to like your art. If your art never gets very popular it can still be valuable to the people who like it. If your art is unique then it will probably connect to them on a deeper level since it’s more specific or expresses something that no one else is saying. If your art isn’t culturally impactful, unique, or meaningful you can inspire people by showing up and having the courage to share your art. Girlboss What could I do better? Could I use more descriptive tags and keywords for better SEO? A more interesting caption or format to appeal to the algorithm? Post at a better time? Try new methods or platforms to share my work? Right now I’m starting to post more on Newgrounds and Reddit. I also have been applying to more art exhibitions recently. Stay tuned for updates about that. I hope that was helpful and that your your projects go well and thanks for listening |
AuthorHi! I'm Relle, a visual artist from Toronto. I create mixed media illustrations and character designs to entertain, inspire and help people share stories and ideas. ArchivesCategories |