Why I'm quitting Instagram (Yes, even as an artist)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มิ.ย. 2024
- Sick and tired of the social media hustle? There's a better way. In my guide + workbook Calm Marketing, I show you how to effectively market your creative business, without overwhelm or burnout: www.louisestigell.com/product...
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TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:31 - Reason nr. 1: It makes me feel shitty
02:38 - Reason nr. 2: It's not worth all the work
05:07 - Reason nr. 3: I refuse to "perform" for the Instagram algorithm
07:02 - Our shrinking attention spans
07:57 - Elder millenial rant about TikTok and Reels...
10:14 - TH-cam vs. Instagram for artists
15:33 - Reason nr. 4: I'm not a fan of Facebook
17:08 - My fears around leaving Instagram
18:16 - My plans going forward + my thoughts on the future of social media
19:48 - Some recommended books and resources
MENTIONED
Books:
Jaron Lanier - Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now
Jaron Lanier - You Are Not A Gadget
Cal Newport - Deep Work
Cal Newport - Digital Minimalism
Franklin Foer - World Without Mind
Matthew Crawford - The World Beyond Your Head
TH-cam videos:
My video on my TH-cam experience: • Why I started a YouTub...
Chris Hau "Creators are ditching Instagram...": • Creators are ditching ...
Kelsey Rodriguez "TH-cam is better for artists than Instagram...": • Instagram SUCKS for ar...
Cal Newport TED Talk "Quit social media": • Quit social media | Dr...
Additional recommended resources:
Cal Newport's podcast "Deep Questions": www.calnewport.com/podcast/
Tristan Harris' podcast "Your Undivided Attention": www.humanetech.com/podcast
Julia Bausenhardt "Why I quit social media - my advice for artists and creatives": • Why I quit social medi...
Sophia Mitropoulos "Do artists need social media to be successful?": • Do Artists Need Social...
Holly Exley "I don't think Instagram is good for artists": • I Don't Think Instagra...
ABOUT
Hi, I’m Louise: an artist, writer & creative solopreneur from Sweden. As a multi-passionate creative, I have spent my entire adult life avoiding traditional employment and instead making a living off of my art.
On this channel, I talk about everything I've learned along the way: About art making, creativity, mental health, and making a living as a creative. Dealing with perfectionism, fears, and overwhelm. Staying sane and productive among stress and distractions. And much more.
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MUSIC
All music is from Epidemic Sound. - บันเทิง
how is your actual state with social medias now two years after posting this video? I would love to hear.
I would love to tell you. 😊
I gave IG a brief shot again a few months ago, when I released a new collection. Wanted my feed to be up to date, and wanted to "put the platform to the test, once and for all". Give it a chance to disprove me. So I posted a few times a week, for a few weeks.
Did it deliver? Did it move the needle for my business anything at all? Nope. All it gave me was crickets, empty validation in the form of passive likes and bot replies, and major anxiety around my art and my marketing skills. And convinced me, once again, that this platform is dead and never coming back. For me, at least. I can't speak for anyone else. But IG really just feels like once big charade. One big, collective waste of time.
@@ArtByLouiseFail!
@@ArtByLouise I just closed my account today: it's a disgusting app, as ugly inside and out as its owner.
@@ArtByLouise a collective waste of time is a great definition, I wish all people found of long content, authenticity and maybe a little more introvert than extravert would see this video instead of suffering on Instagram!
Reasons why I left most Social Media:
1. The algorithm
2. I want to create for more than likes, hearts and comments
3. It feels like an art competition with no real reward
4. Posts are paid to be viewed
5. My art is meant to be looked at for more than 2 seconds
6. My original work doesn't get any attention it deserves
7. My creatively is draining
The end.
I like taking photos of the world and those I love in it. And that’s what I found difficult where do I put these photos? Ig provides a great online album….. if you come at it from a healthier way and not for all the likes etc
But, according to big popular artist on Instagram, you’re “reaching” if you blame the algorithm for why your post get little to no audience…
Number 2 is why I stopped. Plus it sucked all the joy out of creating for me.
I never had instagram or tiktok i find it time cosuming and you can see verry sinfull things, there you can see just money, clothes , cars and foolish things.
I will never like them.
Also tiktok is made like a nuckear bomb makes ppl to stay in front of the screen and their mind become blanck space, watching stupid things, that s a nuclear bomb for destroying ppl minds and peace.
And number 8: You waste most of your time
To add an over 50 artist perspective. In the 90s I had to send out 1 postcard a month to potential clients and patrons, and advertise in one illustration book over the course of a year. And, that was enough marketing for me to make a full time living as an illustrator and artist. I'd only have to spend $3,000 a year on this marketing (postcards, mailing, and the book) to support my annual salary. This would only take me about 20-40 hours of my time for the whole year! Now, artists are spending this much time in one month on social media, and this time spent on Instagram returns little to no work. I would gladly go back to that old model if it still worked. It was fun mailing postcards, and people would get a little piece of art.
Great point! Many of these methods probably still work, and in some cases they might be more effective, since everyone else is busy grinding on Instagram... 😉
I’m seriously considering this method of self marketing. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I would love to make a full time career out of doing art
I love that! Thanks so much for sharing from your perspective!
I think also that it's the personal connection that sells art. I do enjoy the ability to have a digital portfolio on my own website as well as be able to have an email list. That is gold dust. But yeah sometimes the old ways are good - like actually calling people on the phone! ha ha
Describing an Instagram reel as "a fart in the wind" is the most accurate description of these I've ever heard! This is a really interesting video and I agree with many of the points you have so articulately made.
Unfortunately it doesn't even help when you take a lot of time in making a truly beautiful artpiece. You can publish a masterpiece, which will disappear under all that noise like the whole Sahara into a fart, only because it's not possible to post new works often enough.
I'm 33, and I used to constantly read books as a kid and teenager. I can't anymore.. I can read maybe a chapter and then I'm bored. Which is so sad, because I love reading. Even creating art now seems harder in relation to attention span. I hate Instagram too, and will only allow myself maybe three minutes a day to check my messages or whatever. It's super impersonal, and I'm not going to jump through freaking hoops to get likes.
Hey Nikki, I too used to consume books as a kid and teenager like they were candy. As an adult I've struggled to read books so so much, especially during the last couple of 7-8 years. My attention span is so bad, but not that long ago it was even worse than it is now. Quitting FB (6 months ago) has brought on the biggest change so far for me, I'd recommend staying the hell away from twitter too, and I only use IG now in a way as a photo journal for myself. I rarely even use hashtags. So it's very stripped down usage. No hoops hopping what so ever.
Picked up a book I bought 2 years ago last week, and it's actually going decently. I feel like I am having an easier time staying "in the book" and getting captivated by it. I can focus on the story told, instead of having a brain that's totally scattered.
@@Telindra good to hear! Yeah, haven't used Facebook in a few years just due to the fact it's stale and boring. Never been a Twitter user either.
Hopefully we get our voracious attention spans back! 💜
@@JessiDeerSims Glad you've never been a Twitter user. Be grateful for that! haha.
I hope so too. I really miss being able to just lose myself in a book for hours. I have noticed that my ability to sit down and read fluctuates quite violently. Some days it is just pretty much hopeless, and those days I have to force myself. Thinking it's worth it, in order to form a new habit. I keep it to one chapter those days though. Overall however, I also have a lot better days were I even find myself not wanting to put down the book. Time restrictions you know!
@@JessiDeerSims I used to be able to draw for hours now I can barely put a line on paper due to lack of creativity, hopefully I can get my skills back
@@alexiparis3244 aw man!! Maybe start small? Draw a little chibi or a small character
It takes me 60-70 hours to finish an artwork. And Instagram has attention span down to a few seconds now. Its time to quit. I agree with you, my attention span has decreased. I used to watch movies that were meaningful and had plots and stories. Now, I tend to fast forward things so much. Often sitting at the movie theater I felt the need for a fast forward button. I have a day job, and I feel constantly stressed out. I cant concentrate there as well.
'A race to the bottom' perfectly describes not only Instagram, but the last three years of the World. ❤️
Don't think just because you are older this is happening to you, I'm 23 and I hate what media have become. Especially as an artist, this is extremely exhausting to me. I wish Instagram didn't become this way.
I'm 56 years old. Social media is a very new thing for me and my generation. For the vast majority of our lives, we didn't have anything like this and neither did we suspect that we would ever have to be subjected to such a thing. It's been foisted upon us and I think that it's something that we should reject out-of-hand as we have seen how it has horribly adversely affected younger people (and the entire species in general). I have a 16 year old son who is absolutely addicted to social media, hopelessly so. He would react violently if I even suggested taking his phone away from him even for a few minutes. Did I allow this to happen? No. Some things, believe it or not, even as a diligent and loving parent, are out of my control. I feel bad for him because he'll never know life without it as I have. I hate Instagram. It is the epitome of egoism and vanity. Facebook is boring, stupid, and filled with ads and malicious cowards who feel empowered to bully and berate total strangers at their whim. TikTok only proves that any idiot with a cellphone can prove that they're an idiot to the entire planet in 30 seconds or less. Social media is a time-killer, which is probably the most salient point. When you're on SM, you are literally throwing your precious time away. Addiction is an illness, like a mental illness. If we thought the world was crazy before the 21st century, guess what: Here we are now and, with the state of current events, I don't think there's any doubt now. The world is an insane asylum and the inmates are running it.
You brought a kid into a "crazy" world? Another inmate into the overpopulated asylum? It's now your duty to do everything you can to fix the planet, which I expect you do. Otherwise you would be a hypocrite and a windbag, right?
Thank you for this comment, it resonated so much with me. You're a voice of reason. 😊 I'm so grateful to have grown up during a time where the internet and social media didn't exist. I don't even want to imagine how it would have impacted my mental health to go through middle and high school while being on all of these platforms. I try to leave room for nuance in the way I talk about these platforms, because of course I know it's not -all- bad for -all- people. But I also can't help but smile at the way you describe them. It's how I often feel too. 😂
I love how brutally honest you've been here summing these platforms up. You're 100% right. The reason we all feel discomfort is most people are too afraid or brainwashed to be honest about how awful these platforms are. I like TH-cam as I have learnt a lot from it but my experience of Facebook, Instagram and tiktok are exactly as you've described. My description of twitter is that it's like being in a room where everyone is shouting trying to sound whitty, and nobody is listening. It's totally obnoxious. The censorship on the platforms is also shocking where only one viewpoint is allowed about multiple different topics.
Man, I wish the best for your son. 😮 I enjoyed reading your comment!
i think giving kids access to phones/internet was the worst thing that could happen to the new generations, hands down. parents are still in charge and don't have to allow it, but i know the pressure from all the other friends/parents is rough. it's weird seeing my 12 year old niece with a giant iphone in the back pocket of her jeans...like, why? we go over to their house to visit for big occasions and the kids are sitting with us in the living room...starting at their screens. it's disgusting.
I stopped posting artwork years ago and I don't post on Instagram. I have specific people I follow and I go directly to them to see what they are up to. They are all artists and I can see their newest work this way without the bs. I don't have FB, Tic Tok,Twitter or any other social media. Social media is mostly trash and I only go look at Instagram to see the artists I like about every two months or so. I don't have any use for it otherwise.
For a while, Instagram was really fun for me. I think it changed when the platform started truly shifting from a place where people would share a bit of their lives and a bit of their hobbies and art... into a business and influencer playing field. Now, I'm seriously thinking of quitting as well, for the 3rd time in as many years. The worst of it all, for me, is how it gets you hooked on the instant gratification of having engagement, and how crappy you feel after it's taken away! I don't want to feel like that anymore, and I'm not sure if it's possible to continue using it without having those feelings. Anyway, thank you for your wonderful video - it's really given me a lot to think about - and as an millennial introvert into slow living, low consumerism, mental health and who misses LiveJournal and the sense of community you got in older blogging platforms, I'm 100% into bringing back the RSS feed!
Social media more or less compartmentalizes the fears and frequent mental content of depression (better artists, more active workers, more compassionate people, more charismatic people, people having the times of their lives, etc) into carefully segmented visual information. I think that's the most simplified way I can posit how it affects me.
Yeah, it's like an idealized version of everyone's life, with all the everyday crap edited out. And I really don't think we're built to handle the idealized version of millions of lives all over the planet. 🙄
Aw, thank you so much for the shoutout! I also identify as a long-form content type of person, it just feels so much more rewarding to post on here rather than on IG. I'm so so glad I was able to resonate with you and that you've started this channel! Your content looks great, and you're really well spoken! Can't wait to see what happens with your channel
Thank you so much Kelsey. And right back at ya! 😊🖤
I feel you on every one of these points. I have well over 1k posts and I have earned about 300.00 from commission work off Instagram and it wasn't even strangers who bought but people I know in real life. So IG is a lousy business option for the artist who is barely able to buy art supplies, and spins their wheels trying to build an organic engaged audience, unless you are already very well known.
That's about what I've expected. Good to know I'm not alone. 😊 I sold one painting off of IG once, and it was because of a sponsored post. In the end, it doesn't really matter to me how "big the chance is" of selling art/commissions on IG - it's still a lottery, a gruesome grind and a terrible work environment for an artist. I'd rather make those relationships and sales somewhere else, where I feel better about the whole thing. 99,9% of the sales I've made so far has been within my personal network of family and friends, and I suspect that's the case for most artists.
8:15 "Fast Food Content" I don't think I've heard a more perfect set of words to describe the media we subject ourselves to on sites like Instagram, TikRok, Facebook, and even here on TH-cam.
I needed this video, I've hated instagram for so long, since I started posting on there a year ago, I joined the platform to grow so one day I would be able to do art as a living but honestly, it hasn't gotten me anywhere and I doubt it will, at least in the near future. So yeah, I'm gonna quit, maybe I'll come back someday but especially since my life lately has been incredibly chaotic I need a break.
I feel you. I have the same feeling when watching other creators talk about this. A feeling of being less alone. And getting some validation for what we already feel we need to do. I'm glad I could be of some help. 😊🖤
I want to do art as a living …but I don’t know how to start or how to do it in general…I just know I want to do art and get paid enough to take care of myself and one day a family
yeah dude I quit last year, i didn't make a big deal about it I just closed all my accounts. I didn't think it was going to be permanent but it is. I've sold the most art I've done so far by just being on TH-cam, the long form content allows people to fall in love with you more in my opinion.
Exactly. Building almost any brand/business nowadays is all about building trust and likeability. Few mediums are better at that than video. Took me 10+ years of being a stubborn writer with too few readers, to admit that. 🙄
I am an artist and I left social media at the end of last year. Instagram was starting to burn me out and make me very unhappy and stressed. It was the best decision to let go and I will not return. In the future I am contemplating going back to blogging...for now I am taking a long break to re-align and refocus for my journey ahead. thank you for this video!
IG made me question my art, my time and my effort. I know I am not the best artist out there but my art is my creation and questioning your creation in a negative light is not at all helpful especially to someone who is introverted and inclined to experience mental highs and lows. I don't particularly want to subject myself to more stress, your video is a perfect explanation as to how I am feeling so thank you for this 🌼
Step away from social media for a while,goddamn it and go out there and show people your work;Bury your self in your element and your work. It will give you solace for when you do come back to the shitty Instagram.
“I’m not a short form kind of person.” This was so encouraging to me. Lately I’ve been feeling kind of lost. I have built my life around keeping a job I don’t love but allows me freedom to create. I even decided not to go to college because I knew I wanted to spend as much of my energy being creative as possible and didn’t want the debt. This week i wrote three essays that I’m super proud of but it sometimes feels like they go unnoticed
Anyway this really spoke to me. Also, I’m in the process of creating an app which is built around long form conversions. It’s structures conversions like a game. Basically clubhouse meets Wordle. When it’s finished, I’m gonna reach out to you and if you like it, maybe I could sponsor a video! I know your channel isn’t huge but i want to partner with intentional, creative people 😊
Ok that was a lot. 😂
I resonate with you on that. I live in a relatively wealthy area but I'm barely able to afford paying for bills due to circumstances. I'll be able to pass by with my monthly income so I want to allocate my time in my creative work.
I hope your app is going good! I'll love to help with giving input / feedback if you ever need it.
I am three weeks away from being 78…and finding your channel has been most fortuitous. Many blessings to you with much appreciation for your efforts, and thank you for your honesty and authenticity
Also, I'm very concerned for the art world which is a whole new subject on it's own.
Oh yeah. There's so much to be concerned about in today's world. 🙄 I guess that's why I started painting, originally. To just forget about it for a little while.
I have the same feelings about the dance world. I actually left teaching dance in a high school because I’d turn around and find the kids videotaping me for Tik Tok. Good art requires being in the “zone,” and this takes focus. Sadly, this generation of children struggle with this due to too much social media.
@@TheNesbittExperience Social media is one reason (a major factor but not the only one) why I have no hope for Gen-Z kids. A small percentage of them may grow up to make something of themselves & become productive members of their communities, but most of them are simply lost. They will be Net-addicted zombies (& participants in the endless tribal-political online mudslinging) for the rest of their lives.
Exactly my thoughts. We should have our own websites and email lists. Use instagram as a portfolio only not caring about engagement and pray that that some sensible human buys Instagram. I just deleted my Facebook because they restricted me for posting that was not against their community standards. I often noticed that they were pickicng sides. And I disagree with this. That a social media platform must be neutral. I even say absoloutely quit Meta and it's any apps including whatsapp and instagram. I ll continye my research and hopefully find a way to quit the rest 2 apps too.
I totally agree with you! As an artist, it feels like Instagram is sucking me dry. I spend WAY too much time on there and it's driving me crazy. Every time I create content for IG, I just feel overwhelmed and like its a constant grind/burden. I'm exhausted by it and I'm trying to find as much evidence as possible to get out of that grind. It seriously doesn't feel worth it. Thank you for creating this video! It helps to know I'm not the only one, and I think I'm going to spend less time creating content over there... I enjoy spending time creating art and TH-cam videos way more.
I had to "train" myself to make short form content. I love creating huge, super detailed paintings, and it doesn't translate well for Instagram or Facebook. It literally changed the kind of art I make. You've inspired me to put more time into making TH-cam videos, I've felt Instagram is dying for a long time, and honestly would probably not use it if my art business didn't depend on it, but the time to transition to other apps is upon us! I do think it's a good portfolio for artists to have, it's a great way at a glance to see what someone's art is. Really grateful others are feeling the same way.
Yeah, that's my experience too. I't so hard to disconnect all of the sharing aspects and just make the art I want to make. That goes for TH-cam too, but to a lesser extent. At least here, there's more room for variety and depth. 😊
Saw this in my recommended feed so i assumed you were one of the bigger art channels i usually watch. What you said definitely makes sense cuz on insta the focus seem to be more on the content, rather than the creator. the Creator gets lost in the noise and forgotten because the audience is already 5-6 reels deep at that point.
I love being mistaken for a bigger art channel. Soooon... 😎
Yup, I agree. There's bad transparency and basically no real compensation and respect for creators. And yet they demand more and more from the creators. And it frustrates me that so many oblige and play their game. We need a collective uprising or something. (Which I guess maybe we have, only a very slow one.) 😊
🎯
I hear you on why IG can be so stressful and aggravating.. it dose mess with your creative flow and can be very distracting. It makes you feel like a small person when you see you start comparing your art to others. It's a rat race and can loose followers and likes. It is very discouraging and time consuming... This thing drains your soul purpose....😐
Very well said, and I feel the same way!
It was great to see I was correct about leaving Instagram 1 year ago. one thing you would notice is the majority of big art influencers got popular before 2017-18. I fail to see any big art influencers who weren't big before, mainly reels these days where you get blown up one day and die out in the next. It's not great if you are learning or are a master. It's for celebrities who already have a big audience. Not a great idea to be serious about Instagram as your major source of exposure and connection. all interactions are so fake and surface level, Most people following you would-be artists who are trying to grow themselves anyways. I love this movement of artists leaving Instagram. In my opinion, youtube is the best platform anyways if you have to focus on making videos. If I have to eat poop at least I would eat the more solid and longer one.
You definitely were. 😊 And I totally agree on that observation. I have found extremely few (if any) really big accounts started within the past 1-2 years. They all seem to have been started, and had most of their growth, during the golden age of IG.
And I also agree that if IG had any place in someones strategy it would be to interact with an already existing audience. Because it just doesn't work as a growth engine anymore.
“You don’t post enough Reels”
“Your Art is just bad”
“It’s not the Algorithms fault”
“You need to make more fanart”
“You need to make more stories”
“Make more DITY’s!”
Is all I hear from gatekeepers when people complain about how bad Instagram is. And was funny is that it’s from big art accounts.
That's genuinely soooo true!! Instagram (any social media actually) makes people stopped drawing for themselves, but instead drawing for others. I still posted on Insta to stay connected with my friends, but I only post every season. In other times, I just delete the app and cut myself off from these platforms. Simply enjoy art and not being overwhelmed by social media issues has became a large lesson for me when making artworks.
UPDATE: I left Insta and never felt more relieved than ever. Filmed a video talking abt this subject too, feel free to check it out on my channel! (Will be on air 18/7)
Exactly, oh my goodness. Especially when higher quality equipment or fancier editing that not everyone can afford. Also when they're able to make posting a full time job when most other people work all week long.
"Make more fanarts" Right i draw fanart all the time and have never get 30 likes
Bravo, I deactivated my account last week for the 30-day sabbatical and I am so glad I did. Brilliant video for artists.
Thank you! 😊🖤
I agree, social media kills you attention span. It's so sad. I miss reading full books. I start reading and then I put the book down and won't return to it after months.
I've been feeling this for awhile now. I've been trying to grind on ig for like 3 years now and I still can't get to 300 followers 😂 i honestly don't stay on IG at all now other than to post work here and there. Just exhausted with it. I'll give youtube more of a try
Wow, we are so many who feel this exact way. It's a little depressing. But it also feels good to not be alone. 🖤 There are alternatives to IG (TH-cam is the best one in my opinion), and will likely be more of them soon I hope.
Thank you for being so honest about how social media isn’t for everyone. I’ve been struggling to decide whether to get started on it. You’ve helped me decide. Thank you. I feel better about going back to the old school ways of connecting with people and clients, and not feel left out of the current trend.
This was recommended to me today and I just decided to take a social media break again for the 2nd time this year until the end of the year. I’ve been thinking about deleting social media as I build up my writing and art career for all the reasons you listed. Thanks for the confirmation that I’m going in the right direction.
Thank you, I'm happy I could give that to you. 🖤😊
I feel this way about Facebook. I get no reach from my business page, content, or posts - but due to referrals it's still the #1 point of contact from clients and customers. What is your favourite alternative for marketing your work? Love that I found your TH-cam today, your art is beautiful and you seem so genuine.
Thank you. 🙏🖤 I've sold 90% of my original art and prints via irl showings and word of mouth. And for that, Facebook has actually played a small part. Since they at least let us share stuff from private profiles and have it seen by friends and family. It's better than mailing or calling each person separately. 😊
I left Facebook in 2022, but came back in late 2023. After getting nothing but flirty emails and comments from guys I knew nothing about, I left and never looked back.
There will be a difference between making work for a more *retail* market, as opposed to more of a fine art. Unique work. This video is gold. Photo your work. Perfect your bio. Do shows. Gather people and be *brave* , put on a group or solo show. Old school *is* gonna come back ~ regarding the *attn span*. I can not say enough about this video. Self awareness is your superpower, courage, practice practice practice, and *know* that *your work* from *your soul* is what matters. There will be a market for it somewhere. And again. The social media will be gone once web3, crypto & NFT's hit. There is a nugget of gold for you. Massive. Let your gut guide you ~ and just keep going when you fall down. Relish in your successes more than I did. I'm having to start over. It is part of my journey. I am an artist and no one can take that from me. That means *I LIVE AS AN ARTIST*. Philisophically , et cetera. Enjoy life, and don't take it too seriously. If you wanna bank on your art - DO IT. Just stay empowered without being overconfident. Own it. Ok, aunty-me is done lecturing! I have a 'teacher' in me. and .. i want people to be empowered. XO
I completely agree with everything you said! For the time I put in I don’t get any return other than imposter syndrome. And I should be spending that time on my business and not feeling bad about myself. I also find that unless you pay for ads or boosted posts your content doesn’t even get shown to people who follow you. So what’s the point if the people who actually want to see your content aren’t seeing it? Thank you for sharing!
I agree entirely. Only about 2.5% of your content gets shown to your followers. What's up with that?!! Surely if they're following you they want to see what you post. I asked my sister the other day why she hasn't liked any of my fb art posts as she's on there every day. She replied that she's never been shown a single one of them. She checked her feed and every 3rd post was an ad, and almost nothing from her 'friends' list..
I started my Instagram page as a beginner artist literally this Monday and Tuesday this video from you popped up. I have not been even doing it for a week but I am constantly checking whether people like my pictures, is anyone following me and so on. Yesterday I wanted to draw and make a first reel out of it but I felt so overwhelmed that I ended up doing nothing. I noticed after not even a week how I am less creative and I don't like it. It should be fun. I feel relieved after watching your video and feel like there is less pressure. I really liked your other video on making a website and I will take it to heart😊
Everything that you said, but for me it's about every social media. I said about 7-8 years ago Facebook makes me hate my friends. Social media is a performance and it brings out the worst in everyone. I want social media to be about making connections and supporting others. I also have no attention span anymore.
You've got such a beautiful personality and it's sort of calming to watch you present the case against social media ( especially Facebook/Instagram/Twitter etc. ) in such a humane way: admitting the dilemmas and worries of all of us who've been thinking of quitting it all. I watched your video because I wanted to know about other people's experiences of finally quitting social media, especially Instagram; and it's really worth it! I deleted all social media accounts 6 months ago and have had a really productive and fulfilling time since then, but then, during a long holiday season here last April, I just thought "maybe I should keep an Insta account just to connect with people sometimes, or just to expose myself to things related to my studies and passions. What has happened is I've just wasted weeks of free days doing almost nothing but scrolling aimlessly while I could maybe read two big novels from my bookshelf or do some extra studies. This FOMO is just pure evil. Do I really build deep connections with new people? No. Yes it does expose you to things of your interest but it took me a while to realise that hey, it's all just so shallow, and does little for your growth! We can do all our exploring in the real world far more deeply and meaningfully! Like you I'm also someone who loves to take things long-form and deeply and slowly. Thanks for your brilliant insights. I guess it's just helped me solidify my realisation that I must not let myself be sidetracked by social media again and I better delete that new account before I get into another deluded phase.
Thank you for those very kind words. 🥲🖤
Happy to hear you've managed to free yourself from all that stress and distraction. I know exactly how easy it is to slide back in, and how disappointing it always is. But maybe it's a bit like with too much sugar for me - I sometimes need to overindulge just to remind myself of why I don't eat candy on a regular basis. 😂 Wish you the best with your new, social media-free life. 🙏🏻
Some more motivation!
th-cam.com/video/m6AF_aFuD8w/w-d-xo.html
Just watched that earlier today! 🤗
What particularly resonates with me is this feeling I get as you describe - i feel bad, I feel undermined and pulled to compare myself all the time. I feel done in when 'successful' artists post what they've sold, even when they post ' O just got these back from the framers'. It fuels envy and inadequacy in me and i don't like it at all. Like you I want to come off it and Fb so thanks for all the recommendations, books and vids. I'll listen and read some more.
You nailed every point. I've JUST started noticing that its is reallllyyy hard to get reach or engagement on Instagram now. I don't enjoy making reels at all and I feel pressured to do that in order to reach people who are not even my followers. Thansk for all your insights!
I love this post and you seem genuine and down-to-earth and couldn't agree more. I didn't have Instagram for very long. I didn't like it at all. Quit Facebook years ago. Go for alternatives. Or go out find spaces in galleries to sell your pics. Resist the vast majority of social media unless you want brain fog. TH-cam is as far as I go. Even then, it has its downsides. Speaking of attention span, I found it hard to watch a feature-length film without stopping or getting sidetracked. One day, I picked a film from my DVD collection, turned off the internet and watched it. That's what I need to do when learning art techniques.
I totally agree with everything you said, and makes me have courage to leave shitstagram too, I'm happy to hear other artists on the same path. I hope this cancer media dies soon as other platforms did on the past. Best wishes.
Instagram is trash. I just deleted my business profile after deleting my personal profiles first. I don’t miss it at all and I have far more success with SEO than I ever did on socials. I am an artist with an online business, btw. You can leave and succeed, and it’s not your fault you feel like crap when using IG. It’s incredibly fake, boring, and completely unnecessary. Stay true to yourself. You deserve peace and love in your life.
Whoa, what a relief. 😌 Do you mean SEO for your website/blog? That's amazing. I've almost forgotten about that nowadays, but of course people can still find you that way too.
So happy to hear you're thriving without social media. We need to hear from more people like you, to take away the fear of opting out. 😊
I'm so glad TH-cam recommended your video, because you said exactly what I've been thinking for a while. Especially the need to be "on brand" and have a consistent feed, because otherwise people will unfollow or new people will not follow has been stressing me out. I love using different media and exploring different styles, from illustration to fine art. I was contemplating starting a second IG account for that reason, but that makes Instagram even more tiring and time consuming, without any guarantee that it will work. I started on IG posting a lot of watercolor art too, now want to move on to different things and have no idea how to tackle it without stressing myself out over the lack of engagement or likes 🙈 Thank you for your video!
So glad I discovered you before I jumped on the Instagram bandwagon. I too am an "elder millennial" and every time I attempt to engage on any social media platform I feel like a space alien visiting earth for the first time. Recently, I got it into my brain that Instagram is where it's at... but I was dreading getting started. Your video was timely.
Thank you! I'm happy more people are speaking about this, I've felt this way for several years now and I noticed myself taking longer and longer breaks, haven't posted for months now!
I'm creating art for myself and documenting my process in my own time because I enjoy it, not because I feel the need to show up on Instagram. I don't think I will quit completely but I'm definitely off the treadmill now and won't be posting things in real time anymore.
Thank you! And that sounds like a healthy mindset. 😊
thanks for taking the time to do this - it crystallizes so many thoughts we're all having while on instagram, but kind of ignoring and not identifying!
Perfectly said I moved away from fb and tried Instagram and I very much disliked it. I feel youtube is more of a personal connection to our viewers (friends and family) the art community on youtube is so much closer ❤
Just saw your post and wanted to say as a fellow artist, thankyou for taking the time to express a thought.
You are amazing and very brave!!! I really appreciate everything you are sharing with us ❤️
I felt this, I was late to the Instagram game. It took me forever to even get the nerve to post my work. I had a major surge in time and was able to post a bit, but the pressure and the expectations were just too much. I’m a nobody artist , but I rather not end up hating the one thing I love to do the most.
That's an important insight. I have to remind myself of that too, constantly. Just because all of these amazing people are around me and I want to be inspired by their stuff doesn't mean that I have any sort of pressure to reach their level. I don't need to. This isn't a zero sum game. There's plenty of enjoyment (and money) in it for the rest of us too. No need to become the best at everything and "rise to the top". But the internet sets these super-high watermarks that we can't help but want to aim for. It's a tricky balancing act.
This is sooo so true! I feel exactly the same. You're so right. Thank you so much. Subscribed due to your calm and beautiful and honest way. Thanks for great content
Really appreciate you sharing this Louise. It's allowed me to connect with the part of me that also feels overwhelmed by insta. Just started a substack and really enjoy hearing your insights on your creative process.
This was longer than my usual TH-cam attention span, but I watched through to the end, well worth the time :) I've recently had some time off instagram, and went back for the few people there who I actually know in real life and a few others. Just posting little sketches and stuff I'm working on. But even that is getting to me. In my daily sketching routine, which I want to be a "safe personal space" for experimentation and exploration, I notice how I'm starting to consider a sketch being "post-worthy", so consequently I don't want to screw it up and I'm becoming more timid going forward. It's all very subtle, in the background, but always there. I'm afraid, even the most low-key instagram usage is still harmful.
YES. I always catch myself thinking "would my followers like this" rather than "do I like this". You couldn't have explained it better!
Haha, that makes me so happy! 😅 And I relate 100% to everything you're saying. When even the sketches have to be post-worthy. Every day is a hunt for pretty images to post, to keep the feed alive. I get exhausted just thinking about it. 🙈
It was more awareness widening session and was so relaxing to here your thoughts, really appreciate it thanks very much
Wow, I feel you spoke from me. I feel the same about Instagram and Facebook. Very interesting video. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I appreciate that you put your vulnerability out there. I too have anxiety but you are inspiring. Thank you for that and the information you give.
Thank you for this. I'm thinking about quitting, too. It's so much work with little return, and it bugs me that all the time spent on trying to grow my business could've been spent growing my TH-cam channel and my blog.
What a breath of fresh air. Thank you!
Thank u so much for this video. I found it so informative. I also def can relate to where u are coming from. Thanks again! ❤️🔥✨
I randomly stumbled across your channel while searching on TH-cam. And all I can say is I couldn't agree with you more! Thank you so much for your insightful outlook on this situation. I have been struggling so much as an artist. Even being successful in my field, I'm just mentally and emotionally drained having to deal with social media every single day. Thank you so much for making this!
Thank you so much for sharing this! I must admit I was a bit scared if I can watch till the end as 22 min is a loooong time! But your company through out it and your passion in explaining how you view it was like a warm hug for my soul ☺️
You are right about the “farts” and about engagement.
Thank you for encouragement!
I wish I discovered your video 2 years ago... just did the same conclusion all by myself, after trying 2 years, sometimes very dedicated, sometimes running away because it was making me feeling so bad...!! I'm definitely out and willing to build a great website, blog and maybe TH-cam because long content is so more satisfying, both for the creator and the audience. Thanks for standing out on this topic, I guess it was not mainstream then in 2022
Very interesting. I have only started to think about this, so thank you for your input. It's too much to do all this work.
thank you to put things in prospective... as an artist is sooo difficult some times for me to see things without the "you have to" prisme. And I really not enjoy Instagram! (it's kind of liberating to type it) great video anyway, greetings from Belgium
As one who has experienced the withdrawal of social media (it is an addictive substance) I have to say GREAT!!! You are taking care of yourself so you can share your incredible talent in a more meaningful way that many of us appreciate. Thank you.
You took my thoughts and feelings and made a video out of them. WOW. Being on either platform really messes with my mind for the worst. I jump off feeling absolutely deflated emotionally and my body even feels physically horrible. I couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on until one day, I realized that being on those platforms was the culprit. I am yearning to get back to being JUST AN ARTIST. Exhausted from the pressures of being perfect. This video solidified a lot for me, Thank you 🤍
I so feel you! I’m so glad I’m not alone in this.
Very smart talk, loved to watch this video :)
You need to do what’s best for your own health and I understand what your saying! You are your best boundary setter and knowing what is dragging you down and doing something about it is the best medicine we can give ourselves. Much love and best wishes for your ongoing career and wellbeing! I hope you get your joy back❤
What a great breakdown ! Thoughtful
GREAT Video!! I feel many of these things two years later. Your video has touched me and I thank you for speaking on this unspoken topic. ❤
Thank you for making this! So inspiring :)
Well said I totally resonate with everything you said. I'm an empath, spiritual person and find many of these platforms very toxic. So good for you for doing what's right for you.
Thank you. 🙏😊
Instagram has gotten so awful lately which is why I decided to delete my account.
Edit: A lot of my artist friends have been quitting the platform in the past few years so I know
I'm not missing anything by not having it!!
Yup, it's really overrated. 😊
@@ArtByLouise It sure is.
Thank you for sharing - I really liked your insights! 😊🙌 I quit Instagram and Facebook almost a year ago for many of the reasons you mentioned, and it has truly been a breath of fresh air!! I do miss a creative outlet and I have been considering starting a TH-cam channel, but I'm not sure it's a good fit for me - but we'll see 😅
This is a brilliant video, and it should be compulsory viewing for anyone who is thinking of using media to publish their art, you deserve recognition for doing this because the message is so important.
On a personal level I really appreciated your comments on attention span, particularly it's reduction when book reading. I love (loved) books and have a fairly big collection which used to entertain and enrich many an evening, but I caught myself wondering why I hadn't taken one from the shelf for a few months recently, and the penny dropped. Your statements have backed up what I guessed and have made me determined to make adjustments. Thank you!!!
I do have an art page on Facebook which has served me well for the past 8 years, and I have a modest but warm and supportive following. I have also sold a lot through my page. Recently I was nagged into joining Instagram by a number of younger, and well-meaning advisors (I'm 60), and I have to say it was the most confusing, harrowing and downright soul destroying experiences I've ever had the displeasure to endure.
All the younger creatives who swear by Instagram are always complaining that they don't have inspiration or energy to do what they love doing, and your video explains quite clearly why that could be, because they've all got more spare time than me!!!
Thank you again for this informative and empowering video.
You have no idea just how valuable it is!!!!
Thank you for this thoughtful video, and the resources!!
Thank you! Happy to be of service. 😊🙏
this is such a good idea. I always end up comparing myself to other creators which isn't healthy! I've been on instagram for years, posting the same time every day and still get hardly any engagement. I have recently started an email newsletter and youtube channel to build an audience in a different way so hopefully that goes better :)
I use instagram on a regular basis and it's definitely a love/hate relationship. I love the neat format and actually enjoy posting and interacting, but it definitely swallows a lot of my time, energy and attention span. I find it pretty ok for marketing and finding more work as a freelancer, but it's very easy to fall into the trap of creating content just for the app instead of the other way around. For example, It's very tempting to create a reel that follows some current trend instead of using reels to showcase snippets of a video or product I just launched, sometimes you won't notice that until it's too late haha... It's extremely addictive.
But yeah I'm totally with you, I read a quote somewhere not long ago that went: " If something is free, then YOU are the product". And that has been echoing in my head ever since. I feel manipulated too, just like you said. It's a tough balance for sure and very frustrating.
I'm really enjoying your videos and I'm glad you enjoy making them. Keep it up as always!
Totally relate to that. I've had a series of honeymoons with IG, haha. The times I have enjoyed it it's been because of the ease of use and it feeling like an "all in one" platform. Having lots of family and friends there. Being able to express myself in a variety of ways. I've always liked the actual posting (the slot machine part.) But since I've never had a very large audience, it usually ends up costing more time/energy than it gives back. Especially lately. Feels like there's a resistance built into the app or something. I can't trust it to show my stuff even to my own mother, because maybe she hasn't "behaved the right way for the algorithm to understand that she's interested in my posts". Since that's how it works on all of Facebooks platforms nowadays. So many antics and hoops we need to jump through to get our content seen. And that just demotivates me so much.
If I actually liked creating for the platform, and being active on it, I would totally keep on using it, regardless of follower counts and metrics. I've tried using IG that way - in a more casual way, with less expectations, and with a focus on connecting with the people who do follow me there. 😄 But I've realized that I mostly don't enjoy the process, and that it makes me feel shitty. And then it's just pointless. 😂
Thank you for writing, and for the encouragement. 🖤 I'm still looking at your IG stuff even though I'm not posting. That's the level of engagement with IG that's worked for me before: bookmarking a few really favorite accounts and just checking in on them sometimes. Not using the feed. Makes a big difference. 😊 Keep up your great work too!
@@ArtByLouise Yeah I totally get it. I honestly don't think that the following count or other stats mean anything anymore. They're probably just there to distract the creators, it was very user friendly in the beginning and when they've gained enough users and data they could easily lock everyone in and take advantage of everyone who have become addicted(me included). You're right, It really acts like a slot machine, I can totally see why so many are leaving...
Thanks for sticking around though!
Instagram seems like for that kind of people who never got chance in Hollywood or Opera or theater or television.... so they create their own "short" movies.... they feel like superstars there, they are their own paparazzi.
But of course, the more healthy group of people, who do design content and sell t-shirts or puppy clothes or whatever.
Prof Sam Vaknin said that people who do often selfies on Instagram, feel like they are in love with themselves. Instead of with their partners, because they look at themselves, shoot themselves.
Do you use your brain or your brain is using you. Deepak Chopra.
New follower here! Your video was recommended to me after Kelsey’s video. Glad to have found your channel! I’m an artist but haven’t started posting in insta yet and I’m glad I’ve watched these videos to be more wary
Oh yaaay! Thank you, and welcome. 🙏🏻🖤
Hello! I really appreciate your video and your art is beautiful. Thanks for discussing your thoughts on using these platforms as an artist. All your points were solid and real to life. I've had a TH-cam channel for a year now and have been enjoying the benefits you mentioned. Recently I had been thinking about building a presence on other platforms, but I feel pretty happy with how it's going so far. (Amen sista, longform artist here!) It feels both collaborative and showcasey, whatever you want to make of it. I enjoy the blank page feel of it, and I find it most delightful to experience other artists' personalities and their work in the same space. Good juju to you, and thanks for the beauty you are creating for the world!
Thank you so much to show us your thought process here! I am thinking about it too because it makes me feel shitty too and I don’t see any value in showing a 15 sec video of me putting brushstrokes on a canvas. I want to make people inspired to create themselves and I don’t think this platform is the best when even I as an artist feel ashamed sometimes…anyway as you said - FOMO is real 😅 so your video helps considering! 🙏💫
This is so encouraging. Thank you for sharing. "Reels are like farts on the wind" was my favorite ^_^
Wise words Louise, so glad to have found you. I also now have a low attention span and long for the days I could do “deep work”. I couldn’t even get through that book, I’m way to impatient now to really get into a book and now I live off book summaries 😉 I don’t know if this is good or bad. Lisa Cogdon also had an IG post declaring that she is not a clown or an entertainer who dances and points at things *shudders*, that post really resonated with me because they want you to work for free to make content that they monetise for themselves. Although now I think you can get paid if you go live on IG. Why everyone is so obsessed with live video remains a mystery. Thank you for this video 🙏🏻🤗
Thank you and welcome. 🖤😊 Haha, I feel you. Luckily, it's a skill that can be practiced and re-strengthened. That's how I think about reading nowadays - not only entertainment but also a kind of practice, to maintain my attention span and rewind from 8+ daily hours of being on the internet.
Lisa Cogdon is awesome! 😍
Thank you for this video. I posted mine today (on why i deleted an app from my phone a month ago) and immediately got recommended. So many things resonated with me. I enjoy youtube as an artist lately so much. Also I am very very new birdwatcher, and your bird art is amazing and I am very excited to watch your other videos
Thank you so much! 🙏❤ And how lovely to meet a fellow birdwatcher. 🥰🦅
you said everything I was thinking about, when I started posting on Instagram I thought I'd grow my profile and get a lot of money selling my art, but although I was seeing that my account wasn't growing as I was posting, I chose to ignore and say, "it's just a matter of time". slowly my creativity stopped flowing and I couldn't feel joy in drawing because I put so much pressure on myself to make art as everybody so maybe I'd be noticed. but now I realize that having an art account on IG is just a waste of time and self esteem, so I decided to quit posting there.
as you said YT is kinda different, because here we don't compare ourselves as on IG, we don't have that pressure to post 24/7 because a video of 2 years ago still have value and can somehow be easily reached compared to IG.
I thinking about creating videos for YT as an alternative to share my art. thank you for the video!
Honest and real yet with great personal flair ( fart on the wind, so true) I very much feel like this, thank you for putting it into words. I have as now decided to leave instagram be for a while and not feel pressured to post. I want to focus on making fab videos on my youtube channel which ive been neglecting due to the pressure I feel. But the pressure does not come from TH-cam or making videos, it comes from instagram. I quit FB over a year ago. I only have an account to visit 1 group (collective) I am a part of. And lately its been sucking me back in yet repelling me at the same time cause it confirms why I left. I am sad I now feel the same about instagram. It was such a wonderful place but its chaotic and confusing and not at all user friendly. I`m going to think in this and watch and read some more about this. THANK YOU!
Haha, thank you. 😊 I also really miss the old Instagram...
this is comforting thank you
Thank you so much for your video!! I absolutely agree with everything you have said. I, too, am a long form type of person and artist. I am currently looking for those connections, relationships, and real customers. I am drowning in the social media puppet show. I sincerely appreciate being able to get to know you this way. I would say more, but my brain is tired from the daily grind.
Thank you for this. You're correct in your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Art isn't about this. Your art is fantastic. It will speak for itself.
Wow, thank you so much. 🖤
Absolutely! I started thinking about my work through the filter of Instagram content...that's sooo bad and it sucks the life out of creativity. I'll leave mine up too but I'm not going to feel pressured to post there anymore just for the sake of publishing more content : P
Such a freeing feeling. 😌
Thank you for this video. I just deactivate my Instagram account yesterday and I feel such a relief. My attention span is really damaged thanks to it, I want to focus on long content as well. ❤
Thank you for this! One doesn’t necessarily realize this is happening while scrolling IG because in our society, this is entertainment. And entertainment is a huge escape mechanism for humans. It doesn’t matter the platform. T.V., movies, books, magazines, even newspapers. Perhaps what you’re saying is we would be much better served personally, if we utilize our own creativity as entertainment instead. Self-actualized creative entertainment if you will. We can control that, improve it, grow from it and even conquer hardship through it. And we can teach others how to engage in it. Which you already do so well btw.
However, just like “talking around the water fountain” with co-workers at the office, humans also have need to share their “self” with others. As you so eloquently state here, for the creator, these social media platforms allow that, but not in a way that is good, useful or even healthy. By design, they are not good for sharing ones self because it takes at least two humans to share. That other human, who doesn’t know you, is simply too busy being entertained to share with you. So, as a result, you become an entertainer on these platforms. Far removed from the afore mentioned benefits of self-actualized creative entertainment. No wonder it feels “something’s wrong with this...” to our inner self.
The trick then is, how to share in a healthy, beneficial-for-others kind of way, ones self-actualized creative entertainment way of living. Social media isn’t it. Perhaps books, blogs, teaching and one-on-one Zoom sessions are the only healthy ways to achieve this in modern times. Something to think about. Thanks again for taking about it Louise.👍
💯 also i feel it is rewiring how people make friends and socialize too, and not in a good way
This was the most honest and relatable story on Instagram lol. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions and being real about it. Friendships and Relationships can feel artificial so I can really relate heavy. Facebook is a huge heavy batter. It is best to be an independent platform.
Haha, thank you!
@@ArtByLouise How do you quit when you want to keep in touch with friends (college professors/ mentors) etc? The last thing I want to say is that your a wonderful person and gave a new perspective on how to approach things and the mind game that social media has. Like college is a mind game. Some things aren't a legitimate that people make it sound.
@@newnengates3764 Thank you so much. 🖤 As for your question: What I like to do is bookmark my friends' IG pages and check in directly with them sometimes. Just to see what they're up to. And if they are quality relationships that I want to nurture, I prefer quality interaction over just passively following them. Phone calls or having coffee every once in a while is worth so much more than likes or DMs, in my opinion. 😊
Thank you for these honest reflections about how awful the instagram slotmachine is for our mental health, and our artworks health. It's nice to know the miserable feeling when using the app is not just me being wrong or something.
Thank you for sharing this!