The landscape has shifted. Not long after the birth of the personal computer, we became digital socialites. We logged in to our social media accounts and, well, never really logged off. The algorithm, as it’s known, permeates every aspect of our online lives, from curated music recommendations to For You pages that just seem to get you. For better and for worse, we all entered a new era of connectedness, access, and immediacy.
What does all this mean for creatives? It’s almost a paradox. On the one hand, social media has democratised access to audiences, removing what were once gatekeepers to sharing your art, like galleries and academies. Your audience is now a (digital) stone’s throw away, making it easier than ever to communicate directly with them and form relationships over your shared creative interests. At the same time, there’s a pressure for creatives to also be content creators; that is, to play the game of social media acrobats and navigate new hurdles like engagement metrics and trending topics.
As an artist, designer, and technologist, I’ve grappled with this tension since I began sharing my work online. At the start, it felt like I was constantly under the big light, as if social media represented every insecurity I’ve had on full display for the world to see. Today, I find myself having a much healthier relationship with social media. In fact, it’s really allowed me to come into myself as the artist I’ve always hoped to be. I spoke with two fellow social creatives to collect and share insight on how you can also forge a relationship with social media that positively aligns with your creative practice.
