ok i start off saying id really appreciate advice, but i also aknowledge that saying stuff like this is in general kinda looked down on and a bit whiny ok that out of the way, lately ive just not been feeling like finishing and posting art at all. im starting to feel like my art is all wonky and that its secretly worse than ive previously thought, or that the style im going for is in general messy and unappealing, or that i dont post interesting or often enough to gain an audience i mostly just post about my novel and i know its hard getting much attention from original content, and i also know that getting attention should not be the main motive behind drawing but i just cant shake the feeling im doing something wrong, ive been posting art for about 3 years and at my peak i got around 5 some posts with 40 likes, and about 2 art pieces with over 80 notes on tumblr. as of now i average on about 3-10 notes on tumblr and a bit more likes on ig and i know its not a socially correct thing to say but after years it just kinda feels disencouraging? i have a few art friends whod start off small with me and get real popular at a way higher pace then cut contact, and as much as i hate to say it it kinda makes me jealous i know its not about likes and that people arent entitled to finding my art nice but like eucgk i hope im not coming off as too insuffrable or entitled, i do appreciate every like and comment, im mostly just venting frustations, being honest about my current self esteem does anyone have adivice on how to deal with stopping being petty over this
Not sure I have advice, but--I feel this so hard. :( At least with me it comes and goes in cycles. It's easy to say you just want to make art for yourself, and sometimes you really feel it, but the truth is most people want and kinda need validation sometimes. I try not to obsess about notes or my follower count but it's tough. *careful solidarity fistbump*
i think your art is really good, but i know the feeling of being unable to divorce the idea that attention=stuff is good. i've been posting my art online for well over 10 years. lemme tell you. gaining an audience is really fucking hard. i get maybe 10 notes on any given drawing, which sucks! I work hard on it. It is absolutely discouraging to not have anyone recognize that you're working hard at something! the thing is, just gotta keep posting. I know it's sucky and hard as fuck. It's hard to feel like anything is of value when no one is paying attention. posting frequently with things does garner attention, and while fandom things are popular, if you're not into doing fandom stuff it's not required. Best thing I can advise is maybe engage, or go to a site that's specifically for art. Weasyl and Deviantart are places where one could get more of an audience, as they're art focused. The culture on tumblr is not super well suited for artists who aren't anything but fandom oriented.
yeah i try not to get disencouraged and rely less on validation, but looking at other artists who have been around for maybe 6 months growing huge and getting questions nad commissions and stuff honestly makes me a bit envious also thanks same void, i love your stuff. staying around for so long with little feedback, yeah i can see how that feels bitter. ive kinda had artblock lately but in general i try to post 2 times a week ish- i also just wanna rable about ocs all day but dont wanna pester the followers i wanna engage, i just have no idea where to start. im trying to be more active on insta but rn i have really compromized wi fi that only lets me use one device so i cohose the computer i have a deviantart i try to update tho. its gotten me some feedback. and yeah, non fanart on tumblr is basically screwed
man i know that feeling super well. it stings like a motherfucker to feel like no one is paying attention! and honestly, rambling about your ocs is not all that terrible. i know people on tumblr who that's exactly what they do! if your followers don't like it, they don't have to see it. just pop it under a tag they can blacklist! being able to talk about the things you enjoy and other stuff will draw people to you, and being open about the stuff you're drawing engaging with people is pretty hard, on tumblr it's nigh impossible DA is a decent platform, although it's kind of a crapshoot sometimes. what gets popular kind of tends to cycle a lot and depend on where and what you're posting. but joining in groups and having your stuff posted in those can help gather people who are interested in similar things.
i like the group feauture, and yes i do have a tag for my ocs, i like talking to mutuals on tumblr but if your art gets popular it fastly gets distanced from you yknow? like most people just see it on their dash and if youre lucky leaves a nice comment in the tags, but actually refollowing is pretty unlikely i wanna move more to da i just dont wanna accidentally neglect my tumblr mutuals lol
yeah i know that feeling! I maintain a DA, FA, Twitter, and Tumblr presence with my art. it seems like a lot, but between all four of those I do actually get a bit of hits and commissions because I vary my audience and post frequently. and yeah, there's not a whole lot to be done about how tumblr is as a platform. it's culture and setup is just not really great for art or writing as a whole
ok just cuz i like your stuff do you mind if i ask what your da is lol, also yeah. i think ill try updating more frequently on other sites
I feel this super hard. Another good space for posting is Twitter I find. Although I'm mainly fandom oriented there, there's been times I've posted original work and my followers have RT'd.
