Chasing Likes: Art and Social Media
In the age of Instagram and algorithm-driven feeds, the relationship between art and social media is complex, often contradictory. As an artist, I’ve felt both empowered and drained by the platforms I use to share my work. I’ve watched likes accumulate on my posts and felt the small dopamine hits that come with them. But I’ve also come to recognise the dangers of tying my creative satisfaction to an external system designed to monetise attention.
Why Artists Share Work on Social Media
The motivations are understandable. Social media offers reach, visibility, and connection (especially for emerging artists). It creates the illusion of an accessible global audience, where anyone can be discovered. Artists use these platforms for a range of reasons: building portfolios, selling work, documenting practice, or simply receiving feedback.
For those without gallery representation or institutional support, these spaces can be empowering. Social media can offer validation in a world where professional opportunities are increasingly tied to digital presence. A strong online following may lead to freelance commissions, collaborations, or even job offers.
But this promise of visibility has a cost.
The Dopamine Economy
Social media platforms are not neutral spaces. They are built to maximise engagement, and they do so by tapping into behavioural psychology, offering rewards (likes, comments, shares) in exchange for content. For artists, this can distort creative motivation. The moment of finishing a painting is no longer private or reflective, it's a potential content drop. The line between genuine satisfaction and external validation blurs.
I’ve been guilty of this myself. There have been times I rushed to post something online just to feel the gratification of attention. But over time, I’ve become less interested in the instant feedback loop. I still appreciate when people engage with my work, I’m not above enjoying a like or a kind comment, but the emotional hit isn’t what it used to be. That’s partly intentional.
Tips for Avoiding the Dopamine Trap
A shift in approach can help artists maintain a healthier relationship with social media. Here are some strategies I’ve found useful:
Delay posting: When you finish a piece, don’t post it immediately. Wait a few weeks. Better yet, begin your next artwork and only post the previous one once the new piece is done. By the time it goes online, you’ll have distanced yourself from the emotional urgency of seeking validation.
Batch posting: If you’re building a portfolio, create a backlog of finished works. Then post at intervals, using a scheduled plan that isn't tied to how you're feeling in the moment.
Use your own website: Social media thrives on free content. Meta and other companies profit immensely from the unpaid labour of creatives. Very few users actually earn money from the platform itself. Owning your website gives you control over your archive, layout, and data. It removes your work from a system built on surveillance and exploitation.
Reframe your goals: Ask why you're sharing something. Is it to engage with a community, to archive your work, or to market yourself? Being clear about your intention can help resist the pressure to post compulsively.
Beyond the Platform
Social media isn’t inherently bad! it has allowed me to connect with artists I admire, document my progress, and even make sales. But the system is not built with our wellbeing in mind. Platforms rise and fall (as MySpace showed us), and files disappear. A personal website, by contrast, is slower, quieter… but more stable. You control the narrative, the images, the experience.
As artists, we’re constantly asked to give our thoughts, our process and, our labour, in exchange for visibility. That’s a trade worth examining. Slowing down, reclaiming privacy, and posting with intention are small acts of resistance against a system that thrives on constant output.
Art takes time. Its value isn’t determined by an algorithm.
