Are ‘Likes’ Limiting Your Art?

Your need for approval might be keeping you in a box you can’t escape

Let me say this first — I like likes. When I post a picture on social media, getting noticed makes me feel good. This is probably true for almost everyone that uses social media to show off their art.

However, at some point, you have to stop and consider what your end goal is. Is it getting the maximum amount of likes, or is it breaking new ground with your art? Those two things don’t always go hand in hand, and it can be demotivating to try new things that only get 11 likes.

Let’s look at some examples. Here’s a pic of a street scene in Las Vegas that I snapped, and it’s one of my favourite photos that I have ever produced. For me, it sums up everything about that city and the attitude there. However, on social media, it didn’t get much action at all. It’s not “pretty,” but it’s gritty, and it’s real.

If I based the success of that image on the level of engagement it got from my followers, I would go back to shooting pretty sunsets and birds.

On that note, here’s a pic of a waterfall in autumn that I took. It ticks the boxes for a lot of people in my opinion — it has nice colour, it’s scenic, relaxing, all that good stuff. People have requested prints. So from a popularity standpoint, it’s a better photo.

(There’s absolutely nothing wrong with photos of waterfalls, by any means, and scenery can definitely be done in a creative and unconventional way. Especially when human elements are added.)

Chasing Likes Will Not Help You Grow

However, what if we just limited ourselves to what others like, rather than what we like? How do we grow as artists if we stay in a “safe” place that produces work that does well, without rocking the boat or potentially flopping?

Don’t get me wrong, I believe social media is an invaluable tool when it comes to self-promotion — I’m not an extroverted self-promoter (but I admire those who are.) Social media is one of the main ways I reach an audience, and sometimes I find myself falling into the trap of judging the quality of my work by the number of likes.

What I’m hoping anyone that reads this takes away from it is to not be afraid of producing and sharing work that may not be “conventional” — sure, sunsets are nice and will get you 100 likes or more, but will it do anything to push your boundaries? Will it make the viewer stop and think, even if they don’t like what they think?

It’s Not How Many Likers, It’s Who Likes It

When I post my work these days, I try not to consider the number of likes — I consider who likes it. (Instagram may be helping with this by potentially eliminating “likes” altogether.) I have found amazing artists around the world who have liked or commented on my images, which means a lot more to me than going “viral.”

No new style is forged by copying someone else or playing it safe. Consider some of the most famous artists in history and think about what they have in common: a unique style that can’t be found elsewhere. That’s what you should be focusing on, not getting more high-fives from people that will probably never buy your work. And why should they if there’s nothing special about it?

Like I said, I’m not complaining about getting likes — remember, I like likes. But I want you as an artist or aspiring artist to see beyond social media love and try something new.

And when you do, let me know. I’ll be sure to ‘like’ it.

Originally published at https://www.jeffhaywardimages.com on September 17, 2018.