Social media has increased its popularity with teens and is now being used to broadcast their artistic talents.
According to a 2018 study by the Pew Research Center, 95 percent of teens (13-17 years old) have access to or own a smartphone. With such a large percentage of teens having access to smartphones, it is no surprise that the use of social media platforms have increased as well. Social media is increasingly being used to share the ideas and creations of its online artists, especially in the art community.
“I use Instagram to share my art because it’s a good place for photos and it has a large art community,” said Alice Muir, a junior and online artist.
Aside from Instagram, other online platforms are used to share and comment on artistic creations.
“I’ve been composing music for a few years, but I never shared it with people outside of my close family. My family urged me to publish some of my songs and I agreed, so I uploaded some of my music to YouTube,” said Albert Hejmadi, a sophomore and musician.
Online forums can be useful for exposing artists and their creations to the outside world. However, they can also bring challenges to their users.
“I would say that producing content at a steady rate is difficult but also necessary to spread your content to your audience. I feel pressured to constantly write songs, sometimes for my audience rather than myself,” Hejmadi said.
While online presents can be a challenging pressure to maintain, there are many benefits that can be gained by being an online artist.
“Through selling my art on Etsy and Redbubble, I have learned how to maintain a business, and when people like my art it gives me the mindset to want to draw more,” Muir said.
In addition to learning new skills, the act of promoting a person’s creations online can bring social benefits as well.
“I’ve met a lot of people through my art and I’ve made a lot of friends. There’s a community to be part of and it’s really neat. Without their support, I would have stopped doing art a long time ago,” said Eli Wallow, a sophomore and online artist.
While there are definite advantages and disadvantages to maintaining an art account, one difficulty is finding the time to balance art with other commitments.
“I write music whenever I have free time,” Hejmadi said. “I usually work on songs over a longer period of time so that I can make sure I get schoolwork and other things done while continuing to work on my music.”
Some people may desire to create an art account on social media but may be reluctant to share their art with the world or become discouraged after a short period of time.
“Just go for it. You won’t grow quickly, but if you are consistent with your posts and are constantly working to improve, a following will slowly make its way to you,” Wallow said.
To visit the accounts of the people mentioned in this article reference the list below:
Eli Wallow: @doobashmurp on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
Albert Hejmadi: @yunakfa on instagram and Albert Hejmadi on YouTube
Alice Muir: @artoulli on Instagram
