Hi Jennifer, Thank you for the post! I am sharing a colour palette or a very vague colour rough the size of a mango 🤓while I am trying to post more constantly on LinkedIn, my observation is that it matters more to show up every week and stay engaged, rather than having the most spectacular portfolio piece. But honestly your art is so fabulous, you can disappear for a while 🙂
Haha thank you. I think you're right thought. I sometimes (often) have trouble separating the artist from the businesswoman. It's so great to show up regularly, even with something simple. I'm working toward that. I think one of the adverse psychological effects of instagram is that it's taught us to measure the wrong things. We measure success in likes and engagement, but there's no measurement for connection. I've seen tests where people modify their post frequency. High frequency often results in less engagement per post, but because there are more posts, they get more engagement in total. And that higher engagement leads to deeper connection over time, as well as more opportunities for audience growth. But of course we still feel a loss when our individual posts aren't performing the way we expect them to.
It’s a long term game. 🙂 you never know who is watching. IG is more like a diary and I don’t want it to be super dusty. But it’s also ok if the grid is a kind of different more playful portfolio, nonsense allowed.
Another amazing and honest post. Thanks for this. Is the title a nod to the Austin Kleon book? I love his books and he is one of my favorite authors to follow online. Being too busy to post is such a good problem to have and knowing you will have a back catalogue of stuff to share is nice too. Hopefully you don't put too much pressure on yourself to keep the algorithm fed. Although I am in no position to give advise on how to make it in this industry haha. (I recently just broke up with my Agent and am having my own mini crisis about my future in picture books.) Anyway, Congrats on the folktale piece and I can't wait to see all the amazing secret stuff you are working on.
Aw thank you! It's always so nice to hear from you! I didn't make the connection with the Austin Kleon book when I wrote the title, but it's certainly in the same spirit. He's such a champion of showing your work, and rightly so. But of course that is at odds with the ebb and flow of client work, unless you prepare for it. I'd say he's a good example of someone who does prepare for it, so I should probably revisit that book, haha!
And oh the agent break up! I know the stress first hand, but I also know that congratulations are in order, because it's a really tough choice to risk the status quo in order to put your needs first. But gifting a hefty chunk of your commission to an agent who doesn't support you properly is never the answer. I've wrestled with my path, too, and I think I will continue to experiment for a bit, but I'm *almost* ready to start querying again. There's no harm in taking some solid time to be independent for a while. Good luck with whatever you choose!
Hahaha I feel like I level up pretty much annually, whether I'm creating a lot of art or not. But at this point, leveling up is more about learning who I am as an artist and zeroing in on what I want to make. I'm not sure I draw any better, but I'm gaining confidence in my materials and choices, and that feels significant!
Ahh I’m totally feeling like this whilst doing the last assignment of a two year illustration course! We’re not allowed to share who wrote the text, the publisher we are working with on it, any of the text, etc for another year or so in case it gets picked up and published. So I’ve been sharing some angled blurry shots of my drawing tablet 😅 Ah the joys!
Oh the angled blurry post! I took a few like that for this post actually, but then decided against them, and went for the swatches instead. Sometimes you just have to do what you can! Best of luck in your final assignment! How wonderful to be able to work with a publisher at this stage!
Personal work is the best! It's always the work that gets me more work and helps me level up in my abilities! But I know you already know all that! All to say, YES! I can't wait to see what you make!
Soooo true! I honestly find it just as challenging to post professional work as unfinished work. It's a wonderful skill to be able to satisfy a client, but often by the time something comes out, I've moved on, so it doesn't feel current anymore. But I bet I could plan for that. It's not like I don't know publication dates!
Ahh I’m there! But the #3materialschallenge run by Substackers @naiomitipping and @charlottedurance (and Kathryn Boyt) is perfect for getting some no pressure work done! Also that gorgeous palette up there would be great for a share!
Agreed! I've been following along this week for that very reason! And it's great practice for sharing unpolished work, since I'm exploring material combinations I'm not confident in. I've been posting them in my stories but I'm not quite feed-ready yet. But I plan to put some carousels in my feed, just to push myself!
I've actually started to paint postcard size studies this week of my outside surroundings (I take a lot of pictures with my phone!). They are 5x7 in, so it's a fairly quick process, which is a nice break from picture books ! I have yet to post them somewhere, but I'm planning to at least do it on my substack.
That's smart for so many reasons. I learn so much with studies! But I also don't post them much because they feel so different than the work I do for clients. But that's just a mental block. There's no reason I couldn't share, and frankly I'm interested when artists lift the curtain and show how they practice and study and how that translates into their "final" work. And collecting them all for substack is a great idea!
I'm practicing posting unfinished/experimental studies via the #3materialsdrawingchallenge. For now, I'm just posting them to my stories, but will likely collect a few into an instagram post.
Yes! I feel the same about sharing messy- non polished work and studies, I've been trying to show that more ; it's one of my challenge and as you said, a mental block for me also. I actually love the WIP and seeing how things are done, so why can't I not show it more on Instagram? For the sake of a perfect grid? How boring! :D I've been also showing more of my messy sketchbooks on my website and might just do it on socials also.
I love that! You're right, how boring! It's funny how much I love rough sketchy stuff from other artists, yet can't bring myself to share when I do the same. But I suppose it's because with my own stuff, it comes with concern over how it will be received. Other people's work doesn't have that baggage for me, so I can appreciate it for what it is!
Thanks! I initially had this plan to only share these things once I had a fix for them, but I've convinced myself it will be just as meaningful to name the challenges and then see how I address them over time. For example, I've started setting up a kind of marketing plan, so I can batch things and have them ready to go. But I'm still working on the mindset aspect. I have this sense that for something to be "authentically me" (whatever that means), it has to reflect what is on my mind *right now.* But even if I schedule something in advance, it's still me doing the planning and the thinking and the doing, so I should probably get over that! 😂
I really struggle to plan posts in advance! I think for those same reasons. They loose relevance to me or something if I haven’t got something to say about them then and there! But I think I should prob care less about that. It’s a tricky game! I love reading your thoughts about it all. Thank you!
You're very welcome! I love reading your stuff, too! And it's been such a joy to see your work grow over the years. There's always something fresh and delightful about it!
Oh that’s a bit nice! Thank you. I have always been so impaired by your incredible perspectives and use of light! So nice to have people in our virtual worlds to journey with over the years! xx
Lovely to get an interesting insight into your thoughts about having an agent, with your book illustration work...I hadnt imagined that side if it before, quite enlightening for someone whom is considering this as a posdible route for my designing of pattern surfaces.... Congratulations on your award too. You must be so proud to gain this wonderful achievement. Thank you for sharing... 🌷🌸🌷
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for highlighting this common struggle we have as freelance artists! I had shared a LinkedIn post about this last month with some tips I’ve learned to cope with the downtime. The tips are more for LinkedIn, but could apply to IG as well: 1) repost your greatest hits (the images that got the most engagement in the past, 2) repost old work with different written content offering new insights, 3) write about your process as you’re working on client work w/out showing the art (post a studio or desk shot, maybe a selfie if you’re feeling it), 4) post those sneak peeks (my least favorite tbh, it’s enough work making the work let alone think about how to market shareable wip shots 😅), and 5) comment and stay engaged on LinkedIn even if you don’t post anything. The algorithm fairies work better over there than on IG, I’ve found. Here’s the link to the original post if you want the more detailed breakdown ☺️ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yrachen_how-to-market-your-art-on-social-media-when-activity-7209865709219196928-yObP?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
Thank you! Love #2 especially. I haven't seen that one! Great advice. Also, I here more and more people talking about linkedin. I deleted my account years ago, but I keep wondering if it's the place to be now!
You’re so welcome! Glad you found tip 2 helpful! I really enjoy being on LinkedIn. I had completely ignored my account for years, and then decided to focus on it again this spring. In four months I went from 500 to over 1300 followers (which for me is huge!). My posts actually get seen and good engagement. I find that LI’s algorithm actually works, and I’ve gotten a much wider outreach there than I ever did on IG. Plus I can actually connect with art directors, editors, authors, and publishers! I find it’s easier to do cold outreach there than on IG.
Thanks Adam! I owe a lot of my LinkedIn success to a few pros out there offering great advice about the platform/writing online/marketing: Jasmin Alić, Nicholas Cole, and Chris Do.
Hi Jennifer, Thank you for the post! I am sharing a colour palette or a very vague colour rough the size of a mango 🤓while I am trying to post more constantly on LinkedIn, my observation is that it matters more to show up every week and stay engaged, rather than having the most spectacular portfolio piece. But honestly your art is so fabulous, you can disappear for a while 🙂
Haha thank you. I think you're right thought. I sometimes (often) have trouble separating the artist from the businesswoman. It's so great to show up regularly, even with something simple. I'm working toward that. I think one of the adverse psychological effects of instagram is that it's taught us to measure the wrong things. We measure success in likes and engagement, but there's no measurement for connection. I've seen tests where people modify their post frequency. High frequency often results in less engagement per post, but because there are more posts, they get more engagement in total. And that higher engagement leads to deeper connection over time, as well as more opportunities for audience growth. But of course we still feel a loss when our individual posts aren't performing the way we expect them to.
It’s a long term game. 🙂 you never know who is watching. IG is more like a diary and I don’t want it to be super dusty. But it’s also ok if the grid is a kind of different more playful portfolio, nonsense allowed.
Nonsense allowed! Yes, love that!
I second that! Love the “nonsense allowed” approach to IG ❤️
Another amazing and honest post. Thanks for this. Is the title a nod to the Austin Kleon book? I love his books and he is one of my favorite authors to follow online. Being too busy to post is such a good problem to have and knowing you will have a back catalogue of stuff to share is nice too. Hopefully you don't put too much pressure on yourself to keep the algorithm fed. Although I am in no position to give advise on how to make it in this industry haha. (I recently just broke up with my Agent and am having my own mini crisis about my future in picture books.) Anyway, Congrats on the folktale piece and I can't wait to see all the amazing secret stuff you are working on.
Aw thank you! It's always so nice to hear from you! I didn't make the connection with the Austin Kleon book when I wrote the title, but it's certainly in the same spirit. He's such a champion of showing your work, and rightly so. But of course that is at odds with the ebb and flow of client work, unless you prepare for it. I'd say he's a good example of someone who does prepare for it, so I should probably revisit that book, haha!
And oh the agent break up! I know the stress first hand, but I also know that congratulations are in order, because it's a really tough choice to risk the status quo in order to put your needs first. But gifting a hefty chunk of your commission to an agent who doesn't support you properly is never the answer. I've wrestled with my path, too, and I think I will continue to experiment for a bit, but I'm *almost* ready to start querying again. There's no harm in taking some solid time to be independent for a while. Good luck with whatever you choose!
Congratulations on the Longlist, ps: you keep leveling up I didn’t even know that there were more levels!
Hahaha I feel like I level up pretty much annually, whether I'm creating a lot of art or not. But at this point, leveling up is more about learning who I am as an artist and zeroing in on what I want to make. I'm not sure I draw any better, but I'm gaining confidence in my materials and choices, and that feels significant!
That piece is just sooo good Jennifer. No surprises that it got shortlisted.
Thanks so much buddy! <3
I love that folktale week piece! The light, the perspective, the atmosphere! No wonder it got shortlisted!
That's so kind, thank you so much!
So wonderful! I really loved your Folktale week work last year and it definitely deserves the accolades!
That's sweet of you to say, thank you!
Ahh I’m totally feeling like this whilst doing the last assignment of a two year illustration course! We’re not allowed to share who wrote the text, the publisher we are working with on it, any of the text, etc for another year or so in case it gets picked up and published. So I’ve been sharing some angled blurry shots of my drawing tablet 😅 Ah the joys!
Oh the angled blurry post! I took a few like that for this post actually, but then decided against them, and went for the swatches instead. Sometimes you just have to do what you can! Best of luck in your final assignment! How wonderful to be able to work with a publisher at this stage!
Personal work is the best! It's always the work that gets me more work and helps me level up in my abilities! But I know you already know all that! All to say, YES! I can't wait to see what you make!
Soooo true! I honestly find it just as challenging to post professional work as unfinished work. It's a wonderful skill to be able to satisfy a client, but often by the time something comes out, I've moved on, so it doesn't feel current anymore. But I bet I could plan for that. It's not like I don't know publication dates!
Ahh I’m there! But the #3materialschallenge run by Substackers @naiomitipping and @charlottedurance (and Kathryn Boyt) is perfect for getting some no pressure work done! Also that gorgeous palette up there would be great for a share!
Agreed! I've been following along this week for that very reason! And it's great practice for sharing unpolished work, since I'm exploring material combinations I'm not confident in. I've been posting them in my stories but I'm not quite feed-ready yet. But I plan to put some carousels in my feed, just to push myself!
Yay - I’ve seen a couple and they’re lovely
I've actually started to paint postcard size studies this week of my outside surroundings (I take a lot of pictures with my phone!). They are 5x7 in, so it's a fairly quick process, which is a nice break from picture books ! I have yet to post them somewhere, but I'm planning to at least do it on my substack.
That's smart for so many reasons. I learn so much with studies! But I also don't post them much because they feel so different than the work I do for clients. But that's just a mental block. There's no reason I couldn't share, and frankly I'm interested when artists lift the curtain and show how they practice and study and how that translates into their "final" work. And collecting them all for substack is a great idea!
I'm practicing posting unfinished/experimental studies via the #3materialsdrawingchallenge. For now, I'm just posting them to my stories, but will likely collect a few into an instagram post.
Yes! I feel the same about sharing messy- non polished work and studies, I've been trying to show that more ; it's one of my challenge and as you said, a mental block for me also. I actually love the WIP and seeing how things are done, so why can't I not show it more on Instagram? For the sake of a perfect grid? How boring! :D I've been also showing more of my messy sketchbooks on my website and might just do it on socials also.
I love that! You're right, how boring! It's funny how much I love rough sketchy stuff from other artists, yet can't bring myself to share when I do the same. But I suppose it's because with my own stuff, it comes with concern over how it will be received. Other people's work doesn't have that baggage for me, so I can appreciate it for what it is!
So relatable like always! You are fabulous at naming the common struggles! I have no answers... But it’s nice to share the challenge.
Thanks! I initially had this plan to only share these things once I had a fix for them, but I've convinced myself it will be just as meaningful to name the challenges and then see how I address them over time. For example, I've started setting up a kind of marketing plan, so I can batch things and have them ready to go. But I'm still working on the mindset aspect. I have this sense that for something to be "authentically me" (whatever that means), it has to reflect what is on my mind *right now.* But even if I schedule something in advance, it's still me doing the planning and the thinking and the doing, so I should probably get over that! 😂
I really struggle to plan posts in advance! I think for those same reasons. They loose relevance to me or something if I haven’t got something to say about them then and there! But I think I should prob care less about that. It’s a tricky game! I love reading your thoughts about it all. Thank you!
You're very welcome! I love reading your stuff, too! And it's been such a joy to see your work grow over the years. There's always something fresh and delightful about it!
Oh that’s a bit nice! Thank you. I have always been so impaired by your incredible perspectives and use of light! So nice to have people in our virtual worlds to journey with over the years! xx
Lovely to get an interesting insight into your thoughts about having an agent, with your book illustration work...I hadnt imagined that side if it before, quite enlightening for someone whom is considering this as a posdible route for my designing of pattern surfaces.... Congratulations on your award too. You must be so proud to gain this wonderful achievement. Thank you for sharing... 🌷🌸🌷
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for highlighting this common struggle we have as freelance artists! I had shared a LinkedIn post about this last month with some tips I’ve learned to cope with the downtime. The tips are more for LinkedIn, but could apply to IG as well: 1) repost your greatest hits (the images that got the most engagement in the past, 2) repost old work with different written content offering new insights, 3) write about your process as you’re working on client work w/out showing the art (post a studio or desk shot, maybe a selfie if you’re feeling it), 4) post those sneak peeks (my least favorite tbh, it’s enough work making the work let alone think about how to market shareable wip shots 😅), and 5) comment and stay engaged on LinkedIn even if you don’t post anything. The algorithm fairies work better over there than on IG, I’ve found. Here’s the link to the original post if you want the more detailed breakdown ☺️ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yrachen_how-to-market-your-art-on-social-media-when-activity-7209865709219196928-yObP?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios
Thank you! Love #2 especially. I haven't seen that one! Great advice. Also, I here more and more people talking about linkedin. I deleted my account years ago, but I keep wondering if it's the place to be now!
You’re so welcome! Glad you found tip 2 helpful! I really enjoy being on LinkedIn. I had completely ignored my account for years, and then decided to focus on it again this spring. In four months I went from 500 to over 1300 followers (which for me is huge!). My posts actually get seen and good engagement. I find that LI’s algorithm actually works, and I’ve gotten a much wider outreach there than I ever did on IG. Plus I can actually connect with art directors, editors, authors, and publishers! I find it’s easier to do cold outreach there than on IG.
You are killing it on LinkedIn!
Thanks Adam! I owe a lot of my LinkedIn success to a few pros out there offering great advice about the platform/writing online/marketing: Jasmin Alić, Nicholas Cole, and Chris Do.
Thanks for sharing, I’ll look up the ones I don’t already follow:)