Social Media For Artists & Illustrators 

I love that the cutaway screen background colour was the same as your cardigan, such a nice touch!

You points on not going for viral content are gold. I think when we do things for ourselves wonderful things can happen. Love you Holly and I love this video. I can't believe I gt so many pointers for free. Thank you *hugs Holly shyly and quickly runs away *

I cannot explain how on point this video is...starting from the honesty thing to how followers count and the ideal of viral content is overrated. Your past videos gave me strength as an illustrator because you were not glazing the situation! 💜

Think you're doing a great job Holly! I've been following you since 2011 through your blog and now on RU-vid and if you look at the bigger picture I do see a consistency in your posting. You also post a mix of advice and practice so I definitely appreciate the value you give, you've also built a following of people 27k no less, who are interested in hearing from you! 😄 🎉🎈😁

This was really helpful Holly, thanks for sharing. I have a really hard time sharing on social media. I have stayed away from it for the most part which was mostly for sanity but sometimes I wish I made it a priority because of the community that I see others have and friendships created. Being alone in a studio every day can be so isolating.

Wow. Thank you Holly - this was such a needed, practical breath of fresh air! When I was first starting out in my career as a fine artist in paper cutting illustration, I made many of these mistakes (spreading myself thinly & trying to compete with others' versions of success on social media). While things looked good on the surface and seemed to be going well for a while, the expectations I was putting on myself around my own workload and social media led to burn out from overwork and stress. I haven't really pushed myself in the same way since but listening to you talk about how to apply yourself so this DOESN'T happen was a definite step in the right direction. Thank you again - Ellen

Instagram is definitely the platform I post on the most, but RU-vid is definitely my favorite to consume! I love the art of video making, and there are so many talented people here like you, Holly!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts :) I struggle with Instagram: especially consistency in content; I got the idea it has to be so curated that I lost joy and my feed is mostly me posting about a new video I posted on Instagram but I love it to find new illustrators. So RU-vid is my favourite platform for sharing my journey as an illustrator. However, I've been wondering if I'm losing out on opportunities because my Instagram feed is not showing my work enough. What you said about not every illustrator needing to be on social media is a completely new thought for me. And I love that honesty can be a niche. Which feels like a relief. My channel falls into the honest journey with slight awkwardness niche I think ^^ Thank you again for your video :)

Love these!! It's such a unique take on being an artist on social media! I was sort of expecting to hear the usual stuff like "be consistent online, use hashtags, get on as many social media platforms as you can, hire a VA, etc". It's really refreshing to hear you say that social media is not the end all be all, because I'm honestly so bad at it. Sometimes I just don't want to post every thing I do online because I want to focus on my work, or there's nothing interesting to post! But it's also such a weird balance that I've yet to achieve, especially when you've got a new product/service you want to launch, but you haven't built up enough of a following to get any interest in it 😕

thank you for these tips Holly

Thank you Holly :) I love your videos and I like your look with yellow sweater, the hair and beautiful earrings as well :) You are right about consistency, this is the one point I struggle the most. After graduating from Children's Book Illustration in 2017, I got a job as an art teacher in an elementary school. But when I got back home from work, even though my students were great, I was exhausted and couldn't find the time to make my art and neither for being consistent in social media. Watching your videos and other illustrators channels were my scape from the situation I was dealing (that I didn't have enough time to draw or the energy to do it). So after this I decided to push myself to create a RU-vid channel and show the things I love from illustration, books and make the time to focus on my art. Now I am no longer working at the school and I am very grateful for the time I have, so for this I've been focusing more in personal projects and posting regularly on Instagram, probably will continue with my blog because I love to write as well. It feels so good to have a rhythm and be in the flow again. :) Hugs from Ecuador!! :)

Love this honest advice from you! Really appreciate everything you share with us~ 😌

Thank you Holly this is really helpful! I sometimes feel really lost with social media, not knowing what way to turn or what to post. Its really great to watch you talk about it in such a frank and encouraging manner :) i've been thinking about starting streaming on Twitch which is TERRIFYING but quite exciting- i love the idea of painting and having a chat with people at the same time so I thought that would be a good place to go for me:)

I love your honesty. It really puts things into perspective

Thank you for your advices, especially the last one !!!! It's a relief to hear someone saying that it is ok not to be a social media person, that there are other ways.

You just got a fan from Brazil, lady. I liked your works. So, I''m also an artist and love to paint realistic canvas. And I have only one third of my vision. Later I can tell my story better. And also send you some of my works

This is such a useful video Holly and I feel like a weight has lifted! I'm currently a stay at home mum of two and hoping to get back into work at some point in the near future (painting and illustrating stationary and hopefully writing and illustrating a book one day). There are a few You Tube channels that I regularly watch and love instagram. However at the moment I have a total love hate relationship with social media. Part of me loves that I can be part of the working world even if I'm at home all the time but other times I feel that it takes me away from my day to day which is not ideal when I have my own stuff to do!! It was just great to hear that in this busy world we live in there is life outside social media and that if I used another form of self promotion I could still hopefully be a success! (one day!) Thank you for your lovely videos, I very much enjoy sitting down to them with a cuppa when the baby is napping. It is THE most relaxing part of my day!! haha XX

The subjects you have been you have been touching on lately are so close to my art. I am 45 and been doing art all my life, had some good success and then some and a lot of quite periods. I realize this is due to inconsisteny and bad marketing on my part. So thank you for this video. If possible if could you do a video on publishing a book. I am aware your currently working on a cookery book, and wondered if you had any tips on self publishing. Lastly your honesty is your niche I love that side to you keeping real x

recently found your channel and I'm grateful! Thank you for sharing this you are the most honest artist I've ever seen on RU-vid!

Thanks Holly. I found that very useful and relatable as I'm just getting started as a full time illustrator. I particularly appreciated the part about followers not equating to illustration success.

So love your vlog, happened upon it recently. Your quiet, thoughtful care in presenting your work and insights are inspiring.

Agree, Holly, with everything! As well as being an artist I do some social media marketing 😉 I would add being interactive; engaging with the audience, not just broadcast posts as some do. Posting personally, not scheduled and to remember it's not about gaining numbers but in gaining relevant followers and contacts. Thanks for another great vid ! Love the hairstyle.

As a newbie to all of this I liked how you pitched your advice. A big thanks

Holly i loved this video! Would love it if you made a video about your tools too, like which Camera you use, do you use a light box in the winter months, which computer, favorite tea etc 😆 maybe tools/stuff that gets you through your day.

Wonderfully well said!! It's just the so great to see you cover all the sides from so many angles.

Thanks, Holly exley. I open my new creator youtube account a couple of months ago. I started blog ( in Korean) recently, and haven been doing Instagram many years. I was just obsessed with Instagram followers and likes. my emotion was upside down...😂. I found the same thing what you told in this the number of follower and many likes not equal to a successful career. :) Thanks again for the honest video! I wish I can be an illustrator&creator like you in the future!

Ahhhh this video is everything and more !!! Thanks so much Holly for replying and helping you’re such a ray of sunshine! This will help me massively 💞 x

Very good video Holly 🤗 I totally agree, specially in the topic about people thinking that the followers numbers means success. I my self got obsessed with it years ago, but then I realized that it was the wrong approach. Consistently and honesty are the best!! 😊

Hi Holly, thanks for another wonderful (and timely!) video. Recently I decided that it's time for this old-fashioned girl to get herself into the 21st century. Two days ago I signed up on Instagram and did my first post. Yesterday, I accidentally posted a story (yeah, I'm figuring it out as I go along and will make tons of "oopses" I'm sure!). And I need to figure out those hashtags (or what I've been calling the "pound sign" my entire life). So this video came at exactly the right time for me. Thank you so much for your honesty and balanced approach. Your comments reinforced my decision to not put pressure on myself when it comes to social media. Yes, I'm using it to network and help with my illustration business, but it doesn't have to take over your life, either. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and what you've learned along the way. Oh, and I absolutely love your style and your Instagram posts--thanks for being a source of inspiration!

It’s so true. A lot of people have a lot followers on instagram but they are not producing content

A most beautifully explained video ..... loved all your points and explanations!

Thank you so very much. I agree with a lot of what you’re saying. Especially the part about comparison. It’s not helpful to compare where 1 person is vs where you may be. Thanks for the great video!

I have been on social media for many years too as a photographer and I have to say that during those times when I was posting a lot it was actually detrimental to the quality of my artistic output. I think we have to remember that popular art isn't always "good art" and following trends or popularity will often diminish what's original or authentic about your own viewpoint. In art/illustration I often hear that fan art is what gets people followers these days. If I were to do something like that just to gain followers it would feel pretty inauthentic and none of the followers gained through attempts like that would stick around for my own art, because fan art is just so different from what I do. In the end social media has only contributed indirectly to my successes. I've had quite a number of exhibitions that happened through people I got to know through social media but none of them actually through sharing my own work there! Some art simply isn't suited to social media, because it is too subtle and needs deeper engagement than people scrolling past it on their phone could manage. I prefer making art that doesn't wow people instantly, but that might stay on their mind for longer because it has more depth than another pretty girl painting / pretty girl in a wheat field photograph. And as for your niche, indeed what I appreciate most about your content is that it's honest and authentic!

Holly offers some great advice here. Thanks

I'm very grateful to social media because allowed me to know your work. I'm from Chile so without it I don't think I could able to know you! So I'm very happy because you decide a few years ago to start this youtube channel. And of course this video is very helpful. I want to try instagram and I dream about having a youtube channel but I think I will get to nervous and embarrassed hehehe. Thank you Holly!

Thank you so much for the great tips and advice Holly! I've been posting monthly vlogs but would love to ease into posting more frequently with other content. And I love the utility of Instgram but it's really hard to actually growth an audience because of the algorithm now. So again, thank you so much! I really needed a reminder that you don't have to put so much pressure on yourself, just enjoy creating and appreciate the audience you do have!

Hi Holly, like you I also use mostly RU-vid and Instagram. I've found it very difficult to grow on both platforms and it has taken about 4 years to get to where I am now, which is almost at the 1k mark on RU-vid and 310 followers on Instagram. I remind myself on a regular basis that I am grateful for the viewers and followers I have and that I am making videos because I enjoy it, not necessarily for the subscriber count. I also have a website and blog but I struggle even more with being constant with my blog. I put a lot of work into blog posts and find I get more disheartened when I get very few interactions, more so than when my videos don't do so well, so blog posts are rare (really must change that somehow). Oh well, just as well I do it for the love of creativity 😉🎨🖌 I firmly believe that creativity is a form of natural self care and that it is an important part of life and should be encouraged in everyone, whether it is art or writing or any other form of creative activity. I have been following your RU-vid channel for sometime now and have enjoyed watching you grow. Well done and good luck with your cook book, that is an exciting project indeed take care T x

Thanks for these tips! :) I'm trying to figure it all out

Thanks Holly for sharing these thoughts! Managing a social media account is not that easy as it seems. Personally I am struggling with consistency, but I am looking forward to work on it and hopefully it will pay off :)

the problem is, when you're a nobody you HAVE to use social media, even if it isn't for you, agents will only take people who work they see is worth something or you got some decent jobs under your belt, Ive been rejected by at least 6 agencies ("your work isn't our style, you have no profession exp etc etc etc") so you just have to hustle and use the tagging system right and post at the correct times. I've been on social media for like 7-8 years now? and no matter how consistent I post and put out content and stay positive, its still small. You just need to have that one person reblog/retweet to get it in someone's eyes that will land you a job. It's incredibly disheartening. You can do everything right, work you butt off, and still lose.

Excellent video Holly! Love your videos and very good advice and your art is lovely ❤️

Thanks for your input. I mainly use Instagram and RU-vid.

You have such a lovely calm voice.

Excellent video as always! I've often found social media a really difficult thing to jump on, and I only started my Instagram properly last year. So in a lot of ways I feel like I'm always playing catch up. I do enjoy it, but I often have to take breaks as the "joy thief" -comparison - rears it's ugly head. Seeing the difference in followers can be discouraging, but I do believe forming true connections through art is more important.

Learning something new is a great goal. You have given some very good advice in this video.

You are honest, lovely and amazing person! You are the voice of future.Hugs from Bcn!

Just what I needed to hear. Feeling very drained at the moment >

As always great honest information. I struggle with social media, especially being consistent as I have quite a few styles I like to work in. I'm putting more effort into working consistently and I think its honestly helping me improve my work more so than when I didn't apply this method. I think that quality over quantity is the bet way forward and you have absolutely nailed that Holly! Its also great to see your stories on Instagram expressing your views on animals and how we are all equal. Always a pleasure to watch your honest and informative videos.

My favourite is Instagram . Great video x

I love these insights

Very very helpfull, I like that you also say that maybe social media is not for you. The subscribers count and likes can be a little overwhelming, even more with all those ups and downs with the (shitty) algorithms.

Fabulous! Thank you once again for your marvelous content ☺️ i am very happy to be one of your old subscribers 😄

Hi there Holly! You’re right about your niche, your honesty is what I like the most about your videos. I am a big fan of yours. I really love Instagram but my numbers are 💩💩 😅 but as you said maybe that’s not the most important thing. :) I have a question though; how can one get an agent if you’re not famous or successful yet??? Do you know? Okay I’ll stop rambling now😅😅😅! 💙💙💙

Thanks for the good tips! I really need to work more for RU-vid but it takes a looot of time

Thank you so much for tips.. i just love you channel and you inspired me do food art.. love 😙

Hi, first time watching your channel but this video was super helpful. I a trying to become a profitable and happy independent illustrator and it was great to hear your thoughts on this. I have recently started using twitch and it was comforting to hear your thoughts on growth . :D

and then you get you insta hacked and the support doesn't react a bit to you, looking to contact them, to find a solution. In my case now, no biggy, as I had like 120 followers, but it is still annoying and imagine if you get a lot of clients and attention from your social media, you get hacked and BOUM your income is in danger. When something like this happens, it reminds you how vulnerable those business models are sometimes. Like the RU-vid changes all the time (and other). I guess that's why you always get the tip off "have your eggs in a lot of different baskets" to avoid this fall. One basket gone, the others are still there to support....

LOVE your work! big fan from New Zealand :)

Yet again, wonderful video with content so relatable it hurts. I work in much the same way... make tons of stuff and then hermit away bc it's exhausting. I'm working on consistency and learning digital editing rn... i'm not good at tech stuff either 😨 I just wanna paint!! 😂

Thanks for this video, I’m struggling with my social media platforms. I’m thinking about starting on RU-vid for drawing videos and movie reviews.

I love the colour of your hair!

Very useful tips! Thank you

Thank you for great advices!

Thank you it help me a lot to think about it ❤️

Great job! Thank you for yours videos!

Amazing video! Really thorough 👍❤️

Thank you , can you recommend what apple MacBook options are good to upgrade to.

I've just started selling my work, and currently only really use Instagram (@tillywigginsillustration) . Social media is not my favourite thing, I'll have weeks when I'm fine and then another where no part of me even wants to think about it. But also I find it quite amazing when it's at it's best. This video was really great, nice knowing it's not the be all and end all! (btw, random but I loved your cardigan)

what are all the platforms a newcomer should use to start and make accounts on?

Brilliant video!! Thank u!!

Thank you, Holly! You're too sweet! ❤ btw, I love your RU-vid channel! Huuuugs 😊❤🌻

A really good podcast I listen to talks all about this kind of stuff, it's called Creative Pep Talk by Andy J Pizza, he gives great advice!

This was really useful. Thank you for sharing! 💃🏻🌿

I love love your personality :) and you are such a cutie and so smart. Keep up with all cuz listening to you makes my so happy.

Is it a must that I have to water my designs? Cz ma friends say they will steal my designs

📝💯

I'd be so happy with a couple of thousand followers. Keep fluctuating at the 140 mark!

Hi Holly, Thanks for this helpful video, I use Instagram and youtube but this year I got fed up with them both as my fallowers were not growing. I need to go back and rethink it again. I wanted ask about opening on line shop. I want to design some prints, notebook, a shopping bag and a calendar and open a on line shop and I want the products to be environmentally acceptable, they will not be left around for 100's of years to fallow. Do you have any tips for starting this. Dont know how to use photoshop and I dont know anything about printers and what they need. Any advice would really be appreciated. Thanks so much Karol

love you Holly :)

How would I reach you in regards to illustrate a book i wrote. Thanks Mark Kramlich

Really a content

Idk what to post

I upload every day and yet there I am with no insta followers. Very sad. Rip me.