Do you want to meet people on Instagram that are going through the same thing as you? Content on Instagram is enjoyable to consume when you’re sharing your work with your friends and seeing what they’re working on as well. Not everyone posts their art on social media, so having someone to relate to and talk to about specific situations is immensely helpful and can be crucial in navigating the journey mentally. But how do you make friends when you have never met any of these people in real life? Is it even possible to make real friends on Instagram? And how do you find them and start that conversation? Some ways to make artist or art business friends on Instagram include joining artist group chats, participating in challenges, and directly responding to other's posts.
Support Groups and Group Chats
A popular thing on Instagram in the art community is art support group chats. These could be great and authentic, but typically they fade out and can cause the same people engaging with your posts over and over, which may lead Instagram to think you're being inauthentic. Better groups to join might be off of Instagram, perhaps Facebook groups geared around digital art or artists on Instagram. For example, Check Your Aesthetic (an art, social media and entrepreneurial themed podcast) has an online Facebook community where people can discuss different art business related topics and ask questions to the group. Think about what type of art you do specifically and search simple terms on Facebook related to it. Other platforms also host artists group chats and streams like Discord and Twitch. If you find a group of friends on Instagram that you really feel like you can relate to and learn from, throw out the idea of starting a group chat. It could lead to something great. Just don't fall for the idea of inauthentic "engagement groups" that will only hurt your reach and waste your time.
Art Challenges
A great way to meet others through social media is through participating in art challenges and collaborations. Some examples of this are Inktober and DTIYS challenges. DTIYS stands for "Draw this in your style", and is a popular type of art challenge on social media where you take a look at what someone else has drawn and make it your own. Many large creators participate in challenges like these or even create their own challenges! If you see a challenge you like or that inspires you, save it for next time you're in a creative rut. These can be great to not only draw something new, but also using the challenge hashtags can often help your work be seen by other accounts that make similar art. Even if the challenge is over or even if it does not relate to your art style, you'd be surprised how many people might still find you through these collaborative events.
Art collaborations on social media can be with a large group, or with only one other person. Sometimes, artists will post on their story if they're looking to start a collaboration, and will describe a general theme and ask for a message to join. Artists will also message their favorites individually with a collaboration idea, so if you have a great idea that you think another artists would like too, don't be afraid to message them. It's also a good idea to check the bio of an artist before you message them to check if they check their DMs or if they would rather receive an email.
Don't be Afraid to Put Yourself Out There
The hardest part about making friends on social media is getting over the fear that they will not like you or that they will think you're weird. The first step to communicate with other artists is by doing things like commenting on their posts or responding to their stories. To come off as more authentic, try and comment on something specific about their post. For example, instead of commenting "Love it!", comment something like "I love the texture you added to the leaves!". This shows the artist that you actually took a real look at their post, and you didn't just comment the same generic thing you comment every time. Of course a small comment still counts, but try to add more words if you want to build a relationship.
Having art friends on social media can be a huge help in your art passion or hobby as they can encourage you, but they can also hype up your page. When your friends hit milestones or launch a new product, show them some love by sharing it on your story! They might just return the favor and show your work to a new group of people. Just remember to stay as open and authentic and possible, and be ready to build real relationships with people you may never meet in real life. Even if the friendship is virtual, it could be impactful for your career and your mental health.
