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My quality has increased but my likes have plummeted. My personal explanation is that Insta/Meta/FB has identified me as a likely person they want to get on the payed advertisement train. They expect me to pay and not get free publicity. My likes and engagement has plummeted over the last six or seven years on all things Meta.

Just made a new account on insta, looking forward to see today's tips! Also, I would love to see some more videos on storyboarding, maybe about your creative procces of doing them :) I want to do storyboard myself, so I try to gather as much info as I can, and your videos are always very helpfull!

Sorry to repeat myself but I think I'm speaking for others here: My engagement is good, just my reach is really bad. I don't understand why my work isn't shown to more people when my reach-to-engagement-rates are constantly high. How does "the algorithm" decide to not show my posts to more users? How does it assume my post is going to perform badly if it never (really never in 4 years) puts it to the test? Where is my reward for performing well with my tiny audience?

I feel kinda called out 😢

I'm sure Michelle planned, filmed and edited this video weeks ago and it was just a bad timing to upload. But for anyone who doesn't know yet just a quick heads up, Meta the owners of Facebook, Instagram and Threads has said that they'll be using any image posted for public for training their AI.

Really cool and informative video! I followed you on instagram too, since I love the way you present yourself as an artist who is ACTUALLY trying ♡

All of the ignorant stuff you say can be referred to you also

That's exactly right, you're not special either.

Honestly, I just gave up in insta, I was already so tired trying to fight the algorithm and keeping my followers engaged, and now the Mata AI thing… I moved to Cara recently, as many other artists did, it’s small but it grows so quickly, highly recommended to everyone

Briefing: do cute and for young people. You'll do fine. Well, I'm screwed then. (And NO, for gosh sake, don't have a different art style. People will ostracize you for that. Do only slightly different manga or cartoons. Don't starve to death. As a veteran, I'm shifting the style because that's the reality, period) Are there any agencies specializing in 2D animation and comic ad campaigns like there are for video games? I had trouble finding resources specifically for indie budgets. Any recommendations for people who work in this type of ad campaign creation would be fantastic!

To me A-i is bad,dumb, what ever you want to call 📞 it because 1. You are cheating yourselves 2. What if y2k hits again the internet goes out when y2k happens you are on/in a dead line and out of No where BAM No internet 🤔 you sre F<cked So go back to pencil ✏️.

How to post to Instagram.... don't lol

I found myself keeping my better work to me when I know it has potential to be recognized

most people who see my art usually like/love it. but the number's always under 50 because we all know algo.

Any artwork you post on Instagram will be used to train various generative ai models. If you are in the US, I don't think there is an option to tell meta not to, and even if there is, I doubt it's a 100% guarantee that it won't happen. Perhaps it's better to just not be on Instagram. These large companies will always side with open ai because open ai gives them lots of money for access to all the drawings. You don't really get a say so in the matter, despite the art belonging to you, because anything posted on IG or Facebook is immediately considered theirs to do as they wish. When a product is free, you tend to become the product. So you need to be very careful with what you share. You dont want your original characters to be trained into generative AI. Open AI are nothing more then thieves with no real morality. Companies will screw over anyone to get ahead, and oftentimes, they go unpunished. Never give a company all of your attention. They don't care about you, and they will take as much as they need from you. Just because Instagram I free to use, does not give them the right to steal from you, and sell your shit off to other companies, you know what I mean?

This is fascinating ☺☺

Oh my god, blah blah blah 😄

But i’m bad at comics 😞

"Sigh... and furries" lmaoooo

Wow so that’s why so I don’t suck at art 😂😂

Yep awesome video & yeah that explains a lot...

Thank you so much for showing your “failures.” As an artist, designer, youtuber and streamer, believe me, I’ve had more than my fair share. It’s nice to see even big creators have failures, or things they wish had gone better. Especially with AI, it can be really discouraging. Thank you for reminding us all it’s okay to not be perfect. ❤

yup this video definitely gets a Subscribe from me. I had to unlearn 18 years of color theory from art school in order to be effective as a colorist in the VFX industry.

Amazing video, I too work in animation in Toronto and also am dealing with layoffs for the past 4 months, I've been enjoying it. It really gives you time to reset and think about what's important. I'm happy I found your yt channel :)

I use a Samsung Tab s7 for all my digital art with Clip Studio. I would wholly recommend it, especially if you can't afford the apple price tag. It has similar quality at almost half the price!

Thank you for being transparent & sharing book bolt!

Thank you for your honesty. I think all us artists are having doubts about how to make a living in these turbulent times, so thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Hey there CZcamsr working for tips! 1: Google term "call to artists", some pay some don't. In America it's as if every location has a hundred or so. Pay doesn't always profit. Start with free or public/government project. Number 2: know your audience. ask your customer what they like or don't like. Art isn't about you it's about them connecting with you. Don't paint landscapes for a portrait competition. Number 3: include novelty. Add something unusual. Number 4: if it your art sucks, it sucks. Ask people what they like about it and what they don't like. Everyone knows what sucks. Don't take it personally, consider it a gift that can help you sell. In fact, you should have to sell art, you're helping your customer buy art. Pro tip: 1 Would you rather sell to everyone including poor people? Or would you like to rinse the rich? I personally do not want poor people's money. They need it. I think it is morally just to sell something for $30000. Pro tip 2: everything face to face is better. Consider sales a friend making experience. Being an artist is making money being authentic. You deserve it.

Do you recommend doing the comic convention circuit to help promote your work or does your agent make that call?

Wooow the editing in this one is so on point 👌 I look forward to seeing more of your content on here :)

I just think T-Shirt, stickers are just boring......because too much people are doing these......

I love the Artist’s Way. ❤

welp... now i have another problem... i dont know how to get followers.. i mean i just post my art but at most i get 2 or 3 reactions xD

I get one sale a month 😂😅

No Michelle, don't think like that. At least for me the main reason I am gravitated towards failure stories is that I relate so much and would like to know how people with much more success than me cope with that

Your video came at the right time when I was starting to feel uncertainty about money but your thoughts and tips were so refreshing to hear ! What bonds artists is change and how we can keep evolving to move forward ❤

your planning is so beautiful 🥲

i feel that im getting laid off in june oof.

What audience you want? As soon i saw the name of the company it was distasteful. And not everyone into " demon " themes. You truly are talented tho! If you want organic traffic you have to lean towards ppl into lower energies. Good luck.

i relate to this video 😔 thanks Michelle for sharing your hard time with us

this sounds silly but every time i watch one of your videos, i burst into tears. idk if it's the sense of authenticity with every post or if it's your determination to better yourself and your craft but whatever it is - it's genuinely motivated me to start pushing myself and develop areas i was too scared to before. tytyty for all ya post <3

My Etsy shop and kinda sorta my Spoonflower are also in the pooper right now. My Etsy was never to the same level as yours, but it was enough to comfortably live my already frugal lifestyle. I did great in 2020-the first half of 2021 because I had a few already popular medical designs. When IG changed their algorithm, that was the nail in the coffin. I also turned to painting and have prioritized that over digital art, and that didn't help since I only sell paintings in person and have been lazy about adding mini prints to my shop. The economy I feel like has tanked everyone. At least for me, business is down 80%. I have one stream of income that hasn't been as effected, but it's also the most time consuming and has the most negative impact on my physical and emotional health (art commissions.) I started doing everything else so I didn't have to rely on commissions as much, but here we are!

Not fully related but I can relate in a sense that my current 9-5 has recently become financially unstable. I don't have family in the US anymore (which used to be my "if all else fails" safety net) or a partner or friends close enough that can back me up, so I'm actually in a very anxious and fearful stat (with a lease and cats to pay for at the very least.) It's so weird that your video came up when it did. It's helping me calm down. Thank you.

that porkbun transition was too smooth