When you feel like your art doesn't matter

Being an artist is hard. There's a reason the term "starving artist" exists. It seems like everyone wants your art extremely cheap — or worse — free. My camera equipment certainly wasn't free so the thought of giving away the art I make with it for free is painful.

I haven't yet been able to make a living from photography, but I love taking photos so I keep doing it and hoping I'll eventually find enough clients to be able to do it full time.

Aside from the getting paid aspect of doing photography or any other art form, getting noticed can be another struggle. Sharing art has become so much easier with social media, but there is also an overwhelming amount of art that comes with that. Social media algorithms don't always help either. Some followers may never even see your posts.

Another issue I've come across is that some followers will only like or react to your posts if it is about them. For example, they'll only like photos of their band or a popular band they love regardless of how amazing your other photos are. They may only like a song you perform if it's a genre they enjoy or a song cover they love. Just because someone follows you on social media, doesn't mean they'll be a fan of everything you do.

Because of all of these, you won't always get a lot of (or consistent) likes and/or comments on your posts about whatever art you share. Don't give up. Keep promoting your art. There are people who genuinely enjoy seeing your art and there are people who would love to see it and just haven't yet.

The most important thing is that if you love what you do, you have to keep doing it. If it makes you happy, don't stop creating. That's what makes your art matter more than any amount of likes, views, or comments. Life isn't about numbers. Life is about finding joy.