Are you doing what you love or what your audience loves?
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“The moment I perfect a dish is the moment I take it off the menu.” – André Chiang
In the film “Andre and his Olive Tree,” the opening scene captivated the audience when Taiwanese-born chef André decided to close his Singapore restaurant and return his Michelin stars.
For those unfamiliar with André Chiang, he trained under Michel Troisgros, Alain Ducasse, and Pierre Gagnaire in France. He made the decision to close the restaurant because he felt it was time to end that chapter.
Earning Michelin stars requires day-to-day consistency. Consistency is the opposite of creative freedom.
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Marcus Wallinder @meanwhileinnowhere – Minimalist Artist
In his first post of 2024, he wrote: Hello there. Long time no see! This year I will be searching for the ghost in the machine by manufacturing unusable, inauthentic & nonexistent scenes using 𝘼𝙄 & Photoshop. Stick around if you want, if not; thanks so much for following my previous colorful project. It was a blast but now I need to explore different things.
Now he is sharing something completely different, transitioning from colorful windows to dark-themed AI art.
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Gal Shir @galshirart – Artist based in Tel Aviv
In 2022, he posted: I’m changing things up here! ✨ You probably noticed that I stopped uploading drawing videos… So I wanted to share what’s on my mind, why I stopped, and what this page’s future will be! 🎨
These iPad videos I’ve been creating for the last 4 years were fun to make initially, but then they got me into a bad burnout. I couldn’t find joy in them, to the point where I hated my own art. I forced myself to “stay on the bus.” I kept making them because the incredibly positive feedback and popularity, the exposure I get from them on social media, and the many people they inspire.
The more I kept the consistency up, the more I hated it. The problem with posting your art online is that you get easily trapped in a feedback tunnel vision. Instead of doing what you love, you do what your audience loves. So when I realized that my only motivation to make art was the number of likes and views, I completely stopped…
He then shared his new art, and as a result, his followers decreased.
Are we giving our power away?
We are inadvertently controlled by numbers and metrics. But the truth is:
- Fewer likes don’t mean your work is of lesser quality; it simply means less exposure to a smaller audience.
- More likes don’t mean you have to alter your direction to keep posting the same type of content.
- Doing it for likes and views is silly. If you view your account as your portfolio, it’s cumulative. You will not be defined by a single post.
So, how can we maintain a healthy relationship with social media?
Put your work out there with no expectations. It’s a platform to showcase your work, connect with people, but don’t take the likes and comments too seriously.
You know what? Your likes come from people who are on their commute or in the bathroom…if that makes you feel better.
I believe that the desire to be liked is making many of us physically ill. Personally, it took me quite some time to post my film photos because they were not as popular as the sunset photos.
However, I felt compelled to share them. It’s part of my work. The right people will come across them. Whether they receive likes or not, who cares? You are the only one stressing over it.
We are not robots. I believe art stems from your authentic self. If you no longer derive joy or satisfaction from working on a project, it’s time to make a change, as simple as that.
Follow your bliss. If there is an itch, there will be an audience.