Why do we Share Our Art on Social Media?

So distracted that I forgot to open my sketchbook

artwork by author

Artist @jwmarianne posed a thoughtful question the other day on Threads, the sister social media platform of Instagram. The responses were as diverse as you would expect, but many people said it was simply to correspond with other artists. Making art is a mostly solitary act, after all.

What’s the reason for sharing our art on social media?

Is it to connect with other artists? To sell something? To put ourselves out there into the world? For a quick dopamine hit?

I’ve been writing for a long time, but never shared it anywhere until I started on Medium several years ago. I didn’t make visual art until a couple of years ago when I made a funny sketch for a friend and was encouraged to play more. Writing with fountain pens and playing with the inks sparked an interest in ink art and watercolors.

Hobbies beget hobbies, and one attempt triggered another idea that triggered another try at something interesting. I began to love what I could make with art. Even more, I loved how I felt while I was making it.

Much like my writing career, I experienced an early boon. I received plenty of encouragement from friends and family and got more excited about making art. I used my…