How much of my social media should be about me versus my artwork?

Consider Andy Warhol—if he were alive today, his Instagram would likely be heavily weighted toward his personality, him at parties, him with other people, him living his life, rather than just images of his work. The exact ratio isn’t as important as understanding that your audience needs to see you as a real person, not just a feed of artwork. People connect with people, not just products. Your story, your process, your interests, your life—these are what make your work meaningful and collectible. Look at your current social media presence and ask yourself: where is the story? Where is the artist behind the work? You don’t need to live a glamorous celebrity lifestyle, but you do need to show who you are and give people a reason to care about you as a creator, not just your creations.

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Asked by implied question from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-01-09