How personal should I be on social media? Should I share struggles like mental health issues or personal hardships?

Go as personal as you’re comfortable with, but understand that the more real and vulnerable you are, the better your results will be. When people share authentic struggles—not the curated perfect life—they get the highest engagement and deepest connections. That said, there’s a line, and you can certainly hold some things back depending on your situation (like if you work with children professionally). The key is being real enough that people can bond with you over shared experiences. You can always delete a post if you go too far, so you can experiment with the line. The bonds formed through authentic sharing are extremely powerful. People on social media are tired of the fake perfection; they respond to real human experience—the messy, imperfect reality we all live.

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Asked by a substitute teacher and painter with personal struggles · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-07