What should I talk about during my first Instagram Live sessions as an artist?

You almost don’t even need a specific topic to get started, especially if you’re doing process work. Just turn the camera on and start talking about what you’re working on—what you’re retouching, what happened during the shoot, your thoughts on what worked or didn’t, what gear you used, what you’re painting and why. Or don’t talk about your work at all—talk about what’s going on in your life. It genuinely doesn’t matter at first. When you do have a topic, restate it every five minutes or so because people are constantly dropping in and dropping out, and you don’t want latecomers to feel lost. Welcome people as they join. The key is to not just sit there waiting and asking ‘Is anyone there? Can you hear me?’ Instead, just hit the live button and start talking, check in occasionally to see if anyone’s watching, keep talking, and come back to check the comments. Don’t babysit the phone waiting for people to join.

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Asked by an artist unsure what to discuss on live video · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-02-24