Why should I show my face and appear in my art marketing content?

People want to see you, not just your work. The whole world is drowning in two-dimensional images—people are almost blind to them at this point. When your feed is just image after image after image of artwork with no human element, it all blends together. You need to show yourself holding the piece, standing next to your work, talking about your inspiration in videos. You are part of your brand as much as the artwork itself. Many artists think they should hide behind the camera and let the art speak for itself, believing the art is the brand. But that’s not how connection works on social media. People want to get to know you as the creator. Yes, it’s uncomfortable—many of us hate being on camera or in photos. But you have to be contrarian as a marketer and go where the attention is. Live video and personal content is where the attention is right now, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Share more of yourself, your process, your inspiration, and your personality. That’s what builds real connection with your audience.

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Asked by an artist whose Instagram was being reviewed · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-07-27