The Truth about going Viral + Making Money from it
Last week, I went viral for the first time in a real way. The Louvre was heisted and I had so many thoughts. I quickly painted the stolen jewels, placed them on my head and filmed myself being stupid. My camera setting was accidentally on slow-mo setting but I didn’t have any other takes. I uploaded it thinking it was just another one of the silly videos featuring myself that I would post but quickly delete. Sure enough it started to track, explode, morph into something else completely. I’m sure you’re thinking, “ok it’s officially your big break! Your DMs will fill up from multi-nationals dying to collaborate. Your book will instantly sell out.” I spent hours refreshing, counting likes, extracting any residual buzz I could to feed my ego. So how did it pan out? It probably only led to 100 new followers (I’ll take them) despite thousands of reshares and lost hours being glued to my phone.
If Instagram virality is what everyone is striving for, then SO WHAT? Does it even mean anything? JUST WAIT! The next day I googled Paris Heist Costume and I saw my face freakishly popped up twice. HyperAllergic wrote an article about my videos and my mug was illustrating it. I thought “wow I am the face of the Louvre Heist and Halloween is a week away. This must be exploited”. I scanned my paper jewels, uploaded them on Etsy as a printable download and they’ve been selling a dozen a day since.
This is not a bravado dab, but to reassure you that social media numbers aren’t everything, regardless of the pressures of agents, editors and potential clients. It’s what you do with them and how you leverage them in your favor.
The truth is, the illustration industry is at an ugly tipping point (via Creative Boom, via Jason Chatfield). Several friends and colleagues have said this year has been the worst ever. All the bread and butter editorial illustration jobs I started out doing have mostly dried up. Budgets are continually shrinking. And Instagram isn’t the opportunity generator it used to be where art directors commission you on the spot. Am I optimistic for the future of illustration? Not entirely but I do know I’m excited to see how I continue to evolve because I know I’ll need to. What does this look like? It’s running retreats, teaching, live event portraits and speaking engagements. I’m not glorifying the hustle, but artists do need to adapt. What I learned from all of this is I’m lucky and thankful I can back myself up with years of craft and an entrepreneurial spirit.
And now for a few pragmatic and encouraging takeaways:
-When something explodes on social media, really ask yourself why! At my open artist studio a few weeks ago, some random lady was like “Jessie, I love what you do, but I REALLY LOVE your videos on Instagram. They are hilarious”. I’ve been resistant sharing me-centric videos because I didn’t want it to take away from my visual art. But if it’s a way to merge the two worlds, it may be Instagram gold. Not everyone can do that and that sets me apart.
-When in doubt, double down on craft. Remember craft? When you are discouraged your post isn’t moving numbers, just continue drawing/painting/doing whatever it is that keeps you obsessing into the early morning hours. I was able to make money off of my viral moment because I had something of value to sell. And that was many years in the making. If you have skills outside of a social media post, they are the real opportunity drivers. And if these social media platforms fizzle out, something tangible remains.
-Don’t give up hope. If you think of your creative practice as a tree, can you grow a new branch? Does this mean teaching? Or evolving in a new direction? It doesn’t make you any less of an artist. It’s just investing in longevity.
-Is there a way to support a working artist today? You don’t need to buy a physical painting to help one out. Leave an Amazon review of their book, buy them a coffee, request their publication at your local bookstore, show up to their opening, support their Substack.
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