By Emma Main & Yasmin Bahrami

If you are pursuing a creative career of any sort, you’ve heard that the success of your work is inherently tied with your social media efforts. The old Hollywood dream of being “made a star” has been replaced with the hope of your TikTok going viral.  

The good news: no matter the medium of art, you’re no longer at the beck and call of a formal institution’s investment any more. Social media is literally at our fingertips and grants us the ability to promote our work and generate opportunities through online recognition. The not-so-great side of it all: it’s as overwhelming as it is accessible. The competitive pool is literally everybody. So how do we distinguish ourselves?

From painters to poets, we think these five female artists have successfully captured the attention of all of us through their social media presence. We’ve written some key takeaways from their pages that will elevate yours.

Whether you know her from the Moonkissed Collective Think Of You Tee or recognize the doe-eyed character from Pinterest or TikTok, New York City based artist Sasha December has created an unforgettable online presence.

Her simple yet uniquely charming artistic style captures a nuanced character of what aspirational coming-of-age looks like. On her website, she writes, “I hope that you can find yourself in her journey, and whether it is the good or the bad, know you’re not alone.”

Sasha’s art reminds me of the awkward, but in retrospect, beautiful, aspects of growing into myself and the journey of my own girlhood. Her depictions feel like a warm hug, capturing the fleeting moments of comfort through your own journey in girlhood.        

Takeaways:

• A cohesive storyline behind her art. This gives viewers something to connect with beyond the aesthetic pleasure.
• A developed, personal and well thought out design philosophy published on her website.
• A keen familiarity and understanding of her target market–primarily young women who resonate with the offbeat, quirky and feminine side of creative expression.
• A distinguished & consistent aesthetic on Instagram that allows for immediate recognition.

After graduating from Yale, figurative painter Jordan Casteel moved to NYC to pursue her passion for painting. She uses her art to explore and incorporate identity and sexuality. At the forefront, she uses the medium to honor the people within her community. Her work confronts traditional notions of gender and race, purposefully featuring those who might not be portrayed on museum walls. 

Jordan has shared bits of her life with her work and the stories behind the people she paints. She is a vibrant and capturing painter going beyond just skill. Her art will invite you into her world and explore important topics through the artistic lens.

Takeaways:

• Regular posting, at least once a week, Instagram stories almost every day.
• Crafted storytelling: detailed back stories behind artwork that increase audience engagement (more likes, comments and overall loyalty).
• Community oriented. Jordan started off of solid ground to build what is now an empire of a fandom.
• A personal approach to social media–Jordan’s personality shows on her page, creating more affinity between her and her audience.

If your TikTok for you page is anything like mine, you’ve seen that girl that posts short-form poetry as she films her daily life with phrases like: “Of course I still love you. I’m having tea and toast with yogurt and honey.” 

When I discovered Sotce, her otherworldly interpretations of ordinary things immediately spoke to me. She speaks for a community of young women whose feelings don’t fit into small concepts. Her podcast series Sweet Release touches on such subjects with a unique ethereal perspective. We were lucky enough to collaborate and create the Pigeon Tank and Reflections Skirt with her.

Sotce’s world is much like the fantastical, ethereal feeling that you get from watching movies like Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia–but she is just like you, making morning tea, longing, dreaming, achieving, healing. I feel like I could step into my phone and sit right there with her. 

Takeaways:

• A loyal following built through meaningful messaging. Sotce has built her Patreon page off of the community of women that follow her TikTok and Instagram.
• Bigger picture, bigger message. People really resonate with creators that have grander intentions in their messaging–whether they recognize it off the bat or not. Sure, her catch phrases are sweet and sometimes even funny. But in her rhetoric, she bridges the language of the internet with elevated concepts in spirituality. 
• Multiple platforms. Sotce is active on TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Patreon and two accounts on Instagram. Social media is a game of consistency and high volume. 

Based in Los Angeles, artist Katya Krasnova has taken tattooing at Puppy Studio in the Arts District to the next level. Katya’s unique art style has undoubtedly been highlighted through her tattoos, but her work also bleeds into other mediums. 

A young artist that will inspire you to get your first tattoo, her work is so unapologetically authentic, channeling the inner playful creativity that she radiates.  Along with her theme of signature cat drawings, many pieces also beautifully capture the female form, creating space for female artists to honor and celebrate their womanhood.

Takeaways:

• Sticks with her style. When you look at Katya’s page, you know it’s hers. She doesn’t blend with the melting pot of artists online. This distinction is key to an overall recognition online.
• Monetizing her work. Katya was smart to reinitialize her tattoo art into mugs and tote bags that people can buy. In this way, she reached a wider audience and scaled her work. You can see an example of this and shop Katya’s merchandise line on Krasnova Clothing.