Should you join Mastodon as an artist? Non-commercial social media
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- From time to time I get the question: do I still manage to stay away from social media?
I thought right now is a good moment to look at this question again because of the current shifts in the social media landscape: Twitter seems to burn down to the ground while alternatives like the non-commercial Mastodon are on the rise. What is it all about? Why do I even care as someone who has quit social networks a few years ago? Let's take a look.
Read the full blog post:
juliabausenhar...
Learn more about Mastodon and search for instances:
joinmastodon.org
My Mastodon profile:
mastodon.art/@...
Here are a few instances that are creatively themed:
mastodon.art/ (currently closed for registration)
artisan.chat/
bytetower.social/
indiepocalypse...
photog.social
writing.exchange
General instances:
mstdn.social
mastodon.coffee
kamu.social
polyglot.city
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I miss the old Forums and online discussion groups where you could post Works in Progress and people would provide supportive comments. We are more connected and yet more isolated than ever. Hopefully, something like Mastadon can provide a means for people to join online communities again. Thanks for posting this and continuing to research new online options that will emerge.
I feel that the internet has changed in a way that makes personal, well-meaning connection harder due to the many networks that encourage rage and negative engagement. Plus networks like Instagram focus a lot on polished, finished work. Not very ideal learning and sharing environments.
So far I have to say that while Mastodon is different in its structure from forums (no threads etc) it is a very welcoming place, and particularly the art community is very supporting. So hopefully this can be a place to feel safe and post artwork in progress.
Hello Julia, thank you for this great video. I too am a child of the early internet, being online as early as '92, teaching art on forums and through PDF and photo series on CD-rom from the get-go. The internet was a place to be YOU as you were - awesome for artists and outsiders. Then mainstream took over and look what the greater part has become: an advertising canon. I miss the internet as it was...I hate what it is now, especially socila media and left facebook shortly after you and after watching your video. I don't miss it, although I encounter events, courses or social connections who only use facebook. But every time I reconsidered, the answer inside was a clear 'no'. I'm still on insta, but less than half-heartedly as it does absolutely nothing for me. RUclips is still okay socially, but I don't like the way it's going with pinching down views, pushing shorts over regular vids, etc. They too are treating us more and more like creators. I'm not a creator or a brand. I'm an artist with a fondness of pigments that I began to share on YT years ago. I loved it here...meeting other pigment-crazy people, chatting during live vids...but in the past few months YT is beginning to cause doubt inside as well. So when I saw you did a video about Mastodon I was pretty sure it was going to be awful and a definite no-no. But then you talk about it resembles the old internet a bit. There you got my attention! No algorithms? Moderators? A timeline that actually shows what I'd like to see instead of manipulating my emotions of that day? Can it be? I'm going to check it out for myself.... Thanks again for the video and thanks for sharing your thought process about social media in relation to being an artist. The dominant story is to push yourself as a brand, but my gut feeling says something different and it's great to hear that feeling reflected in another artist.
I can completely relate Mandy. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this. I can't understand businesses or people who offer something only through a certain platform like FB - it shuts out everyone who's not on there.
I don't really like the direction RUclips is taking either, to be honest I only use it for the search engine results and ignore all the trends. Since almost no-one watches these videos I might even stop doing them. ;)
I have to say I enjoy Mastodon for the community vibe and everything else I mentioned, but I'm still very aware of what it is: a feed-based platform with a hugely unfocussed timeline that can fracture your concentration in a matter of minutes. So one has to be careful. This will not lead to more calm moments of art-making. But for connecting with others, it's definitely a step up from all the commercial platforms I've tried - no doom-scrolling and no bad feelings if you keep your timeline filled with nice individuals.
Don't get me started on the whole "build your brand" and "creator" thing - it is awful and it's no wonder the big platforms are pushing everyone to adopt it - they can squeeze out more views/money that way.
Anyway, if you give Mastodon a try, be sure to say hello! :-) I really appreciate that you shared so much of your journey and your thoughts here with me (and everyone else)! :-)
Thanks a lot Julia for this very interesting video. I'd like to point out that good old forums do still exist, and I find them the best way to join a community on a specific topic. They are often well moderated and gather a lot of expertise. There is no money involved, no incentive to show off or fight for the stage in any way. If a member has been around interacting for a few years, he is not forgotten after being inactive for a while. If the goal is to share and learn, rather than to (often selfishly) advertise oneself, I believe these forums are the best option.
You are of course right, forums are still a thing. I've not been actively involved in forums for a few years, but maybe it's time I tried it again. Thanks for mentioning this!
I heard that James Guerney is there so it does sound promising for people who want to be in a healthier style of community…thanks for talking about this 😊
Yes, James is there and he's posting his wonderful work. :) It does indeed feel like a nicer place than the commercial platforms I've been on, and I've had really nice, civil conversations (I mention "civil" because very often that wasn't possible elsewhere). So maybe there's hope yet for us humans. :)
Julia, thank you for sharing your thoughts! 😊
this sounds very promising! Just recently started to market my artwork and deleted Instagram last night - I feel so so so so happy about that, it's like getting rid of a ball and chain. Might try Mastodon out and connect there!
I remember that feeling of deleting IG! Maybe you can use this as a break from the socials and give yourself time to readjust. Mastodon will still be there. :)
Be sure to say hello if you join!
@@NatureSketchbook Thank you so much! It feels so good to have people who can relate. Im sure I will get FOMO at some point but Im OK with that possibility. And your advice to take a break first - wise words and I will take that advice. For a good detox :))
Julia thank you for sharing. Being an artist as you mentioned does mean much time on your own. So I learned to enjoy my own company. It works so very well and you can still with care get all you need from the computer technology that we have to use theses days. If we change then so does our world around us. Just my thoughts and the way I go. I have never used social media. I am so pleased that people are beginning to see the light and leaving. U tube has been the only one I have some use for. Happy creating, enjoy your art.
I personally would enjoy more real world interaction with fellow artists from time to time, but sometimes this just doesn't work out. I see online connections not as a replacement (because I think nothing can replace direct interaction), but it's still something we seem to strive for as social animals. And yet, like you, I'm often most happy when I can just make art on my own. Thank you for sharing your experience. :)
If we are no more than social animals then surely there is little hope for mankind, of which each individual is included. The real artist and art is looking beyond what seems to be to the shores of something so much more beautiful. Take care. J G
Hello and thank you for this lovely video. I do miss the free open internet of yore. Also, it was delightful to watch you illustrate :) Kindest regards!
All the Mastodon art channels I discovered had less less fine art/Illustration and more anime/manga fetish. Maybe I should click the links you provided to have another try. *My apologies to the Sailor Moon fans.
I never see any anime stuff unless I want to. :D There is much to discover. Just browse around a bit at mastodon.art or any of the other art/craft instances, I'm sure you'll find something cool. Plus hashtags like #art, #illustration, #watercolor, #pixelart, etc are very useful to discover artists. :)
Julia,
Thanks for this video. I found my way to Mastodon from Twitter. I have been struggling to find a social media platform for my art that feels right for me. I still have Facebook (I don't like Facebook) and Instagram (hate the algorithm). I have been shocked by the engagement on Mastodon, people are actually seeing my posts and responding in a positive and uplifting way. The things other artists are sharing are amazing and inspiring. I love that I don't have to scroll past a stack of ads, sponsored content or other stuff shoved in my face. I have followed you on Mastodon too!
It’s been interesting, if that’s the right word, to watch folks moving over to Mastodon. Personally, I was never into Twitter and found it quite annoying. What’s kind of cool is that many people are learning about Macedon and open-source in general. A lot of folks in the open-source community were on both platforms. So far, it’s hard to say whether Mastodon can replace Twitter and hopefully lose some of the poor conduct.Full disclosure: I work for three small open-source nonprofits, two of which who used to receive Twitter corporate sponsorships.
Yes, it's definitely nice that people get introduced to the idea of open-source and non-commercial places through this. I think we all are ready for a different tone and conduct, so far I've been pleasantly surprised by the civil conversations on Mastodon that I thought had vanished from the internet (except on small niche blogs). Thank you for sharing your experiences!
Wow, I am so happy I ran across your channel and this video in particular!! I passionately share your feelings about the "old" forums, their original traditions, and none of the marketing crud that has overtaken every single pixel of screen real estate. Heh..... I actually hit the Subscribe button when you referred to Musk as a douchebag. lol....
I will be checking Mastodon out for sure. Thanks!
Nancy
Thank you & Say hello on Mastodon if you like! :-)
I don't like Social Media which is why I don't have major platforms like Facebook,Instagram or Twitter but Mastadon does sound very interesting.
Thank you Julia.
Thanks for the video, much agree with what you said.
I hate social media, they drain all the strength out of you while you are trying to advertise yourself, and if you can’t get yourself an audience, then you just feel useless and forgotten. I really miss the old internet, when there was more freedom and opportunities for self-expression. I miss the times when people created cute personalized blogs for themselves, each with their own design. Thanks to social media, it seems that everything creative has turned into one big feed, where art costs almost nothing, doomed to be scrolled in a second and entierly drift into oblivion.
Agree 💯!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I guess we'll never get back the old internet, but we can try to shape it at least a tiny bit by choosing which platforms we use. All the best for you out there!
@@NatureSketchbook I really want to believe that it is still possible to create a comfortable place on the Internet that won't distract you with trolls, constant self-promotion, etc. Maybe on Mastodon or something like this, not sure for now.
Wish all the best too!
4:11 Yesss 👏 👏 👏 👏 Julia, yes!
And there are so many more of them out there!
Thank you.
Thank you so much Julia! I would never discover this new thing myself :) I'm mostly a digital artist/designer, and I feel like maybe its time for me to quit Instagram for good. If I join it, maybe we could connect there. Thanks again! :)
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