I’m currently participating in a wonderful online art class, taught by the amazingly talented artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon. The class consists of a series of exercises where Lisa instructs students to create pieces using certain materials and techniques, and is meant to spark inspiration and “help you develop your own creative voice.” Finished projects are then shared in abundance on Instagram.

I started the class off sticking closely to Lisa’s original prompts and style, and was rewarded by a fair amount of positive feedback in the form of Instagram “likes.” While the social media praise certainly felt nice, I wasn’t really enjoying myself. I wasn’t creating art that was true to my unique aesthetic. I wasn’t improving my technique in ways that would help me develop my personal craft. The class was inspiring me to create, but I wasn’t using my authentic artistic voice.

So last week I stopped trying to create art that looks like Lisa’s (and the majority of the other people who are taking ther class) and started doing the exercises in my own style. And yes, I received fewer “likes” in response. Which is exactly what I expected.

I’m still learning and developing my own artistic voice, determining the particular style and subject matter that I want to focus on. I need to constantly remind myself along the way of what is important to ME and not compare myself to every other artist that I admire (I know, a fairly impossible task).

My art might not be as commercially successful as others’ who tap into trends (something I have no interest in). My technique might not be as well-developed (yet) as those who went to art school and have been perfecting their craft for years. It will probably take me a lot longer to build a social media following than those who present themselves as “brands” rather than as multi-faceted human beings. But my art will be true to who I am and how I see the world, and that matters a heck of a lot more than Instagram “likes.”