I Almost Didn’t Post This Video—Then It Went Viral

I posted a video on Instagram, and it went berserk viral.

At the time, my idea of "viral" was 5,000 views. But as I’m writing this, that post is sitting at over 50K views, 3.9K likes, 208 comments, 1.2K shares, and 1.3K saves. I’ve gained 473 followers from this single post—something that had never happened before since I started my social media account.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFxBPbyNZDl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

In the video, I asked artists to check out curators’ profiles because they post about their everyday lives—friends, food, family, and all that. Meanwhile, those same curators tell artists to post only their artwork on social media.

This advice has been nagging me for a while because artists’ profiles look flat. You see the same posts over and over: a feed full of finished artworks, a reel here and there of an exhibition opening, a poster for a current show, and a few portraits of the artist standing next to their work or with fellow artists and some curator or buyer.

Where’s the voice of the artist in all of this?

There are hardly captions beyond basic artwork details. No voiceovers giving context to the artwork. Just music in the background on most of the reels. No behind-the-scenes glimpses, no snippets of the process—nothing that feels personal. 

I fell into the same trap, and it frustrated me. Instagram felt like something I had to do rather than something I wanted to engage with. The same people interacted with my content—mostly my friends and colleagues. I wanted more engagement, but I wasn’t even sure in what form. The truth? If I were a stranger to my own page, I would’ve unfollowed myself a long time ago. I just knew my page needed a fresh way of sharing my experiences, something that still aligned with my work as a multidisciplinary artist.

It was time for a change.

I personally love vlogs. I enjoy watching people share their lives, work, and skills in an organic way. I gravitate toward content that isn’t overly curated—where people share their opinions freely, where the storytelling focuses on the product or the process, not just the final result.

I wanted to do the same. But then that annoying voice in my head started up: “You don’t have time. You already have too much on your plate. Where will you find the time to create this kind of content?” So instead of making content, I started following people who were doing the kind of work I admired. I took notes. I paid attention.

Then, one day, I finally recorded the video that went viral. I did not plan it, but it was a thought I’d always had. I filmed it in my kitchen, casually eating from a bowl of mixed fruit—nothing fancy, just me talking. I recorded it in January, edited it right away, and then left it in my drafts to think about it.

And then I second-guessed myself.

I watched the video over and over. That annoying voice said, “People won’t like this. The video quality isn’t good enough.” So, I deleted it.

In February, I came across the video in my phone's photo gallery. I took it as a sign. I edited it again, left it in my drafts for a few days, and then on February 7, 2025, I saw it and thought, “If I don’t post it today, I’m deleting it for good.” So, I posted it.

Nothing about this comes naturally to me. But I know I want something different. I want my own voice to come through. I want to shape the narrative around my work and use social media as one of the platforms where I can do that.

Speaking is writing, and I encourage you as an artist to start writing more—in your private space, your studio practice, and even publicly. Use writing as a medium for your creative practice, and share that if you wish, whether on social media or in other spaces.

Otherwise, thank you for engaging with my video. Seeing how many of you felt like the message was for you was overwhelming in the best way. Artists resonated. Writers chimed in. And curators? Well… maybe 0.01% responded.

We’re still working on that part.

But for now, let’s keep the conversation going.