Instagram: The 2nd Job We Didn’t Sign Up For

I was thinking the other day about how social media, Instagram in particular, has added a huge block of additional work and distraction to our lives as creatives. So, in addition to the main design or art work, we now also act as social media managers, filmmakers, copywriters, marketers - did I forget another hat we wear?

And isn’t the creative work supposed to be all about an uninterrupted flow of ideas, without any distractions or limitations? How is this even possible when you have to change the camera angle every 5 minutes? Exactly. I also don’t think it’s fair because, for us, it’s now essentially a double job.

But complaining about how the world is unfair or denying it by saying “I’m not going to participate” isn’t going to help. I’m afraid it will only have the opposite effect, so let’s take the initiative, build a clear structure around this block of work, integrate it into our schedules, and not waste any more energy arguing about it. 

It is the No. 1 marketing tool today. Period. In this newsletter, I’ll share my own hacks and outlook on how to utilize the power of social media and make it work for you👇

1️⃣ First, instead of trying to create - document. This was a pivotal insight for my own social media and has brought joy back to the process. At one point last year, I was literally about to quit. Spoiler: before taking such a radical step, pivot and find the aspects you love. This is how I brought joy back into my social media experience.

Document the process, your emotions, your purchases (I filmed the unboxing of my iPad mini for travel sketching, which brought me new leads and traffic - crazy world we live in). Why not show the unpacking of new markers? Not me, who just got new markers yesterday lol - super aesthetic for photos, by the way!

Unpack new paint, a new book, a new bag - ANYTHING that brings you joy. Every new purchase brings us joy, especially when it’s related to our wardrobe, right, ladies? :D

2️⃣ Mindset. Actually, I should’ve added this at the top, but it’s never too late. How exactly do we adjust our mindset? We start consuming educational content from top experts in the field of entrepreneurship and marketing, particularly social media, like Gary Vee, Alex Hormozi, and Ryan Serhant. By the way, Ryan also wrote a brilliant book on personal branding on social media from scratch - totally recommend it! I also attended his live book signing session in New York, and later signed up for his PRO coaching mentorship. So, I suggest you learn from the best who are NOT from the creative field.

3️⃣ Separate the audiences you’re creating for. Tutorials, “how-to” content, and other educational material will attract your competitors, while your stories related to your personal brand, and work from an inspirational standpoint, will attract your customers. Personally, when I post a tutorial, I feel a huge misalignment with my brand. And that brings me to the next point…

…don’t post for the sake of posting. Have you heard that posting three times a day is the secret to success? I’m a fan of quality over quantity, but consistency is key. At least five times a week, and vary the content types - one day it’s a talking head, the next it’s a drawing process, and the third could be my personal story.

Here’s a golden nugget hack from Ryan Serhant that he shared during his live event I attended in New York last September: post a piece of content depicting your brand awareness once per week. It shouldn’t always be your biography, but something that opens your world, your personality, and where you come from.



It is what it is - creating alone is simply not enough. In fact, I have a story to share from when I had another Instagram account back in 2015-2017 that I was trying to grow, but with no luck for over 5 years. Can you imagine?

The thing is, when our work goes unrecognized, we often think it’s not meant to be, we blame circumstances, and eventually, we quit. That’s why part of my big mission at my drawing and design academy is to guide you through the marketing aspect of your work, so you don’t have to waste 5 years like I did.

You need a clear, step-by-step roadmap from someone who’s been on both sides and now has a proven methodology. You’ll get it in my upcoming course, the waitlist for which is already open. Join the waitlist here and get early access to a special gift pack my team and I are preparing, and of course, special access to the new module on social media with clear, step-by-step tutorials. If you’re already one of our students, you’ll get free access - no worries!

Happy creating and let’s stay up-to-date, whether it’s social media or AI. But because you’re part of our ASDB community, you’ll already be at the forefront of your competition because innovation is one of the crucial parts of my brand.

Anna at @andshedrawsbig