“Forget about the likes” they said
This is a story of two tales. The first tale takes place at the beginning of January. The second came about at the end of it. Spoiler alert, I’m the protagonist in both.
Tale one
It might be because the past six months have been abysmal career-wise—both as a graphic designer and an illustrator—but I really needed to feel some love when I posted the below illustration on Instagram.
This feels mortifying to admit, but I do want likes on my posts. I don't want to be Vincent Van Gogh, I want to be David Hockney (I mean, it’s too late for that but you understand the point). I want people to like what I do during my lifetime. Yes, I create because it’s an intrinsic need but, apparently, I also want external validation… I’m not proud of it, but here we are.
Maybe all artists want to be told they’re good? Or most of them anyway? I’d like to think it’s not just me.
I also must face the possibility that the illustration got very few likes because it is, in actual fact, not good. I thought it was, but I might just be delusional. That's a possibility. I’m still happy with it though, so I’ll enjoy my delusion a while longer.
Tale two
I wrote the first part of this newsletter two weeks ago. Then, last week, an organisation commissioned me to draw portraits of each of their 34 members! And they were happy to pay me a fair price! It was such a relief for my mental health (and my bank account).
And you know what? Suddenly I didn’t care as much about the ‘likes’ on my posts. Obviously I still cared a little, I’m only human, but it wasn’t devastating anymore. I was mostly back to being annoyed at Instagram for not showing my posts to people (your time is running out IG, mark my words!).
I guess, in a way, my newfound detachment from the ‘likes’ is still linked to some kind of external validation: someone thought I was good enough to hire. But now that I’m busy doing something I enjoy, what happens on social media doesn’t have the same hold on me. It’s the same when I see friends and family, go to an exhibition, travel, etc.: doing something that makes me feel good takes away the power of what happens online.
Judith xx
P.S. Someone asked me what my challenge for 2025 was. Hers is to try eating marmite, which I found hilarious. I think mine is to try oil painting. What’s yours?
Monthly inspiration
I visited the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester for the first time this month, and by a happy coincidence there was a Barbara Walker exhibition on!
Walker is an extraordinary draughtswoman, on top of creating work with meaning. I was especially touched by the series about the Windrush Scandal, where she drew people on the documents (reproduced at large scale) they used to prove they should be allowed to stay in the UK. Never mind the fact their parents or themselves had arrived 40 to 60 years ago, summoned by the ‘home country’ to help, with a Commonwealth passport giving them ‘Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies’ status at the time.
One man’s document was a moving character reference that read like he had to prove his humanity to be allowed to stay, and that’s just devastatingly sad.
However, the work with the most visual impact was the Vanishing Point series. In this series, Walker turned her attention to representations of Black life within historic European 'Old Master' paintings, in which the unnamed Black figures were often placed at the margins or in the background of the compositions. Walker reworked the original paintings to transform the hierarchies of power. Using the technique of blind embossed print, she reduced the colourful painting to a blank outline. With her pencil, she reinstated the single Black figure in exquisite detail. Those who were once overlooked and unseen, are now centre stage. Stunning works of art, with meaning.
And here’s an extra one, because I couldn't forgo mentioning Judith and Holofernes (as you know from this post):
You can follow my illustration and graphic design work here.
Judith, this really resonates! I totally understand how you want the “likes” (to be noticed, to be valued, even to be liked). But the real life commission sounds like ever so much more fun, and certainly it’s more meaningful. BTW I still love your illustrations for my stack!