I feel like there are a lot of artists and writers out here that needs to hear this, because stupid social media mechanics can scramble someone's head very effectively sometimes, and it's not fair. So bear with me for a little.
When putting your work out there, there is a key factor in play, which is Target Audience. This is a definition I despise, and I hear it at work every single day, but it's the base of... well, pretty much everything really.
I can put out there the post of the century: perfect words, perfect metaphor, fresh content, incredibly well-crafted visuals and all; but if the brand's target audience is an illiterate baboon-brain who picks his nose as he doom-scrolls... well, it's never gonna land. Probably gets a like or two, then off to be forgotten.
So if you are out there to make numbers, views and likes... You gotta study the audience you cater for. Stalk their interests, build a solid strategy with well thought-out pillars and create for them, even if it means sacrificing your own ideas. But that's work and not a hobby anymore.
If you are lucky, your interests and your target audience align!
But if you are there for the craft, for the art, for the joy of creating only. Then the target audience is YOU.
Remember, 2 things are absolute: Effort and skills. Anyone with 2 eyes can recognise if someone spat their blood and sweat on a work and if they are incredibly skilled/talented. The rest is up to taste, which is what tips the scales at the end of the day. Remember that Pusheen is a shape with legs and a lil face.
All this to say: please keep creating what you love. Don't let stupid social media kill your vibe. Cater for YOU, even if it's just 5 people liking it. It's frustrating, I KNOW, but please keep making yourself feel comfortable for you. Otherwise, you will end up hating your hobby, and there's nothing sadder.
The world is already on fire; we are drowning in the flames of hatred, and we are never safe out there. But in our drawings? In our writings? We are safe. Don't compromise your safe space for likes.