Why Self-Branding Matters More Than Ever as an Artist💪✨️ - You Need to Be Your Own Brand
- Jan 12
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Hi guys! It's me, AiTommy✨️
Here's the photo of my daruma I bought on Jan 3rd I talked about in the intro.
The new daruma doll does not have eyes, so there is a tradition of first filling in the left eye while making a wish, and then filling in the other eye when the wish comes true.
Of course, there is also a tradition of filling in both eyes at the beginning, but since this is a wish for the publication of a book, I would like to fill in the right eye after the book is successfully released!
Anyways, today I want to talk about something a little more serious that has been on my mind lately: the power of self-branding for artists.
Over the past year or two, I’ve increasingly felt that simply uploading your work is no longer enough. This is just my personal perspective as an artist navigating today’s creative landscape, but I think it’s an important conversation to have.
When Social Media Still Felt Like Home... but Things Changed Since the Era of Gen-AI
I started my art account, aitommylove, back in 2019.
(Sorry this post is from 2020... I archived my old artworks from my feed! But I started posting my art online from 2019!)
At that time, Instagram felt cozy in a way that’s hard to describe now. It genuinely felt like a community. You posted your work, shared stories, replied to comments, and slowly built connections. It felt like home to me and my artwork.
That sense of closeness mattered to me a lot, especially as an artist who values interaction and shared enthusiasm around art.
But that era has ended. That's how I feel, personaliy. Around 2023 and 2024, I started to feel a massive shift in how social media works.
With the explosion of AI-generated content and constant algorithm changes, one uncomfortable truth became clear: follower counts don’t mean what they used to.
I have around 130,000 followers on Instagram, but honestly, it’s difficult to know what actually reaches people anymore.
Years ago, if someone followed you, they saw your work. Now, the algorithm prioritizes what is already viral. My feed is full of strangers, while posts from artists and friends I genuinely follow barely show up.
For casual users, this might be fine. It’s basically endless entertainment, so they don't even try to search for viral posts. The algorithm recommends them with a scroll.
But for artists trying to build real connections, it’s exhausting. Platforms are designed to keep people scrolling, not necessarily to support meaningful creator-audience relationships.
Fan Art, Identity, and the Audience Gap
From 2019 until recently, I rarely talked about myself online. I did sometimes, sure, but not enough to develop a solid relationship between me and the followers on those platforms.
Most of my content focused on The Powerpuff Girls. I love them deeply and could talk about them forever, but fan art is fan art.
Many people followed me because they loved the Powerpuff Girls, not because they knew who I was as a person.
That means when I talk about my original work, my thoughts, or my personal life, a large portion of that audience simply isn’t interested. I stopped making them, people are kinda... leaving.
This gap between the work and the artist behind it is something I struggled with for a long time without fully understanding why.
The Consistency Trap of Modern Algorithms
There’s also what I like to call the “consistency trap.” If you can do one specific thing in one recognizable format over and over again, the algorithm rewards you heavily.
A great example is the artist Small White Monster, who repeatedly paints to the song “O Superman.”
Even if you don’t follow them, when one of those videos appears, you instantly recognize the artist. Like one post, and the algorithm will happily feed you more of the same.
It’s an effective strategy, but not everyone can work that way.
I love fan art, but I also love my original characters. I want to talk about art techniques, creative struggles, and my everyday life.
My work doesn’t fit neatly into a single repeating formula, and in a noisy environment like 2026, that often means my original work gets lost. Or not "interesting enough" to make people stop and read or watch the rest of the post.
Your Personal Brand Is Your Insurance
This brings me to the core realization that changed how I see everything: your brand is your insurance.
These are my main brand icons and look.
When people connect with you, your voice, your struggles, and your values, they will follow you beyond platforms, trends, and even content types. If you stop making fan art, they stay because they like you, not just what you draw.
I mentioned this in a previous episode, but it really hit me when I thought about my YouTube channel. I have a Silver Creator Award, which I’m incredibly grateful for, but how many of those subscribers truly know who I am? Probably only a small fraction(and you are one of those people!).
Turning Numbers Into a Real Community
That’s why I deeply appreciate those of you who listen to my podcast, read my blog posts, or support me through memberships.
I don’t want you to feel like a small minority. I want you to feel proud that you’re supporting an artist whose journey you understand.
Moving forward, sharing my story isn’t optional anymore. I need to turn numbers into a real community, not just an audience.
This shift in mindset is also why I’m leaning more heavily into YouTube and TikTok.
Instagram currently feels like it has quietly given up on my account, while TikTok still offers strong discovery when a video performs well. For selling a book, which is one of my major goals, TikTok is almost essential.
YouTube, however, is my true home base. It allows me to exist as a multi-dimensional human being. I can post long-form podcast episodes, Shorts for animations, livestream my drawing process, and use Community posts for static art. It feels less like feeding an algorithm and more like building a space.
Why Artists Need to Show Themselves More
If you’re an artist who only posts finished artwork, I genuinely recommend experimenting with sharing a bit more of yourself.
This doesn’t apply if art is purely a hobby, but if you want to sell your work and build something lasting, people need to become fans of you, not just your art style.
In an age where AI-generated images are everywhere and often look impressive at first glance, what truly stands out is intention.
AI can’t replicate your memories, your humor, or your passion. When people support an artist, they aren’t just buying an image. They’re supporting a person.
Being yourself is the one thing that won’t change until the end of your life, and that makes it the strongest foundation you can build.
In 2026, self-branding isn’t optional for independent artists and creators like us. We need to share our work, our thoughts, and our stories with pride, and we need to be proud of ourselves too.
Final Thoughts
So I want to ask you this: are you feeling the same kind of algorithm fatigue?
Are you thinking about showing your face, your voice, or your story a little more this year?
Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
