Read on Twitter
IG is an absolute nightmare, but social media platforms in general are built on getting users to run faster in their hamster wheels over time. It's resulted in artists adopting ~influencer~ behaviors bc apps make ppl feel like they're competing against each other for visibility— https://twitter.com/rainylune/status/1341184419957116928
But this has *always* been an artificially manufactured competition, put in place to benefit the platforms and not the users. What I've seen it create over time is a culture of artists treating followers and likes as currency in the same way that a social media influencer would—
And look, undeniably, there *are* "artist influencers" out there, especially on IG—folks who generally don't do much professional client work but aim to gain sponsorships and sell products directly to their audiences in the same ways that like, beauty gurus do, and that's fine—
But if that very specific and narrow career path is not your personal goal, it's actually perfectly fine to not have a million followers on IG and to upload 17 reels and 36 stories every day. Of course it can feel good and affirming to get lots of positive feedback on your posts,
But if affirmation is what you're looking for, platforms like IG are simply not designed to give that to you unless you put in fulltime hours and treat it like a literal job. I think in some ways, SM has created a culture in which artists are afraid to engage directly with folks—
For example: Hashtag events are awesome, but due to the algorithms they generally don't benefit less established artists as much. This is why posting in a hashtag event alone can never be a replacement for actually applying for a gig or reaching out directly to a potential client
I get the impression from less established artists sometimes that they think reaching out directly to an art director is somehow.. cheating? Pre-social media that was the only option people had! It's ok to do both approaches. I promise it doesn't diminish your value as an artist.
Even artists with 10+ years of experience and a long client list often hit dead periods where there's no work lined up on the calendar and they have to send some emails to let ADs know they're available, on top of putting it in their social media bios, etc. It's totally normal.
So I guess what I'm saying is: the social media landscape is bleak as hell these days, and it's designed to whittle away at your self confidence and capitalize off of that, so do your best not to let it. Build genuine relationships with people that can transcend SM platforms. 
I totally get that it feels daunting! Here's the thing though: if you want to be a freelance artist, part of the job is figuring out who you want to work for. Once you have, you can follow them online and if they're open to it, email them your portfolio. https://twitter.com/vvernerxyz/status/1341319700802887681?s=20
I do agree with you in a sense, but I think this isolation is what a *lot* of artists experience when they're not living in a central hub or have the means to travel to industry events. Getting good at networking online is what a lot of them *have* to do. https://twitter.com/Brucedraws/status/1341320239779213312?s=20
The thing that's so cool about this idea is that it has existed forever in the form of artist collectives, and yes I think it would be amazing if people did this. CLAMP style! I discovered @beckycloonan back in the day because she was part of Estrigious! https://twitter.com/a_apocalypsis/status/1341322889811910658?s=20
For artists seeking independent commissioners, imo it's all about going deep into your category—are there dedicated Discord servers/Reddit boards/etc for animal art appreciators/buyers? Better to get in front of 30 reliable buyers than 3000 passive fans! https://twitter.com/ChloeCarterArts/status/1341327037357727744?s=20
It's tough bc SM platforms are literally designed to make us fixate on the numbers and that can cause some ppl to build resentment toward those who are perceived as more successful—I think the first step is recognizing that it's not a zero sum game though. https://twitter.com/mmetamorpheus/status/1341338547714846721?s=20
