How to Create Art People Feel Compelled to Share

When I say "create art people feel compelled to share," I don't mean "try to understand others and please them." As an artist, it's essential to create for yourself or at least choose themes that genuinely interest you.

But why do some creations have more power than others? Here's a thought.

I've found that art which speaks a deep personal truth, something highly intimate to you, often connects with others on a profound level. Paradoxically, the more universal the theme, the more relatable it becomes: frustration from being hungry, the joy of falling in love, etc.

Relatability is the real power behind art. As a consequence, people feel compelled to share it. Art becomes a communication tool: the individual shares a piece of themselves through you. We all want to express what we feel or think to some extent, and artists can help make that possible.

So what topics trigger that urge to share? In all my years creating, I've gotten massive reactions from all kinds of themes, usually by accident. For example, I once got insanely frustrated after losing too many times at an UNO mobile game. I turned that feeling into a 4-panel comic. At the time I thought it would look cool on Instagram, very light and straightforward. It hit the spot perfectly and people shared it a lot.

I have more examples, but I'm sure you can think of one of my pieces that caught your attention and gave you that urge to share.

How do you do this? Not by copying what I do, but by paying attention to the type of content you yourself feel like sharing. A joke? Cat videos? Something romantic? Quotes? Music? What's the feeling behind that theme or aesthetic? Ask yourself a few questions and become the tool that lets people express things they feel but can't say without your art.

I'll be paying more attention to this too, because I don't always do it. I never create based on what others might do (high expectations kill creativity), but I do judge my ideas by how they make me feel. If a reference or idea doesn't move me, make me smile, sad, angry, or excited, I skip it. Sometimes the simplest, lowest-quality idea sparks the strongest feeling, and that's what I follow.

Try it and let me know how it goes!.

Daily Challenge Giveaway Is Still Going!

People! Remember I'll be giving away one of my books, "Life in Every Sketch," but on Discord only! The requirement is for you to participate in our daily challenge during this December, at least once. By the end of the month, I'll be announcing the winner among all participants.

To join the Discord server, follow these steps on the Patreon website on a laptop or computer: Go to settings -> more -> connected apps and connect your Discord account. An that’s it, you will be automatically connected to the server, you must be subscribed to one of the tiers to access the channels.

Good luck!