Welcome to the latest in our agony aunt series, Dear Boom. This week’s dilemma strikes at the heart of our daily lives. A creative writes: “I’m trying to stay positive, but Instagram is wrecking my head. I have a fairly decent number of followers. But hardly anyone sees my work. I know it’s the algorithm, but it still feels personal. It’s making me doubt my talent and my future. How do you stay sane when the platform that’s meant to help you makes you feel invisible?”
When we asked our community this question on—pretty obviously—Instagram, the responses poured in immediately. Everyone, it seems, has been there: posting work you’re proud of, only to watch it sink without a trace while engagement plummets and self-doubt creeps in.
The frustration is palpable and entirely justified. But what’s the best way to navigate these choppy algorithmic waters without losing your mind?
It’s not you, it’s IG
First of all, it’s important to acknowledge that what you’re experiencing isn’t anything you’ve done; it’s purely due to algorithmic changes in how Instagram works. As illustrator Liam Richards explains, the platform’s incentives have fundamentally shifted in recent years. “The algorithm promotes engagement and not necessarily the positive kind,” he notes. “The system simply isn’t designed for this, and really wants you to pay for views. Don’t let it knock your confidence.”
That’s easier said than done, of course, and ceramics artist Elif Cesur captures the exhaustion many feel. “In the past couple of years, I’ve watched my work slowly become less visible,” she says. “I have a completely organic audience, yet my posts don’t reach most of my followers. It’s upsetting, because you end up being pulled into a system that others have designed, without ever choosing it yourself.”
Graphic designer and illustrator Nvard Yerkanian has spotted something else. “Instagram hides your posts unless you post a selfie or anything personal,” she observes. “I can post a story with a random selfie and get 2,000 engagement, and then post my work and only close friends react to it. My advice is just don’t focus on engagement.”
Reframe your relationship
That’s not what a lot of us want to hear, because we’ve grown used to getting our validation from likes and comments. But ultimately, that was never the healthiest way to judge our own work… and now the likes and comments are drying up, it’s doubly important to separate your creative identity from platform metrics.
As food artist Sarah Rosado points out: “Your worth isn’t determined by an algorithm that changes every five minutes. Your work didn’t become any less meaningful simply because a platform chose not to show it. Your talent is still real. Your future is still solid. And one unpredictable platform doesn’t get to decide otherwise.”
Her conclusion? “Don’t let a fluctuating number hijack your beautiful mind. Your creativity is a fire you light for yourself first. Keep that flame going, and the visibility will follow its light.”
Graphic designer Edmon de Haro puts it another way. “It’s useful to be on Instagram, but it’s useless trying to understand how it works,” he reasons. “You have something new? Post it, leave and focus on more important things.”
In short, it’s time that we start seeing Instagram as a tool, rather than a validation machine. In the words of illustrator Alex Hahn: “Just remember the algorithm doesn’t really look at your artwork, just how quickly people react to it in a few minutes. It doesn’t care what a post is as long as people pause, like, interact. Unfortunately, the bulk of the audience Instagram has created for itself is not the most discerning, so it’s a huge battle to get anywhere.”
Post and don’t worry
So what should we do instead? Brand designer Zanne Designz puts it simply. “Just post and don’t worry too much,” she advises. “You will be surprised; people do see your work. They are just not engaging or following. Your talent does not diminish in any way. I have only 62 followers but 2,500 views. This tells me people see my work.”
You might also want to redirect your energy towards making genuine relationships. “What helps me is focusing on clients, art directors and peers’ opinions,” says illustrator Viktoria Cichoń. “Do outreach to them and not into the Instagram void. Use the feed like a portfolio, but don’t check the likes constantly and cherish the nice comments you get from the friends and followers who support you.”
Graphic designer Dennis Cook adds that you should make Instagram serve you rather than the other way around. “Treat it like a flyer,” he suggests. “Hand it to people and use it to tell your story. At the end of the day, it’s a tool, not a measure of quality.”
Conclusion
The harsh truth is that Instagram’s priorities have shifted away from serving creators towards maximising engagement and ad revenue. But the silver lining, as many of our contributors noted, is that this forces a healthy recalibration.
It’s time to face facts. Your creative future doesn’t depend on Instagram likes. It depends on the quality of your work, the relationships you build, and your resilience in the face of an indifferent algorithm.
As Tshepo Moropa wisely notes: “We don’t do it for social media. Social media does it for us. Keep doing what you do best. When the right time comes, everything will definitely fall into place.”
