Likes on social media are strange thing these days. They provide us with happiness (when we get them) and also sadness (when we don’t get them) on the content we share on social media. Studies have shown that getting likes/engagement/notifications on social media platforms gives you a hit of dopamine which makes you feel good (link). That’s why so many people are on these networks. They actually make you feel good, especially when you get positive feedback on something you created (in the form of a picture). But it can also have the adverse effect that can also lead to depression (FOMO anyone?).

Why am I talking about stuff that seems like it would common sense? Well, lemme tell ya! Social media can be a great tool if you learn how to properly navigate it and not let it get the best of you. Even though social media is an extension of real life, it is not always an accurate representation. It is a highly curated and polished view of how things are. You won’t always get the real truth from people on social. This mainly applies to everyone who uses it, but since I am a photographer and I share my work on social media (mostly instagram), I’m gonna go into how I’ve managed to maintain some level of sanity (it’s a work in progress).

As any creative person will tell you, it’s tough to put your work out there. You want people to like it, but at the same time you want to keep your artistic integrity. How many times have you seen creators post things that cater to the masses in the hopes of amassing followers and getting likes? The people that post the same types of shots or the influencers who all use the same filters or go to the same places as everyone one else.

Since I started living in downtown LA (back in December of 2013), I’ve tried to capture the beauty of the city in the most natural way possible. There have been times when I’ve taken dramatic shots of the skyline at night and other times when I’ve taken some random every day shots. It varies greatly, but I’ve stuck to a central theme over the last couple of years. Back in the day, I would get more likes per pic than I currently get. The difference is pretty noticeable. And it would bum me out, because I (like most people) would equate likes to the quality of my work/content. I felt that if I wasn’t getting likes, somehow I wasn’t as good as I used to be. I let the chase for likes dictate my mood and I would overthink things when it came to my photography. I could have changed the course of my content and made more of an effort to develop pictures that would get more likes, but I also felt like I wouldn’t be true to myself and my artistic integrity. So what did I do?

I threw the idea of likes validating my work out the window. Say what?! But social media is all about the likes bruh! How can you have such absurd thoughts?! It’s really not that hard. I just decided that I was going to continue to post what I wanted regardless of the amount of likes. I started treating my instagram account as a longer term, all encompassing portfolio/ode to the city. That was comprised of hundreds of images that when combined, served as my love letter to the city. There was now a clarity in what I was striving to do that previously wasn’t there. I can look back at the pictures I’ve taken with a certain level of pride knowing that I didn’t let the superficiality of likes get the best of me. And that I still continue to shoot every chance I get. I was able to take back control. Even though instagram is where I share my work with a larger group, it doesn’t ultimately define my worth as a creative and photographer. So keep on doing you!