Give it Some Time and Enjoy the Creative Process Along the Way
It may feel impossible getting exposure when you’re just starting to pursue your creative path.
Believe me, I’ve been there.
I spent over 25 years of my life believing that having a successful art career was impossible. As I’ve become more intentional with my side projects and have seen the potential, my mindset has drastically shifted.
Think about it, technology is in your favor if you start today.
It’s so easy to connect with someone on the opposite side of the globe within seconds. Not to mention that more and more people in the world are getting access to the internet every day.
I really do believe that you are one scroll or swipe away from having your life changed.
Creating the right side project(s) and following these 3 ingredients will aid you in getting more exposure for your work.
These ingredients are:

Research
Consistency
Shareability

Obviously, you could say there are more ingredients, but I believe these 3 are great to keep top of mind.

Research

You might get lucky and stumble across an audience waiting to devour your style. However, I’d recommend doing a bit of research to have a plan.
I feel the best, yet the most saturated market out there is Instagram for getting your work noticed. It’s the top platform for engagement right now and I’ve seen many friends blow up and create a thriving creative career from it.
No matter the social platform you choose, research the best ways to utilize the strengths of the platform as you share your work.
I started using Instagram seriously close to 3 years ago when I first became addicted to hand lettering. It started off with me throwing work out randomly until I noticed there were specific accounts and hashtags that surrounded this type of style of work I was producing.
For example, there is the monstrous account of Goodtype that has well over 725K followers curated by my friend Brooke Bucherie. I remember when she had under 10K!
Just to note, Goodtype started off as a side project and has evolved dramatically to become more than just an Instagram account.
I noticed that she featured people’s lettering work who used the profile hashtags of #Goodtype and #strengthinletters on their lettering posts. I began using those hashtags and pushing my skills every day and ended up catching my first feature.
Safe to say I was hooked.
There were other accounts that were similar to Goodtype such as The Daily Type, Typespire, Type Gang and Calligritype that helped me build my account and get exposure through features as well.
Tools for Social Analytics
Another way I approach my research is with analytic tools such as Business Page Insights through Instagram and Iconosquare. These tools show you metrics such as your:

Most liked photos / videos
Most commented on photos / videos
Least liked photos / videos
Least commented on photos / videos
New vs lost followers per given time
Best times for posting
Age range of follower
Top states or countries following you

Understanding these metrics lets you know what type of work people are engaging with and when you should be posting.
With some research and experimentation, you can begin formulating a strategy while creating your own style that speaks to you and your future audience.

Consistency

We live in a microwave era where people expect instant gratification and get discouraged when they don’t see immediate results.
The reason many creatives get exposure is because they are consistent and people know what to expect.
I follow people or accounts on social media strictly because they post work I’m inspired by and are posting daily or at a consistent time weekly.
2 friends, I follow due to their consistent quality work are Bob Ewing and Charli Prangley. Being consistent has boosted their creative careers outside of their social presence.
#Hashtaglettering With Bob Ewing
Starting with Bob, he began hand lettering around the same time that I did as he took on the 365 daily challenge. Mea