#I'm so sorry for this essay u_u

[goodfellowe]

Hey, it's me again, the Anon that asked you, "What got you into Hatstache?" Question a while ago, and I never read ACIT, so finding out that Hatstache wasn't an ebd game was surprising. Though I would just like to say you definitely did earn the title of "Mother of Hatstache" especially after reading everything you wrote.

After reading your fanfiction, Hatstache has become a huge source of comfort for me, especially since I also really hate how Mu was writing off.

hello again!! i'm so happy to hear that you got to see my answer. i'm sorry that it took me like... three months to answer ehe but i hope my little essay was worth it ^_^;;

hatstache not being endgame is something that always surprises people ehe... the original concept of acit was waaay different than how it ended up! it wasn't even subcon centric at first, pour one out for every idea that never made it in u_u don't worry though, you didn't miss much from acit- twtt is just that but so much better and i don't regret taking it down :)

also hearing that hatstache has become such a huge source of comfort for you... ohh that makes me so very tremendously happy and i'm so happy that i could have that impact on you <3 im glad that it helped softened the blow that gfb's treatment of mu was, and i do so hope you'll continue to enjoy the story as it continues to unfold

thankyou again for asking!

#also thankyou for the mother of hatstache comment!! someone called me that in like 2019 #and ive worn that title like a crown ever since #my magnum opus (making people ship pixel lesbians) #ask #twtt posting #not art #twtt meta

[atalienart]

any advice on dealing with instagram’s shitty algorithm? it’s so bad for me that my posts are getting about 5% of my follower count in likes. it’s bad. it makes me want to stop using insta entirely. have you had issues with insta as well, and do you prefer tumblr over insta? i’ve never posted my art on here but i think i might start if it’s kinder than instagram is. would love to hear your thoughts on this. 💗

The answer is so long that...

Hard question. I really know the pain. At the beginning I suggest trying different days to see when your posts get the most attention. Then be consistent and post on the day you chose. I noticed the most people seem to see my posts when I upload on Monday and Thursday for some reason. (Idk why because I get to see posts that people posted two days ago or something.) If I post twice a week my second post definitely gets more attention. I don't upload too many images in one post, people usually don't swipe too many times, it's better to make a new post instead. Some people say it's better to add less used tags because it's more likely people who look for specific tags will notice you, some say it's good to use tags that big reposting accounts use because people check these more and you have a bigger chance to be noticed by more people. (I suck at tagging.) Definitely let people know that you posted something new in your story. If you don't see much activity just leave insta, don't just sit there, browse and stare at it, if insta wants to engage you it should do something to drag you back, e.g. by showing you some notifications, and to show you notifications it should show your art to your followers. Don't give it your time and attention if it doesn't give you none. You might also want to use all insta functions like reels (I still don't know if I even have this option...) Add stories often, just not too many and make them interesting, that way people who check them will have your icon always in sight.

Generally there's a lot of trash on insta, that's why it's so hard to even reach the people that follow you (half of my followers don't see my posts), there's tons of ads and reposts.

Anyway, a lot depends on the things you post. Are they consistently good? are they cropped in an aesthetically pleasing way? For example, I noticed that if I change my style a bit it affects the notes. Do you do fanart or original art, fanart gets a lot more attention, especially if you're kinda "known" for it. And you need to be okay with the fact people won't like every single post of yours. I know what would give me more notes but I just want to draw what I like. It's important to do things for yourself.

I gave up on breaking the algorithm, I just try to post on the same day (sometimes I fail xD), I post my original art so I expect people who either really like my art or my ocs will interact. And I try not to worry to much, I used to worry, now... I don't think it's worth it. It's still sad when it seems like no one cares and you want some validation but it's not something you can't live with.

As for tumblr, I'm not sure how it works for new users, I guess it's not that bad (from what I've heard). For me, well, I have a lot of followers here but maybe 1%-3% of people are interested in my content now. When I drew fanart it was much more popular. A lot of people left after the tumblr collapse xD I honeslty have no idea how many of the accounts that follow me are just ghost accounts. But it's probably a totally different experience for new artists. It might be better than insta taking into consideration it's calm here.

But have patience, improve your skills, numbers really don't matter, people who follow you and their support matter. There's no point to stress about something you have no power over. And if you have energy to try new sites then do it, see what works best for you.

#I'm so sorry for this essay u_u