One thing I have Googled most frequently is “what do I show on my social media?”. Do I show finished work? Do I show work in progress? Do I show my mistakes? What do I do? The internet’s answer is… maybe. If I get anything clearer, I promise to share here.

I did participate in a session at MAX a couple years ago where Octavia Bromell was speaking. She encouraged the sharing of sketchbook pieces. She had a few great reasons too:

1. Career development. Working in your sketchbook consistently will help you to find your style for some of your work. It will help you to build your skills and the execution of different styles of projects.
2. Sketches do well on social. Personally I love to see people’s process. Looking through someone’s sketchbook really helps me to learn about them, their thought process, and their art development. As an artist I like to see what pieces went through to get to the final stage, and learn from that what I can.
3. You can’t get hired for work people don’t know you do. A lot of artists have WAY more in their sketchbook than in their finished pile, I know I do. But you may have that perfect idea in there somewhere that someone has been looking for. If you don’t share it, that someone doesn’t know it’s there.

In my mind, the process is just as important as the final result. My favourite part of any project, especially the much bigger ones, is the research phase. But I am learning to really appreciate that initial sketch and development parts where I am watching the illustration develop into its own piece. Working on my own work has really allowed me to “let” my pieces take over and evolve as they go. Why not share that process? Your process is important too.

So while I still don’t know what you are “supposed” to share on social media. I think that Octavia makes a pretty solid case for sharing at least some of your sketchbook work. Even the bad stuff! You have to get that stuff out of the way to make room for the good stuff, making it an important part of the process too.