Can Photographers and Visual Artists Thrive on Substack? My Love Affair with Substack

What is Substack?

Substack is a blogging platform. Substack revolutionised online publishing by offering creatives, journalists, and bloggers a unique opportunity to monetise their newsletters. With Substack, you grow and manage your email marketing list, write newsletters, and charge subscribers. I’m writing about something else, though. If you can monetise your writing, it’s also a platform to share your voice and creativity. In this post, I will share how I use Substack, why I love it, and how you can make it the home of everything you write about.

How did I come across it?

I don’t know how I came across it; some people probably mentioned it on Instagram, and my curious mind was triggered. I love having a unique platform for my blog posts and more, and I decided to try it.

Why it is not another Medium

I find Medium too corporate or business-oriented. The platform seems drier and less inviting, but I might be wrong. I never really engaged on Medium. It could be the topics or the interface, but we have yet to gel.

Substack is a platform for creatives and writers. I love the idea that you can build an entirely your own email list while building a community.

The joy of sharing my voice

I don’t consider myself a writer, but I love writing. As an introvert I have never been very talking and started to write a journal as a teen. I have continued to write numerous blog posts on my websites and shared newsletters. Substack has encouraged me to go deeper with my writing. Here I have started to share about my journey evolving from being a commercial photographer towards fine art.

I still need to get a large following, but I intend to show up in long-form content, notes or chat. I have never been consistent in writing, but this platform invites me to be. Practice makes perfect, and it’s only by writing more that I will be a better writer. I’m an introvert who is useless at small talk, but I love engaging in deeper-meaning conversations; writing on Substack is a great way to share what I have to say and make myself heard.

What is the advantage for a visual artist to be on Substack?

That’s a fair question, as I am most and foremost a visual artist and fine art photographer. So what am I doing here? As an artist, I love to be inspired by other art forms, literature, movies, photography, and movies. This place is offering me precisely that. Instagram used to be a place for that, but it has all changed, and the constant buzz from videos doesn’t allow a sense of reflection and set yourself in a creative mindset. It can be rather exhausting to browse and compare yourself constantly.

I’m on Substack because I want to share my evolution as an artist, the thought process behind my artwork, my inspiration, and the challenges I face. I also want to inspire you to live your best life and embrace your passions. I share my travels and beautiful finds like books, film recommendations, and more. I imagine my newsletter, Renaissance Reflections, to be a magazine where you could pick and choose to read the subjects I’m writing about. I want to invite you to a cosy place somewhere in Provence in a beautiful mas and linger around the swimming pool, be in the flow and enjoy a kiss from the sunshine on your shoulders, a book in one hand and your toes tipping in the water testing the pool’s temperature. In the afternoon, we would share tea and scones covered in clotted cream with strawberry jam, some fruits on the side, and sips of English tea or champagne. How does that sound?

A Sense of Community

I love the sense of community on Substack; it’s friendly, open-hearted and inspiring. I have recently joined the War and Peace Challenge here on Substack, where I will read a chapter on War and Peace daily for the whole year. I had tried to tackle that novel when the BBC series came out, but I only went up to page 300. I hope that by joining this community, I will read that novel to the final page. I love conversations with other artists and writers; people want to be of service, help, and inspire you. The pace is much slower than other social media, which I love.

The fact that you can build an email list is another way to create a sense of community and develop a tribe of fans who want to connect and engage with your writing and your voice; what a fantastic opportunity.

An encouragement to write even if you’re not a writer

You might wonder if Substack is for me? The good news is that you do not have to be a writer. Do you want to write and share your voice, art, and thought process? You have much to say, and Substack might be the perfect platform. Like on any other platform, you must be consistent and write with an audience in mind. How do you want to serve them? How do you want them to feel?

An open gate to a curious mind

This platform is a haven for a curious mind who wants to learn and explore, taking the time for it. Engage with someone you find the writing deeply moving, share notes, comment on other people’s posts, have a say, and make yourself heard. Browse with intention. What do you want to learn? For each newsletter you subscribe to, you will receive their latest post as a newsletter in your inbox. Every week, there’s something new to learn and explore.

The mistake I made

My biggest mistake when I started with my writing was not writing with intent and just posting some blurb without setting a purpose. Writing on Substack is more than journaling. You can create an audience to give them food for thought and make your writing meaningful. I’m not saying that you have to change your voice. Be yourself first and foremost, but choose specific topics you’ll write about and share with your audience telling them what’s in it for them. I have always struggled with setting an intention with my writing, and I’m still working on that.

I hope I have managed to convince you to give a try. Like any other social platform give it a try, be intentional, and give it time. You might decide this platform is not for you after all or you might just find you sacred graal. Who knows be curious and share your questions in the comments.