Why I'm not a fan of the "Revealing my art until..." trend
The art reveal trend on social media won't help artists find their audience and sell. Here's why.
Hi! 👋
After all this time, this trend is still alive. I'll tell you what's wrong with it.
Welcome (back)! 🤗
This is Petra from The Creators' Diary. If this is your first TC’D newsletter, welcome! We’re happy you’ve subscribed!
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Marketing tip of the week 🧠
"Revealing my art until I can live from it."
"I show my art until I can find my audience."
"Day 3 of posting my art until someone sees it."
These are direct quotes from social media videos, mostly TikTok and Instagram, from artists who keep riding the "art reveal" trend.
This trend formed around late 2023, peaked in 2024-2025, and now it's 2026. And it's still alive.
The videos from which I took the above quotes were all posted in March—two of them 2 and 3 days ago at the time of writing this newsletter.
What's the issue with the ART REVEAL trend on social media? 📱
I KNOW IT’S TOUGH OUT THERE FOR ARTISTS.
I’m a creator myself and have my own battles, plus I talk a lot with artists about their struggles.
Besides this trend resulting in the fact that creators keep posting their art, which is nice after all, in the sense that they keep showing up and do something promotion-like, I don’t feel like this is a good strategy. In fact, this isn't a strategy.
To become a selling artist, you can't keep posting into the void on overcrowded platforms where you may find interested people. You need to put your art on sites where the competition is low or reasonable, there are legit buyers looking for art to purchase, and where you can ask for prices that reflect your work hours, all costs and a profit margin that keeps you in business long-term.
Honestly, if I'd like to be harsh, I'd say stop doing this trend as it is. But for the above-mentioned reason, I choose to be flexible. I can look at this as a creative way of presenting and sharing your art, and most importantly, as said before, making you show up—and that is what I always recommend in marketing for creators: show up, ship it, then repeat.
But, at the very least, please, DON’T MAKE IT YOUR ONLY STRATEGY.
There are so many ways for an artist to generate income, even if it goes bit by bit, dollar by dollar, and that can even be a more solid income stream than what can often be possible by following this trend.
So where will an artist find an audience (and sell?) 🔍 💰
Below is my latest list of platforms where you can sell your art, and that can help you diversify your portfolio. Register on one or multiple of these, and invest in yourself as an artist who is able to generate a solid income—and if all goes well, it's going to be a lot easier than on sites like Instagram and Etsy, which are unbelievably oversaturated by now from an artist's point of view.
- Faire: It’s a wholesale marketplace where retail shops and boutiques buy products in bulk. You can sell prints, stationery, merch, and design products.
- Not On The High Street: A curated marketplace and only for UK sellers, but it provides higher prices and less competition. Personalised art, premium prints and design-led gifts sell well here.
- Pedddle: This is an online directory that connects you to real-world markets, craft fairs, and local events, and not just online sales. It’s kind of the best of both worlds for an artist.
- UGallery: It’s a curated online gallery that connects artists with serious collectors, not casual buyers, and where you can sell original art, such as original paintings, photography, and high-value pieces.
- Singulart: It's similar to UGallery, but operates at a larger, global scale, meaning you can sell internationally within your first year.
- TurningArt: Here, you sell directly to businesses like offices, hotels, hospitals, and commercial spaces that need art on their walls and in their rooms.
Have you tried any of the platforms before? Any experience you'd like to share? Have you found an interesting item on this list that you might give a go at? I'm also interested in your thoughts about this art reveal trend.
Just hit reply, I'm happy to chat!
See you in the next newsletter,
Petra
