Alex Mitow, co-founder of Superfair, is back on the Create! Podcast, and this time we are talking about the app we all claim to be tired of and still open every day: Instagram. Alex has been on it since 2012 (his handle still carries the ghost of a Lower East Side restaurant), and I have been on it since 2014, back when it was photos with filters. Between us, it has brought collectors, galleries, jury opportunities and most of the friendships that built our careers.
So is it a toy or a tool? Alex says both, and that you get out of it what you put in. In this episode we talk about using Instagram as the front porch to your world, why 2,000 real followers can matter more than 70,000, and the simple things that build trust faster than any trend.
Toy or Tool?
Half the people Alex knows treat Instagram like a toy, and the other half call it a valuable tool. His answer after fourteen years on the platform: it is both. The frustration is fair, and so is the gratitude. Alex shared the story of a performer from an underserved community who would likely be working in retail without it, and I can say the same about Create! Magazine. The platform is favoring authenticity again, the way it did in the beginning, which is good news for anyone who never felt at home with the tricks.
For What Purpose?
Before you chase a hook, a transition or a trending sound, ask the question I learned in my coaching certification: for what purpose? Most artists are looking for customers, collectors, connections and friends. A reel with five million views rarely sells a painting. Make what you love, share it, and say something about it that makes sense.
Followers Versus Prestige
Some artists with 2,000 followers are showing in museums. Some with 70,000 are nowhere near that level, and that is fine. A smaller, engaged audience that knows exactly who you are and what you make matters more than a big one that scrolls past. Think about how hands-on and how personal you want to be, and build from there.
The In-Person Funnel
Alex treats his personal Instagram as a networking tool. When he meets someone at a fair, an opening or a coffee shop, he trades Instagrams rather than phone numbers or emails. It is low friction, it shows who you are, and ten or fifteen new connections a week from real life become fans who watch your process, see new work as it is finished and buy before you ever have to push. The online growth follows.
What to Share on a Personal Account
Alex's list, beyond your art, your process and your inspiration:
Use your name as your handle, and never change it.
Share what genuinely fascinates and inspires you. If it does not fit your grid, put it in your stories.
Share achievements, big and small, including the study you are proud of.
Share real advice from your own experience: how you set up your booth, how you found your gallery, how you got your work into Create! Magazine.
Share opportunities and your friends' work. It takes seconds and makes you a knowledgeable part of your own ecosystem.
You can mix personal and professional on one account. Nobody has ever cancelled an art sale because I posted a mindset tip, and most of us cannot maintain four accounts anyway.
Instagram Is the Front Porch
Treat Instagram as the front door to your world, or as Alex put it, the front porch: casual, welcoming, a glass of iced tea. It is a glimpse, so keep pointing people somewhere deeper. Your newsletter, your open studio, your book, your course, your booth, your available work.
Best Practices (and What to Skip)
Fill the whole frame. Vertical video, no black bars.
Use the back camera for face-to-camera reels. The quality is noticeably crisper.
Pick one orientation and stick with it. You are training a computer to know what to expect from you.
Keep text on images simple and legible. Carousels with native Instagram text work beautifully right now.
Skip the flyers. They flop every time.
Skip reels that take other people down. You never know who is watching.
Superfair 2027: Houston, Boston and Philadelphia
Superfair is heading to three new cities: Houston in February (nearly full), Boston in September 2027 in the South End, and Philadelphia, where I will be showing with Alicia. Alex is focusing on cities with the appetite for art and fewer fairs, so keep an eye out for Phoenix and Charlotte, too.
Exhibit With Superfair and Save $250
Create! listeners receive $250 off their booth. Write "Create! Magazine" on the survey where it asks how you heard about Superfair, and mention it again on your discovery call.
Book your 15-minute discovery call with Superfair
Share Your Work With Create! Magazine
Our call for art for print issue #61 is open, guest curated by Deep Space Gallery. Alex's advice applies here, too: it takes a few minutes, and sharing the opportunity with a friend only brings good things back.
Keep Learning With Us on Substack
We continue every podcast conversation on Substack, with more resources for your art career and the stories behind the magazine.