Emma Howell
11 April, 2026
This post explores the current social media pressure.. from the point of view of an artist and new mother. I also briefly talk about the value of human-made art in 2026… just some random word blab reflecting on staying authentic, creating from instinct and resisting trends that are totally obliterating our own uniqueness and creativity.
It’s rather nauseating to say, but for some reason.. the algorithm/social media climate seems to be shaping what we see, how we live, and now even how we parent. As a mother and an artist, I have to navigate these pressures while staying true to my work. Here, I want to share why I think authenticity matters, why human-made art is so important, and how I resist curated perfection in both art and life.
There’s a Pressure to Conform
Not sure if we will all agree here.. but I can see an invisible pressure everywhere. Influencers seem to try and set trends for everything – interiors, clothes, hairstyles, art, how you parent.. They’ve somehow been allowed to decide what’s supposedly fashionable, what looks “vibey,” what “real life” should look like. How have we allowed this to happen? Everyone ends up with the same stuff, the same life.. and in chasing these trends, true authenticity seems to have disappeared. Can you see it as well? Or is it just me?
I see people showing their houses “in a mess” to appear real and raw, but the aesthetics are still pretty perfect and “vibey”. Everything seems to be polished and curated. It’s so unrelatable – don’t you think? And there’s this pressure that creeps in. Even someone like me, trying very hard to stay myself, feels it. I see my hodge-podge house, sea of daily dog hair and laundry all over the floor and think, “I shouldn’t care, but I still do.” It’s that “keeping up with the Joneses” energy.. the pressure to renovate, extend, buy, share, be.. when most of us simply can’t.
Authenticity is disappearing, replaced by this constant yearning for someone else’s life. It’s exhausting and infuriating. The fact that today’s social media climate can make me feel bad or “unfashionable” for having messy, long and knotty hair (what I’ve been born with) is all kinds of crazy. The fact that today’s social media climate can make me feel self conscious of my messy (real) house that we worked hard to buy and keep is devastating. What on earth is wrong with the world? I’ll be nipping this “pressure to conform” in the bud very quickly because it’s just dumb – frankly.
Parenting in the Age of Social Media
As you know, my motherhood experience has had rather a lot of angry, sad and overwhelming moments. Bonding hasn’t been easy, and sometimes it feels like a battle just to get through the day. Seeing other mums “winning” on Instagram, back in the gym, handling it all perfectly even hits me – someone who can see through the BS, who works hard not to conform and someone who doesn’t endlessly scroll (I’m proudly a very conscious user of these platforms). But yes – it still feeds a part of me that wants to be someone else, someone polished and someone effortlessly “on it.” But that’s not real life, and comparing myself to curated feeds is unhealthy and damaging.
I don’t show Lilah’s face online. She doesn’t need to exist for someone else’s likes or algorithms – plus, a part of me feels a need to ask for her consent. Social media can warp parenting in many ways – that same pressure to perform, pressure to be relatable, pressure to make your life as mum and baby look a certain way. Even for those of us trying to stay in our own lane, the comparisons are there. It totally steals energy, focus, and sometimes even joy from the day-to-day. No wonder why our mental health is in the gutter.
How Trends are Invading Creativity
This pressure I’m talking about also leaks straight into art. I’ve painted my whole life, I went to art school and have years of “practice” – my style/techniques/mediums evolve with the seasons of my life and you can see that change when you view my work. But (I hate to sound sour) new young artists with huge studios, perfect lighting, and video skills go viral. Meanwhile, those of us without the ideal Instagram set-up.. no polished, “vibey” interiors, no curated feed, no constant reel content.. often feel invisible. How are we meant to branch out and get our work seen if the platform won’t prioritise us oldies? It’s becoming a real problem for our small businesses.
It’s almost like the algorithm decides your work is worth less because your life doesn’t look the part.. but true art isn’t about your life being wanted by others. It’s also not about your feed being beautiful.. it’s about what your hands do on the surface, the time and energy you put into the work, the way colour and marks work together to create something that could only exist because you did it.
I’ve tried to “fit in” sometimes.. but it always feels wrong. I want people to connect with my art for the sake of the art itself.. not my life, my interiors, my look or my feed.
The True Value of Human-Made Art
When you see the evidence of an artist’s hand in a painting, you’re seeing something real. Human. Every single brushstroke, pencil line, or mark in the work carries a moment of life. It’s instinct, emotion, and presence captured on paper. And I’m not even just talking about my work.. I’m talking about anyone’s work. Original artwork is extremely special.
Plus, on a business level, art is recession-proof.. and it’s AI-proof. Absolutely no one can replicate my brushwork, my choices or my story. Collectors aren’t just buying a painting.. they’re buying a part of human experience, a captured moment, an expression that just cannot be duplicated. That’s why authenticity in art is so, so valuable. That’s why my Atelier works, small studies, and collaborations matter. They are life translated into something tangible.
I know I’ve said it a million times, but when someone buys my work, they are taking home a piece of my life.. a moment of chaos, a raw emotion and some essence of my innate creativity. That’s the power of human-made art. Another reason why I also collect original artwork from other artists.. you won’t find many mass made prints in my house (okay, perhaps a few Matisse ones).
Choosing Authenticity Over the Algorithm
Choosing authenticity over this algorithm is pretty controversial nowadays (ugh – it shouldn’t be). It’s messy, imperfect and human. As I said, my work changes with the seasons of my life: grief, motherhood, exhaustion, joy, sadness, rage, travel etc. Each piece has it’s own pulse, almost like it’s alive.. because I’m alive when I make it. It’s not about a trend or a vibe. It’s energy, human connection, and truth. I like to keep it real.
I really want my work to inspire people.. to make them feel and to remind them of their worth. I want the work to connect them to themselves through my hand, my choices and my marks. Am I sounding a bit too out there? I don’t know. That’s why I resist social media trends. That’s why I resist that “vibey” pressure in life, interiors and parenting. At the end of the day, I can go to bed at night knowing that I show up in work and in mothering as my true authentic self. I wish others would do the same. Rant over.
Closing Pledge
I pledge to keep making art from my own instinct, from my own life.. and from the raw moments that only belong to me. I pledge to resist the trends, curated perfection and that algorithm driven pressure in my studio space, my home, and my life. And I urge you.. whether you’re a collector, a fellow mother, or someone chasing your own creativity to do the same.
Real life, real mothering and real art needs protecting.
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