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By Andrea Elgueta
Social Media and Arts/Creative Industries:
How has social media enabled positive change in an area of the arts/creative industries?
Social media has, in many ways, enabled positive change in the arts and crafts industry by allowing people (women in particular) to create successful home businesses through accessibility to the outside world that social media makes possible.
According to Dr Karen Yair from Crafts Council Research Associate (2012), there are five areas that have positively benefited the craft sector based on in-depth interviews, making it possible for people to build successful home businesses. Essentially, these five areas have allowed the arts and crafts created by business owners and content creators to share their creations with the world in a meaningful way. Content creators I follow on social media and know in real life have successfully done the following:
A great example of someone who has succeeded all five areas is Polly, the founder of Raphael Jr childrens wear. The image showcases her maginificent work as she created the outfuit for my sons baptism.
The main case study I wish to present is a close friend of mine, Rachel Finn, an artist who specialises in card-making, her Instagram page is called Little.finn.crafts. Rachel has two children and a husband and works at a primary school as an LSO (Learning Support Officer).
Working with Rachel in the classroom, I was completely unaware of her talents and thriving business. Interestingly, Goffman (1959) states that people are performing and putting on a ‘front’. For Rachel, her identity as an artist was in the ‘backstage’ as she was a teacher aid in the classroom. However, social media has given her the opportunity to be the main character and let people see how talented and passionate she is in card-making.
I reached out to Rachel and asked her some questions about her career and life as a mother.
Q: How have you utilised Instagram and other social media platforms in a beneficial way as an artist?
A: Instagram was a game changer for me as it opened my craft up to the world. I was exposed to other card makers/ fans and companies. It’s also where I got noticed by the right people, who I now design for. I’m currently working for AALL and Create who are London based and Simon Says Stamp who are based in America. Facebook is very localised. I seemed to be noticed on here by just fans/followers who mainly live in the area and not companies. If I didn’t take the step of going onto Instagram I don’t think my little side hustle would have grown. I probably wouldn’t be representing any companies. It’s been a positive step in my career. It’s sometimes overwhelming with all the time you have to put into socials but it seems to be the way you stay relevant to people and customers in this industry at this current time.
Q: How and when did you get into card making? Was this a passion that suited you as a mother?
A: As you know I am art trained but had never done anything with card making until Lachie was born. A good friend gifted me a basket of scrapbooking things saying you’ll need to make pages to record lachies milestones. She was right into it. We had days together when we would make pages. I did this for around 1-2 years but I began to find it took to long that’s when card making was suggested. I could get my craft/art fix and not have the project going for so long.
I then started to make so many cards for family and friends that people said they would buy them. That’s when little Finn began. I started on Facebook first and then sold cards there, then I started markets. Instagram came later and that’s when I was starting to get noticed.
It’s not a real money maker but it was a way to keep my crafting side happy until I went back to work. It was also a way to keep social.
Q: Who is your target audience?
A: My current audience is females from ages 25 up. I’ll send you some photos of what Instagram says I have.
Q: Have online platforms changed what audiences expect from artists and creatives?
A: Yes online platforms have, they expect artists to constantly come up with content which is quite time consuming. Especially for the little people like me, it take away from actually creating. I know a lot of the bigger accounts now employ people to do this.
Rachel utilised Instagram to broaden her audience and it worked as she was noticed by major companies. That is how I came across her work! Rachel is modest and humble about her talent, so I should not have been so surprised I had no idea about this part of her personality.
This brings me to how I have utilised social media. Social media is my muse and much of the content inspires me to create something for my home or family. I used this opportunity to create something for my sons first birthday. A birthday banner. They are all the rage right now and so much related content comes up on my Insta, I couldn’t resist. As Barbin (2019) has said, it is lonely being a mother and social media connects those who are at home with their children to be part of the outside world. For me, this meant the world as I feel happy and fulfilled when I let my creative juices flow. Social media inspired me and gave me access to the materials I needed and the skills I needed to apply to create what I wanted. Creating this birthday banner for my son brought me so much happiness, and it couldn’t have been made possible if I didn’t have access to the wonderful work of other artists.
View this clip showing my birthday banner creation and listen to further insight regarding how social media has positively impacted the arts and crafts world for stay-at-home mothers!
Having been inspired by the content creators I follow on Instagram and Facebook, I decided to create a birthday banner for my soon to be one year old son! I realise it can be done, women can be at home with their children and pursue artistic ambitions that for many, have turned into successful businesses! Women do not have to choose one or the other anymore, both are possible through social media (Maya, 2025).
The following Instagram post shows my finished product. I do not yet have a great number of followers, however, this was something I was really proud of posting. My next move is to start networking so I can gain knowledge from other content creators. It was difficult not being able to consult someone directly when I came across obstacles while creating the banner, so I know networking will help me refine my skills.
Rachel has utilised her social media, particularly Instagram, to create an identity as a unique and passionate card maker, using such platforms to make connections with her audience. I have noticed that Rachel interacts with her followers, and they respond positively to her heart felt and genuine comments. Sutherland (2024) has emphasised the power of social media as an effective tool to create long-term meaningful relationships with potential and current customers. This is exactly what Rachel does, interacts with her followers in a sincere and inviting way, setting the tone for her Instagram and reflecting the warmth of her designs through her interactions.
Rachel is someone who continues to inspire. For instance, she has encouraged me to keep going and overcome my creative obstacles. Here, you can see her comment on my post referring to my failed attempt at my hor air balloon! This is what I imagine networking is like, content creators encouraging their fellow content creators. It’s a beautiful thing.
Overall, social media is an accessible digital platform for many to pursue their creative ambitions from home and to connect with the outside world.
Listen to how I reflect on the process I have undertaken to create my projects and further insight into the topic!
References
Barbin, M. (2019, January 14). Stay-At-Home-Mom and Social Media: The Art of Grabbing the Attention of Others to Feel Normal Again. Medium. https://medium.com/@michellebarbin/stay-at-home-mom-and-social-media-the-art-of-grabbing-the-attention-of-others-to-feel-normal-23eb05c93cc1
Finn, R [@little.finn.crafts]. (2026, May 5). (n.d.) Instagram [Instagram profile]. Retrieved from May 15, 2026, from https://www.instagram.com/little.finn.crafts/
Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Doubleday.
Maya. (2025, February 8). Empowered at Home: The Digital Revolution Transforming Stay-at-Home Moms. Medium. https://medium.com/@mayatypes/empowered-at-home-the-digital-revolution-transforming-stay-at-home-moms-15a9edb39cf7
Raphael Jr Children clothing boutique. (2025). Raphael Jr . https://raphaeljr.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23086600493&gbraid=0AAAAA-gulp4CHJaAOCiNXCqW87Jwec7b9&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_b_QBhCSARIsAP6hR4c0bvg26LPT0o41WVBTx5r7MjR3NcIx8KPxWMm8KN_isuPBmFAp1qsaAtWREALw_wcB
Ruiz, N., & Bailey, G. (2025, May 8). More Time With Mom: How Remote Work Shapes Mothers’ Time [Review of More Time With Mom: How Remote Work Shapes Mothers’ Time ]. More Time with Mom: How Remote Work Shapes Mothers’ Time . https://ifstudies.org/blog/more-time-with-mom-how-remote-work-shapes-mothers-time-
Sutherland, K.E. (2024). Strategic social media management: theory and practice. Springer Singapore Pt3. Limited.
Sutherland, K. E. (2024). Strategic Social Media Management. Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-9496-0
Yair, K. (n.d.). How makers and craft organisations are using social media effectively. https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/documents/874/How_makers_and_craft_organisations_are_using_social_media_2012.pdf
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