Engage, Bitches!

Silence is not golden here, it’s digital dust.

Stop ghosting your own posts.

Posting on Instagram and then ghosting like a literal wallflower at an art opening? That’s not mysterious, it’s irrelevant.

Instagram isn’t your private diary or your silent gallery. It’s a damn community. Standing there mute is like going to a party and pretending you’re not there. Newsflash: nobody notices you.

Enter Monday Bitch

Some countries get it. Community-building on Insta is an art form. They ask questions, drop comments, stir things up, keep the energy alive. The others? Ugh. Is it arrogance? Cultural cold feet? Or just straight-up insecurity? Whatever it is, you’re not mysterious, you’re missing. You’re losing your voice, your visibility, and your chance to actually matter.

Engagement is gold. It’s the “Who’s this? Love that comment!” and the “Wait, I was just thinking that too.” That’s the click moment when someone taps your name, scrolls your feed, maybe even follows. That’s visibility, baby.
Likes are lazy. Want to be seen? Say something. Drop a line, flirt with chaos, throw a thought grenade, whatever. Just don’t sit there like digital wallpaper.

What if someone drops something nasty on your wall? A mean comment, a demotivating jab, or just straight-up nonsense? Fact: use it to your advantage. It might bruise your ego for a second, but trust me, the algorithm eats that up.

The algorithm can’t tell the difference between conflict and praise. All it sees is interaction. So jump in. Turn that mess into momentum. Reply, flip it, tease it, drag it into conversation. Keep it going. (This is more free engagement!!!)

If it sounds weird, good. It’s still engagement, and it works in your favor

Look, this isn’t a suggestion. It’s a rule. The algorithm rewards noise, not polite silence. If you’re posting without pushing back, without stirring the pot, you’re just another pretty post lost in the scroll. Community isn’t built on mute admiration. It’s built on raucous, messy, human conversation.

And don’t give me that “I’m not the type” excuse. You’re on social media, darling, not in witness protection. Nobody’s asking for a TED Talk, just a sign of life. Drop clever comebacks, hype others up, question something, show up.

The art world is loud, demanding, a little unhinged.

If you want to survive and thrive on Instagram, step up or step aside. The ones who speak, who engage, who actually give a damn, are the ones who get remembered.

The spotlight’s on the bold, not the muted.

You can make all the “right” art in the world, but if you’re the quiet little wallflower who never talks, never engages, never makes noise, sorry honey, you’re invisible.

Nobody falls in love with a ghost. I don’t pick the silent types; I go straight for the ones who own the room, who drop those killer comments, who make me feel something.

Engagement isn’t optional; it’s your lifeline. Speak up, show up, and stop acting like the algorithm owes you attention. The stage isn’t saved for the quiet ones. It belongs to the ones who roar. Period.

Tell me this: are you the liker or the writer?

Heart lighter. Algorithm unimpressed.
Monday Bitch. Every Monday. Tell a friend.

Author: Dominique Foertig is the founder and editor of Catapult, The New Munchies Art Club, a Vienna-based curatorial and editorial platform for contemporary art.

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