Media Mavens: In conversation with Effie
A talented artist, focused on design and illustration for brands, editorial, and product, not to mention some unreal murals, Effie Theodosiou connects with her audience through social media. Working with Effie means working with someone who wants to know the story behind the work before she can give it life. But how do you show this passion before you start working with a client? By authentically showing up every time - and that includes online.
We chatted with Effie about how she keeps her online community so strong, what she finds not so easy (even if she makes it look like it is), and what tips she has for others working to create a space for themselves and their portfolio on Instagram.
Cleo: Considering the uplifting content you often post, what kind of community do you work to build on social media? How has this affected your everyday?
Effie: The community I have on Instagram is really awesome. They’re always very supportive of my work. They are very artistic people and have an eagerness to learn. I get a lot of questions about how to build an illustration or mural business. I am not an expert by any means but I love helping any way I can because my community has helped me out so much! This has really affected my daily life because I am hardly ever nervous about posting my work. I take comfort in knowing even an experimental piece will be accepted.
Cleo: How do you plan your social media content? What do you use as inspiration to come up with ideas?
Effie: I try to mix my social media with a variety of illustrations, lettering, typography and photographs to keep it interesting! I often watch old shows that I loved as a kid to stay inspired. When I get to remember how excited I was with art at such a young age, it helps me stay inspired in my work. I also really love looking at illustrations in old storybooks and seeing the styles that were used. In the summer, I like going for walks and looking at different gardens to see different plants! It all helps inspire my plant art.
Cleo: What do you find works best on your social media channels to engage your audience and of course, sell your products and services?
Effie: I find posting photos or videos of myself drawing or painting really resonates with people. I think putting a face to what you’re doing is really important, and to be honest, something I am not great at!
Cleo: What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to social media?
Effie: My biggest challenge is showing my face! I am pretty introverted and private with my personal life. I am always trying to be better with that and open myself up more to my community.
*Note: we’ll be releasing tips on how to get yourself in front of the camera and on your IG feed later this month, follow @cleo.social to stay up to date.
Cleo: What advice would you give to a fledgling illustrator about growing their social media accounts?
Effie: Just keep drawing and posting! Not everything will be a hit but part of success is learning from those posts that didn’t perform as well. A lot of the time if a post doesn’t do well, it just means that maybe it wasn’t a great time to post or the Instagram algorithm was tough, but just keep being consistent and eventually you’ll get to where you want to be! I also think reaching out to others and supporting them helps build a strong community! I would say start locally, by reaching out to some of your favourite accounts in your local area and share what they are posting! People appreciate the support and normally return the love!
Cleo: And a fun one to finish off, what’s your favourite way to take a break from work!?
Effie: I’m going to answer this question in two ways. When I am actually working on a tough project or a big project and feel like I’m stuck, I always just stop what I am doing and take time to clean. I will clean literally anything. After I am done, it feels like I have accomplished something and during the time I was cleaning, I don’t think about how stressed I am about a project. When I come back to it I am normally in a better headspace. Whenever I want to take a break completely from work I love going out for a drink with my boyfriend. Walking has been an awesome release during covid, and we often walk and go get a drink somewhere. It feels like normal for an hour or so and always clears my head. Now with the complete lockdown, we normally walk or bike and then just have a drink outside when we get home. It’s always fun!