To want to be judged for my art and not my looks?

[Engagebrain]

I recently left Instagram because I believed my following was for my appearance rather than my artwork. I was constantly bombarded with DMs from weirdos. I joined another platform and same thing. I've now changed my profile pic to a piece of my art and the following has declined and messages stopped. Does anyone else find they're judged purely on their appearance or aibu to want to be judged for my art? Thanks, really needed to vent.

I'm pretty sure no-one's going to say YABU?

Of course YANBU. Sounds like you did the right thing.

Join Reddit - very anonymous. Lots of art subs.

Happens everywhere - music, sport, cinema, hospitality - to women. Frustrating.

Not quite the same, but I play Scrabble online and used a "female" looking icon. Constantly getting men coming on to me, just being generally seedy. Changed my icon to a male one - no more men trying to chat me up.

It seems to be a knee-jerk reaction for some men. See a woman's picture/video/avatar and try hitting on it. I am an author and I get approached by an ENORMOUS number of men - yet I am objectively very plain and over sixty. So, although I am sure you are attractive, OP, believe me, attractiveness isn't necessary for some men.

I just remove them when they try to follow me. I rarely post and when I do it’s either horse-related without me in it or me on a horse in the distance. My tiny little profile thumbnail is a picture of me however and that is apparently enough for them to try to follow me, DM me, or spam my comments with messages about my appearance.

Thanks mate, now jog on. My occasional posts are for fellow equestriennes, not for you. 😂

Not unreasonable at all.
Post only pictures and videos of your art and none of yourself. Then your art is all they have to judge

Are you extra beautiful?

They are probably just romance scammers. Everyone gets those! Nothing to do with how you look!

Well it sounds like you are now being judged for your art.

Shit isn’t it, you see it all the time on womens pages about their music, art, exercise etc
Many female singers are popular on fb because of their photos and it’s mostly old men commenting.

I know someone whose appointment-scheduling chatbot with a female name got asked out (virtually) by male clients.

No they follow my friends but don't bother them at all. They aren't scammers.

Yes😅