Artists today face a paradox. On one hand, the internet offers unprecedented opportunities for connection, visibility, and sales. On the other, sharing work online can feel like opening the door to misuse—unauthorized copies, reproductions, or images floating far from their source. For many, the thought of putting their art into the digital wild feels risky enough to hold them back.
Yet here’s the tension: the very act of withholding your work to keep it safe can cut off the same opportunities that help an art career thrive.
The Fear of Misuse
It’s not hard to see why hesitation arises. Artists have discovered their work reproduced without credit, cast into products they never approved, or borrowed too closely by other creatives. The thought of painstakingly producing an original work, only to see it replicated or misappropriated, strikes deep.
Protective instincts are natural—artwork feels like an extension of self. For some, that protective reflex becomes a roadblock: better to keep the work hidden than risk exploitation.
The Greater Risk of Obscurity
But here’s the hard reality: obscurity is usually more damaging than theft. An unseen painting cannot be sold. A body of work locked away will never resonate with collectors. And while bad actors exist, they rarely pose a greater financial or creative threat than the simple fact of not being discovered.
Sharing images online isn’t just about sales—it’s about making the connections that lead to sales. Collectors need to see your work multiple times, in multiple places, before making a purchase. A painting on your easel has no chance of catching their eye; the same painting posted on your website, in a newsletter, or on social media might.
Balancing Risk with Benefit
That doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind. Reasonable steps can and should be taken to protect your intellectual property: copyright registration, careful tracking of where your images are shared, or legal recourse in cases of blatant misuse. But those measures are guardrails, not excuses to retreat.
The more important calculation is whether the benefits of online presence outweigh the risks—and for most artists they do. Exposure fuels opportunity. Collectors cannot form a connection to artwork they never see.
Reframing the Question
The question isn’t “How do I prevent every possible misuse of my images?”—because the answer to that is, you can’t. The better question is “How do I ensure more people see my work and have the chance to connect with it?”
Yes, there are risks. But there is also the joy of hearing from someone moved by a piece they discovered online. There is the sale that begins with a collector scrolling late at night and ends with a painting hanging in their home. Those moments cannot happen if the work stays hidden.
Moving Forward
Sharing artwork online will always involve a degree of vulnerability. It means accepting that a few people might use images in ways you wouldn’t approve. But it also opens the door to collectors, opportunities, and recognition that cannot come any other way.
The truth is simple: the reward of being seen almost always outweighs the risk of being copied.