Following other artists vs Connecting — when to use which
ArtHelper has two different ways to keep up with another artist, and they do different things. Follow is quiet, one-way, and just adds their posts to your feed — like following someone on Instagram. Connect is mutual, requires their acceptance, and unlocks direct messaging once accepted — like a LinkedIn connection. You can do one without the other, or you can do both. This article explains the difference and helps you pick the right one.
Follow vs Connect at a glance
Follow is one-way. You see their posts in your feed. They don’t have to follow you back, and they only get a small notification that you followed them.
Connect is mutual. You send a request. If they accept, you’re connected — and then you can send each other direct messages.
You can Follow without connecting — useful when you just want to keep an eye on someone’s work.
You can Connect without following — useful when you want to be able to message them but don’t want their posts in your feed.
Most artists end up doing both with people they care about.
How to follow an artist
Following is the quieter, lighter action. Use it when you’ve spotted work you like and want to keep seeing it.
Open the artist’s profile, or find them in your feed, the Trending list, or a community.
Click the Follow button.
The button changes to Following. Their posts now show up in your feed.
To stop following, hover the Following button and click again to unfollow.
You can follow as many artists as you like. They get a small notification telling them you followed them.
How to send a connection request
Connecting is a bigger step. Use it when you’d like to be able to message that artist, or when you want to be part of each other’s network.
Open the artist’s profile or their Genome page.
Click the Connect button.
A small box opens asking if you’d like to add a personal message. A friendly intro like “Hi [their name] — I found your profile on ArtHelper and would love to connect” is already filled in.
Edit the message if you want, then click Send. Or, if you’d rather just send the request without a note, click No thanks.
The button changes to Request sent. The other artist gets a notification and can accept or decline.
A short personal message helps a lot. Connection requests with a one-sentence intro get accepted much more often than blank ones — just mention what drew you to their work.
When to pick which
You spotted someone whose work you love and you just want to see more of it in your feed → Follow.
You’d like to introduce yourself or eventually message that artist → Connect.
You’re meeting someone you already know in real life or online → Connect (and follow them too, so you see their posts).
You’re a working artist building a real network on ArtHelper → Connect with the artists you’d genuinely want to talk to.
Managing your connections
You can see and manage everyone you’ve connected with — and everyone you follow — from the same place.
Go to arthelper.com/network (your My Network page).
Use the tabs to switch between your connections, your pending connection requests, and the people you follow.
From here you can accept incoming requests, withdraw requests you sent, or unfollow artists.
Common questions
Can someone tell I followed them?
Yes — they get a small notification. It’s a quiet signal, not a public announcement.
Can someone tell I unfollowed them?
No. Unfollows happen quietly with no notification on either side.
If I connect with someone, do I have to follow them too?
No, the two are separate. Connecting only adds them to your network and lets you message each other. To also see their posts in your feed, click Follow as well.
What happens if someone declines my connection request?
The button on their profile goes back to Connect so you could send another one if you wanted, but it’s good etiquette not to. You’ll get a quiet notification — no one else sees that it was declined.
How do I message someone after connecting?
Once a connection request is accepted, you can open a direct message from their profile or from your Messages inbox. See the Connections, Network, and Messages article for the full walkthrough.