As the number of months in lockdown or semi-lockdown continues to grow, it seems that our collective screen time is following suit.
Theaters across the nation are beginning to reopen, but after more than a year and a half of worldwide stay at home orders, many of us may be finding it difficult to detach ourselves from the mobile devices that have become extra appendages. Among the sea of apps, games, social medias, and streaming services that kept us company through a global pandemic, none seemed to capture everyone’s attention quite like TikTok did.
The short-form video sharing phenom is now being used by over one billion people every month, and it has provided those users with a never-ending, algorithmically tailored stream of seconds-long entertainment. A good chunk of that content is simply dogs falling over, yes – but there are also countless creatives making awe-inspiring artwork within the confines of TikTok’s video length limit.
We’ve curated eight of them below. We hope that their work brings you inspiration and joy as it has for us.
TikTok dance trends have certainly commanded much of the internet since the app’s creation – but French dancer and visual artist Sadeck Waff brings it to a whole new level. Waff’s group choreography is massive and ambitious, using dozens of people to create smooth, wave-like movement that makes us forget that it’s humans creating this visual spectacle. But what really captured our hearts is Waff’s duets with his daughter – who is just as skilled as he is!
In Hollywood, hundreds of people work together to create a film or television show that appears to be the singular vision of one person. On TikTok, Madelaine Turner is making the same effort with her cell phone camera.
Turner’s short films are built off of simple ideas – like a ransom note stuffed under a doorway or a guide to indoor gardening – and they are as visually rich as short films that play on the silver screen at film festivals across the world. Scrolling through Turner’s profile is like binging an artfully made television show – we’re excited to see where she goes next.
Reader beware: these TikToks are not for the faint of heart. Scrolling through Shortest Blockbusters is like reliving your nightmares (in a good way, of course!). The animated 3D renders feature countless ghoulish subjects, such as giant spiders with menacing pincers, monstrous disembodied hands roaming city streets in the middle of the night, and… goat monsters? Sure. Why not.
Though chilling, the account’s videos have garnered over 150 million likes. We like it too – even though we watched them while our hands covered our faces.
Owner of one of the most heartwarming TikTok accounts featured on this list, Devon Rodriguez is an illustrator known for his impromptu portraits of New York subway passengers. Rodriguez’s ability is impeccable – his portraits are so photorealistic they sometimes end up looking like black and white photographs, and he is able to complete them before his subjects reach their stop! But we believe that the best part of watching his TikToks is witnessing the heartfelt reactions of the portrait subjects after Rodriguez shows them the image he has just created for them.
Thalia Stanton is a pop-expressionist painter based out of Hepburn Shire, Australia. Her TikTok account is a mesmerizing window into her creative process. Using oil paint, watercolors, markers, and sometimes even gold leaf, Stanton executes her vision right before our eyes – and though each step she takes in creating a painting is shown in her TikToks, we still end up surprised and amazed at the result. And if you have a spare $8,000 lying around, you can take one of the pieces home for yourself!
Cat, the person behind TheFauxChanel, is an Australian makeup artist who uses her own face as a canvas to bring her creations to life. Showcased on her TikTok account are characters like Pennywise, Coraline, and Jack Skellington. Even Mr. Burns makes an appearance! Got a character you think Cat would be able to transform into? Good news – she takes requests!
It wouldn’t be a CreativeFuture TikTok Roundup if we didn’t include our favorite Octogenarian influencer, J-Dog. The 89 year old social media star’s dark sense of humor has attracted over two million followers, and you can often hear her TikToks echoing throughout the walls of the CreativeFuture office.
J-Dog, if you’re reading this, we want you to know – whether you are flirting with paramedics or telling popstar Charlie Puth that you don’t know who he is, just know that your number-one fans at CreativeFuture are watching and applauding.
Last, but certainly not least – although perhaps smallest – is our culinary idol Tiny Chef. The pint-sized felted cook presents miniature dishes to an audience of nearly one million “cheffers” (the chef’s dedicated fanbase). According to The Chef’s website, he clocks in at 6” tall and has a strict plant-based diet. His videos range from baking pies to simply making his bed. Frankly, we’ll watch him do just about anything – he’s just that cute.
That’s our roundup of some of our favorite TikTok accounts that are innovating within the boundaries of the app. We hope that you enjoyed them, and that they’ll hold you over until our next compendium of creativity.
Until then, stay safe, and be well – and keep an eye out for our next arts roundup. #StandCreative.
