I find that social media keeps me connected to people in a great way, but most of the time it overwhelms and agitates me. Being an artist and absolutely needing to share your work, social media becomes this big ole "to-do" list. I usually have a flood of ideas of what I want to post, how often to post it, and then that voice inside my head starts firing off rounds of "should do it now! you're not making enough stuff, Annie, what are you waiting for?!" Ahhhh!
Therefore I always give up.
But then there's instagram.
I've made Instagram something different for me. It's not social at all. It's research, inspiration, curiosity, and love. It's not a to-do list, either. I look forward to snapping a photo of a sketch and uploading it.
I do NOT follow friends.
Instagram is the one place I curate my feed to give me something every day. It's a meditation. I can see what other people are creating and how they see the world in a unique way. I can get away from the "look at me, look at me!" and immerse myself in the "look at this, look at that!".
This is not a new idea. I read online somewhere about curating your instagram feed and I tried it. It was so wonderful that I wanted to share the idea with you.
Ask yourself what will make your day? What will remind you to play?
I follow people in several different categorys that include:
- Illustrators
- Plant photography
- Vegan chefs
- Street Art
- Donut cats
I've noticed a huge difference in my attitude when I post and peruse instagram. There is less validation, more inspiration. Less superfluous account checking, more intentional viewing. I have warm happy thoughts when I think about Instagram. :)
This may not be a new concept to any of you, but I hope it is a reminder or an suggestion that strikes a chord. I notice people on their phones together at restaurants all the time, barely sharing a word the entire meal. I wonder, if we used social media in a proactive way to enhance and educate us, would we spend so much time on it? Are we just on social sites for the validation, or is it really the best way we can connect with people now-a-days(probably not).
Next on my agenda: how to curate my facebook.
Oh gosh, that's a task.