A few things you need to know about me: I am a perfectionist, my toughest critic is myself and (most of the time) I don’t care about what other people think.
It’s really funny when I ask others for advice or opinions. I usually do the complete opposite of what they suggest. The only opinion that is correct is mine, after all (just kidding… Or am I?).
Where I hit a particularly odd point is my social media accounts. On the surface, it may look like I care about them. The color palette, the overall aesthetic— it all goes together a little bit too well to say that I “don’t care.”
Here’s the thing: I do care.
I care because I like looking at my Instagram and feeling happy with the way everything comes together— the same goes for my VSCO. For me, it’s like a cute little scrapbook.
Here’s where I don’t care: if I want to post a picture of a tree, I’ll post a picture of a tree. Or a pretty rock on the side of the road. Or my dog.
I feel like a lot of people hold themselves back from achieving beautiful and memorable Instagram feeds because they’re anxious to post a picture that won’t get as many likes as a selfie or photo with friends.
As many of you probably know, Instagram now allows you to hide your like count. I’ve never bothered doing it myself because one: I don’t know how to and two: I don’t care enough to figure it out.
If you’re interested in achieving a unique feed but are worried about the posting performance, consider turning your likes off. Either way, it is not worth the anxiety.
It’s cool to see one of your posts do really well. On the other hand, though, it can be super disappointing to see a beautiful picture “flop”— but don’t delete it! Achieve a profile you’re proud of; one reflective of your personality, interests and experiences.
Four years ago, you would have never caught me posting a picture of a pretty sunrise on my Instagram feed. I almost didn’t feel worth it since I knew it wouldn’t perform as well. Thankfully, I’ve learned that Instagram likes mean literally nothing and I changed my tune.
Social media was always a huge source of validation for me in middle school and high school. I posted pictures hoping my friends would comment “so pretty bestie!” or “your hair looks so pretty with the new highlights!”
Don’t get me wrong, my friends and family still leave those kind of comments on my posts. I appreciate the compliments; the difference is I no longer expect it nor do I need it to feel good about myself.
Social media can be a blessing or a curse. Whether you choose to post once a year or daily, just make sure you are taking care of yourself. The trick isn’t to delete your socials— unless that’s what you want to do.
The trick is to be happy and post authentically. Trust me, you won’t regret it.