Here’s why some patterns are not good for you
Just recently I told you that certain patterns are great and make you feel grounded, happy and focused. However, as with everything in life there’re two sides to this coin. And today I want to talk about this and explain a little bit more.
Instagram isn’t real
Yes, I say it and deep down you know it. Instagram isn’t real. Most of the photos have filters on them and the photos we see are only the 0.004% of shots that are great. Well guess what, this really sets your brain to believe that your photos are not good and you shouldn’t post on Instagram. And in my opinion you really should stop it. Not only will you feel more happy about your work and with who you become as an artist, it will also make you happy to capture the mundane events in life. Or something you saw and found beautiful. I’m sure that many people shoot with Instagram in mind and nothing else.
The stress will be enormous
If you watch YouTube, you’ll hear that people are quitting YouTube because the pressure to create clickbaity titles has taken over and long format now wins over short content. I’m sure the same is the case with Instagram. I dare you to post your photos without hashtags and see how many people will comment meaningful comments on your posts and follow you organically. I tried it for a while and the result was as expected. It sucked. And for me, I’d rather spent time taking photos or doing something else than to foster social media work. But this is my personal opinion and I’m not expecting you to feel the same.
Does it benefit you in the end?
Getting likes on Instagram is cool and feels like a nice moment, but how many likes have converted into a sale of your photo in a large format to a client? How many likes have gotten you a good lead for your work? Sure, you can grind on IG for hours a day if you got the stamina, but is it all worth it at the end? For me, it isn’t. And I focussed instead on a platform I feel more at home in, that actually gives me better engagement than IG, and that is X. But I post the photos I want and find people who actually appreciate my art.
The choice is yours
Apologies if this sounded like a rant, but stop scrolling Instagram and try to take lovely photos. Do your thing and capture what you deem beautiful and relevant. Whether it’s for documenting things in the world or just beautiful scenery. Don’t become obsessed with ‘beauty’ standards and focus on you and your work.
And most importantly, have fun!