This is a note to my fellow creatives to say, keep at it! And by creatives I mean anyone who works in a creative industry either working online, or using the internet as a platform to showcase their work. It’s a powerful tool and one which (if you’re reading this) we all have at our disposal, so why not use it to your advantage.
Making a Change
At the start of this year I set the intention to focus on my blogging content/creative work (whatever you wish to call it) and keep working on my creative craft consistently. I’ve mentioned before how consistency isn’t always my strong point and how in the past I’ve let the idea of things ‘not being perfect’ get in the way of me putting out certain content, or had me working on it for much longer than needed. If you’re a creative person (and like me), you’ll likely be able to relate.
When something is subjective, like with creative work, it’s hard to put a definitive end point on it (unless you’re working to a client’s deadline). There is always room for tweaks and improvements but the problem is, it’s sometimes hard to know when to stop and when to move on (or when to just share something online and realise, it’s not that deep). This year however, I set myself some daily goals and like mini deadlines on what creative work I want to put out, I’ve been sticking to them and in return I’ve seen results.
My thoughts on Instagram have changed a lot in the past year. As a blogger I always thought I needed to pick my niche (on Instagram in particular) and stick to it. For me it’s gone from a place where I just shared my daily outfits, to basically a mini portfolio of a selection of my creative work. I don’t aim for a curated feed as such but instead focus on each individual post, with the aim of putting out one image, or video each day that showcases my creativity/photography/style, or if I’m really on it, then a mix of all three. This has been one of the best personal decisions I’ve made and as a result I’ve been able to showcase more of my work (such as video content and creative concepts) to brands and PR’s who may have not previously ventured to my blog or Youtube where I share more of that stuff.
The same applies if you’re anything from a print designer to a makeup artist. Instagram has over 800 million users (I’ve literally just Goggled that), whether you’re trying to reach the masses to buy your work online, or trying to reach potential employers, just by utilising the right hashtags and tagging the correct pages you can be reaching out to exactly who you need to, and it’s free! And a little something I like to remind others as well as myself is, ‘if you don’t share it, they can’t see it’. Think about it.
It’s Not About The Numbers
Whilst overall engagement has gone down on the likes of Instagram and Youtube (damn you algorithms), it’s important to remember, you’re not alone and brands and fellow creatives alike are suffering from the effects of this just as much as you are, so basically, we’re all in the same boat. With that in mind, you shouldn’t worry about things too much because it’s not like you’re the only one, believe me, I’ve felt it too.
For me personally, whilst the numbers may not be the highest, my creativity and quality of work has massively improved, so in turn that’s what has had the main affect on the work I’ve been getting. So far this year I’ve already worked with some of my favourite brands and on some of my favourite projects and content to date. So don’t get disheartened if your follower count feels like it’s going up by 20 and down by 30. Focus on your content, what you genuinely want to share and on being consistent with it.
Don’t Worry About What Dora Is Doing
Dora isn’t real, Dora is a fictional character made up as an example for what I am about to say…which is (drumroll please…), it’s better to be the best version of you, than a second rate version of someone else *who doesn’t love a good cliche quote ey*. The quicker you realise this, the better and freer you’ll feel (there’s nothing more constraining than trying to keep up with doing something the way someone else is doing it). Create your own path, do and share what makes you uniquely you, it’s your time to shine babahhhh!
So that’s it. If you’re a creative on social media, be it someone who uses the internet and social media as their job, or as a platform to showcase their work, remember if you don’t share it, they can’t see it! This is your free promotional tool, use it at your disposal. Consistency is key. Obviously don’t overdo it, but also don’t neglect it for a month and wonder why nobody knows how awesomely talented you are. So keep doing yo thang! Create, showcase, share. Annnnnd good luck! Ciao for now!
Samio x
All the images in this post were shot by me, you can see more of my self portrait series here.
Jeans – M&S | Top – Brandy Melville (old, similar here)
