great advice, as usual! you may have covered this elsewhere, but if not: how do you know when it's time to throw in the towel? i've been 'gramming for a decade, and was once a social media evangelist (getting paid to do it for national mags etc.) but now i feel mostly dread, frustration, and envy. the joy i once got has been usurped. is it a mindset shift thing? is it time to call it quits?
I haven't covered it anywhere, actually, but it's a great question. I would start with asking some questions of myself: what part does Instagram play in my marketing of my work? Can I do what I need to do without it? Have I evolved but my content hasn't? That could contribute to feelings of frustration or feeling unfulfilled. Get curious about how the platform makes you feel and whether there are specific elements that really stick the knife in - are there reframes that might help? Or do you need to change the accounts you're following? Do you just need a (long?) break from it to see what happens - do you miss it? Why? The platform has changed enormously and the clear benefits we got used to in the 20teens are still there, but they're hidden behind plenty of noise. I'm actually ruminating on a 'Manifesto' workshop atm that I think I will run in June where we come together and do some of this reflecting, before writing our own Instagram manifestos to set intentions and be really clear about where the app fits into your lives, and creative work/ business. Would that be something of interest to you? (it's going to be a 'pay what you can' one).
great advice, as usual! you may have covered this elsewhere, but if not: how do you know when it's time to throw in the towel? i've been 'gramming for a decade, and was once a social media evangelist (getting paid to do it for national mags etc.) but now i feel mostly dread, frustration, and envy. the joy i once got has been usurped. is it a mindset shift thing? is it time to call it quits?
I haven't covered it anywhere, actually, but it's a great question. I would start with asking some questions of myself: what part does Instagram play in my marketing of my work? Can I do what I need to do without it? Have I evolved but my content hasn't? That could contribute to feelings of frustration or feeling unfulfilled. Get curious about how the platform makes you feel and whether there are specific elements that really stick the knife in - are there reframes that might help? Or do you need to change the accounts you're following? Do you just need a (long?) break from it to see what happens - do you miss it? Why? The platform has changed enormously and the clear benefits we got used to in the 20teens are still there, but they're hidden behind plenty of noise. I'm actually ruminating on a 'Manifesto' workshop atm that I think I will run in June where we come together and do some of this reflecting, before writing our own Instagram manifestos to set intentions and be really clear about where the app fits into your lives, and creative work/ business. Would that be something of interest to you? (it's going to be a 'pay what you can' one).
great questions and yeah i'd be down for an intention-setting workshop. plz keep me abreast!
Super useful post. Thank you!
You're very welcome 😊