My very first Instagram post was on May 3, 2011. I was thrilled to finally have the app up in Canada, as I think it was rolled out a little later here than the USA. Don’t quote me on that…also yes that is a fedora!
Anyway, I did not waste any time in posting every moment I felt the urge to. A night out usually resulted in 10 separate posts (we could only do one at a time back then!) and I am sure received a few eye rolls from my few followers. While in Hawaii in 2012, I posted an unreal amount…and a friend on Facebook posted a status “ENOUGH ALREADY” and I joked “Haha, is this about my Hawaii posts?
They then deleted their post…
So yes, it was about the Hawaii posts. BUT I HAVE ZERO REGRETS. I scroll back to the start of my Instagram every few months and marvel at it - it is as close to a time machine as I will ever get. I am so glad I posted stupid, ugly, bad photos and too many of them.
And I want this to come back!
Have you ever noticed how much we used to post on to our “wall” or whatever the fuck it is called…then eventually it became like a photo here and there, or a photo once year? I know that the “story” feature heavily contributed to this BUT I would also like to argue that the “aesthetic” community also caused this for me personally. At some point, a lot of IG became a scene of beautiful, perfect, flawless (also NOT REAL) lives. Soon even I started to think my photos were awful compared to the emerging influences and their perfection.
I did not look like them in swimsuits. I was not eating at places with those dress codes. I was not flying business class. Oh my god my life, it is too messy for IG! They cannot see how I live!
So, for a while, I tried the whole “Curation” thing. I even tried to make my grid a “color scheme.” I want to be clear, I am not coming for people who do this, or live like that, though some reality would be nice once in a while…but posting that way was not me. That being said, even when I did try to make it “cool,” it still was pretty “me.” Here photos from the same vacation, and honestly, I wish I posted MORE!!!
My life is not perfect, far from it, so why do I think my social media presence has to be? Why do I care what people think if I over post or post something they think is dumb? UNFOLLOW ME! Or at the very least, mute me! Let me live my life, and please live yours.
So, a new 2025 goal, yes, another one, is that I am going to make Instagram a mess again. Feel free to join me.
Happy SPRING! Get to posting all the flowers that are blooming, the Sun that is going to set beautifully, your patio nights, your sangria Saturdays…kids, let’s go crazy.
Hit that POST button!