Ah Instagram. The place where everyone becomes a photographer, where pictures of delicious looking food abound and where people judge whether or not their photo is artsy enough to be uploaded. A significant characteristic of Instagram is themes people have to make their feed look good. Pictures that follow a theme usually have the same colors present in all of them, have the same filter applied, and may even be only certain types of photos, such as nature. But do Instagram themes stifle creativity? Are users constraining themselves by uploading only pictures that fit into a similar mold or are they expressing their creativity in their own unique way?

As someone who uses Instagram daily, I can understand both sides of the argument. Now I have a confession to make. I used to run a fan page for YouTubers on Instagram. When I first started posting pictures, themes were not an essential part of Instagram yet. It did not matter if the photos were not similar, and most fan accounts had feeds that were later to be considered “messy.” Running a fan page, I was introduced to edits, and started making my own. I suppose I had a theme once I began making edits following the same format, but I did not consider it a theme, as themes still were not a phenomenon on Instagram quite yet.

And then suddenly they were. Fan accounts began having themes such as all black and white pictures, or a picture of whichever celebrity they loved followed by a text post followed by another picture (since Instagram is formatted in rows of three). Some fan accounts created more intricate themes that resulted in a design based on how the pictures were edited and uploaded. I felt the pressure to have a themed account so that my feed would look nice. I needed to attract followers after all. So I started following a theme. And then began the pattern that in part led to me ending my fan page. I would establish a theme, become bored of it, start a new theme, and then eventually become bored of the new theme. It was a vicious, never-ending cycle. My creativity was not completely stifled, but trying to follow a theme was constraining. On one hand, I was continuously thinking of new ways to edit the pictures I uploaded. On the other hand, I felt like the only way for me to be successful was to follow a theme. I was constrained because I could not just upload a picture like I did before. Now I had to make sure the photo went along with all the other photos and that my feed looked nice. It is hard to stand out when a bunch of other fan accounts are either creating new ways of editing pictures that look so good you copy them (with their permission of course) or are all following the same theme because that is the look that’s in right now. Themes were my downfall.

However, I support Instagram themes. I will admit that I try to follow one on my personal account. Now that I do not feel any pressure for my feed to look nice for others, I think themes are fun. To be honest, they do look good when done well. Sometimes I’ll scroll through Connor Franta’s or Will Darbyshire’s feeds just because they are aesthetically pleasing. It is so satisfying to look at a themed account executed well. Admittedly, following a theme is difficult. It can be argued that the difficulty arises from only uploading pictures that are similar in format. And using the same filter over and over does not appear to be creative at all. It is as though Instagram users are constraining themselves just to have a nice looking feed.

It can also be argued, however, that following a theme causes people to look at the world in their own unique way. Instead of trying to fit the world into a theme, they are applying their theme to the world. In this sense, Instagram themes are like writing styles. Users have their own voice that they are expressing through their chosen theme. Their creativity comes from challenging themselves to see the world in a way that others may not. Through Instagram themes, different perspectives are shared, and creativity is channeled so that the beauty others see and experience can be present for all.

Instagram themes stifle creativity when their sole purpose is to attract followers. But when themes portray a new way of looking at the world, there is no lack of creativity.