I walk into a cute and trendy restaurant. The white and navy tiled floors pop out against my feet as I walk past the cute little lemonade stand-like structure that gives out water. The white wicker chairs and marble tables are the icing on the cake when I sit down at the table with the most natural lighting and wait for my meal to come. It's just calling to be photographed.

It doesn't take long for the avocado toast and rosé tea lemonade to arrive and soon I am moving around plates and dishes and making sure the silverware is positioned nicely, for that perfect shot. Sometimes I go as far as to switch out plants that are stationed in the middle of the table. My friends are used to it by now; they don't even blink when I stand up on a chair for the perfect flat lay. Or get annoyed when I have to get multiple shots. It's just who I am. "Aesthetically-pleasing Lily." It's almost like a hobby in itself.

Though, not everyone thinks that way when regarding people taking pictures of their food, or adventures. You see the stares instantly when you pull out a camera or phone. You can quite literally feel the judgment in their eyes. Many of the older folk will shake their head and whisper to their friends across the table, "Those millennials. Always having to show off."

And those two words, "show off," is something that has always bugged me because, yes, as a millennial, I may be on my phone a little too much (or a lotta much), but when it comes to photos and "documenting" my day, it has nothing to do with likes, comments, or showing off how perfect my three tiny macaroons were (that I most likely only paid for because of how cute it would be in the shot). To me, and to a lot of other Instagrammers I know, the platform is a place to be creative and artistic. Each profile is an artists portfolio, filled with different colors and angles that represent who they are as a person and as an artist.

We aren't trying to showcase perfect lives by any means. We just want to show the beauty in anything and everything through the lens of our phone or camera. I'm not saying you should document 24-7, one should take the time to just smell the roses without taking a billion shots of them, but there is no shame if you do. Our Instagram accounts are crafted and perfected to showcase the raw beauty of our minds that God so gloriously gave us. And through creative captions, and honest writing, we can achieve that.

Don't let the looks and stares of others make you feel bad about taking a photo in front of that cool mural, or a photo of your coffee and book. Don't try to sneak the shot either; just hold your head up high, take the photo, and feel good about it. You're an artist afterall. And who says that photos of cups of coffee and food, girls laughing together, and books on bedding isn't art?

Because anything can become art if you take the time to notice its beauty. Don't be ashamed girl. Be proud of your aesthetic.