There is nothing that "sparks joy" like walking into the doors of a coffee shop, especially if it's a new coffee shop I haven't yet been to. When I place my drink order and I patiently wait at the end of the coffee bar for my name to be called, all I can think to myself is: "I want to remember this moment forever." This might sound dramatic, but sometimes when I hold a cup of coffee I imagine this is a small sliver of what it'll be like to hold my newborn one day.
If you search the hashtag #coffee on Instagram there are over 105 million posts that come up. Then if you refine your search to #coffeeshop there are over 8 million photos tagged. Now that's a lot of shots of coffee (no pun intended). These photos range from quick snaps of coffee on the go, to delicately curated photos of coffee that make you crave caffeine like no other.
Coffee shops are so much more than places you can go to get you 5 o'clock cup of coffee. They are places where people can come to find community and gathering. It's sometimes hard to find a safe place in this world where you can come together and share good conversation and make connections. Walk into any local coffee shop and you'll see all sorts of people interacting and bonding over hot cups of joe.
So why should I feel bad about posting a quick pic of me getting coffee with my best friend? Or grab a cup of coffee before my afternoon class? Why are we shaming people for sharing a part of their day that so clearly brings them happiness?
Of course, there are those posts you see of someone getting their third cup of coffee for the day, or trying out Starbuck's most recent seasonal drink, that makes you cringe a little. "It's too mainstream" you cynically think to yourself. How is your cup of coffee be relevant to my dreary Monday morning? Maybe it's more than a picture of coffee that we should be sharing.
Every picture you see or twitter post you read has some type of thought or meaning behind it. Yes, there will be posts that do not have any sort of message behind it at all (ie. a repetitive picture of a sunset you've already seen 20 times on your feed) but a majority of these posts have more to offer its readers.
So go ahead, take that cute picture with your caramel latté and don't be afraid to add it to your feed. Don't worry about what people think about your slight caffeine addiction, capture the moment. Capture the conversation you share and the vibes you get from your favorite coffee shop. Social media is all about sharing everyday life events, from your own unique perspective.
On top of sharing how you spent that five dollars you probably should've saved, express yourself in the caption. Tell your followers why you just had to share what might be a very average looking photo of your morning mocha with them. Did you have a revelation while slowly sipping it? Did you realize you forgot to feed your fish? Did God speak to you during your morning coffee and Bible study time? Don't just post, be intentional in everything you do.
