Whether it be painting, writing, photographing or really anything else you love to do, 78% of people I asked felt that Instagram is a competition and they feel they have to follow a specific theme in order to post the "right" thing.

I follow 1,138 people. (People who have a competitive look on their account would follow much less due to wanting an even ratio) I have peers who post according to a color scheme, friends who just post anything they want to, and I have friends who are young artists trying to find themselves through their art. How can one find themselves if they feel compared to others? Easier said than done, but the people you follow and those who follow you want to see your work whether it be what you've been doing or what you've been working on.

SOCIAL MEDIA FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Seeing social media from a young, growing artist, is a whole new intake on social media. My (artist) friend posted a photo on her Instagram and immediately deleted it because she thought it wasn't good enough. See, she is constantly trying to reach this ideal self, but she gets stuck making something for others to see and has the fear over others' opinions on it. Being proud of your own work is good enough, and those people on social media should be your peers who appreciate and support you in what you do.

HEALTHY MEDIUM

I posted a photo on my Instagram yesterday. It was a series containing a very low-quality photo of me via my MacBook, a "Welcome to Ohio" sign I took back in November, a screenshot of a video I took, a photo of the sky and a screenshot of a Webkinz game from my friend. (Yes, this was a recent photo) I just wanted to update my friends and peers on what I've been up to. Why do they care? Why do I need their input? Here's my answer; I love sharing what I'm doing, who I'm meeting, and even having them know HOW I'm feeling. Life is meant to be shared and my use of Instagram is like my own personal storybook I get to journal in every day forever.

MAKE YOUR ART FOR YOU

People have all these huge expectations and what began as an exciting vision has now morphed into an obsessive need for control over the results. You're surrounded by so many different people who love and support you, share your work with us. Use social media as a portfolio for others to acknowledge and share with others whether it be an experience, a memory, or a work of art. Social media should be a place to show who you are.

(I will continue to write an article about the crossroads between marketing and creating a body of self-fulfillment)