behind the instagram squares

One of the questions I get asked most often, is how I got started on Instagram and if I could offer any advice. It started as a lark when my daughter Kelsey, who is social media savvy (she works at Snapchat afer all) helped me set up an account. I didn’t even know what hashtags were!

This was one of my very first photos…blurry and all. It’s taken lots of time and practice to learn how to take good photos and edit them. Luckily, I love styling and taking photos so Instagram was a perfect fit for me.

Instagram has changed substantially since I started four years ago. I remember that first year, it was a big deal if I had two comments! I decided that if someone took the time to comment, then I would take the time to respond and I have carried that with me still. One day I noticed I had a huge jump in “likes” and for the life of me, couldn’t figure out why. It turns out Maria from Dreamy Whites Lifestyle had shared one of my pictures. Once I became involved in the IG community of decor lovers, I had found my niche of like minded people who graciously encouraged me and shared their wisdom.

Some people like to share all aspects of their life and that definitely appeals to some. I made the decision long ago to be authentic, but private. What that means is, I don’t share a lot of my personal life (once in a while it does creep in). Behind these little squares is a 57 year old wife and mom with a small business, who splits her time between Santa Barbara and Big Sur. Things aren’t always as pristine as they look on IG, but I am a bit of a self confessed neat freak. I love to hike, take walks on the beach, listen to the Eagles and sip a nice glass of wine. I enjoy making things beautiful, sharing my spaces and places, and hopefully inspiring a few people along the way. I know I am constantly inspired by so many of my Instagram friends. Here are just a few of my favorites…

There are many others which I can’t possibly fit in one blog post. What all of these accounts have in common are gorgeous content and the incredible humans behind the little squares.

Content is so important, and I am a fanatic about taking loads of pictures (most with my Iphone XS Max) until I am satisfied with the image…it must be the Virgo in me. I use both Snapseed and Adobe Lightroom for editing. Kelsey introduced me to Retouch which makes removing power lines a snap! I’m obsessed with this one.

Early on I joined share groups which allowed me to “meet” other decor lovers and expand our little community. When the new Instagram algorithm arrived, it caused quite a drop in followers and engagement. Instagram decides whose pictures you get to see instead of the chronological order we had become accustomed to. And soon “likes” will be a thing of the past. How that will affect IG accounts is really anyone’s guess. As for me, I’m going to continue putting out the best content I can, engaging with people, and let the squares fall where they may. After all, this is supposed to be fun!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to add them in the comment section. Happy scrolling!