Hello you lovely bunch, here I am with a second post written whilst a little tipsy.
I often find that my mind goes into overdrive after one or two beverages and I'm more honest than ever before.
This part of the post is the day after, and I have an ever so slight head ache after attending the oh-so fabulous Fashion Awards last night. I thought I'd throw in a little bit of sober Megs jus to clarify whats going on here but basically... I've had it with Instagram... *Enters post three glasses of champagne Megan*
My job is to share my life with you lot and in turn to share the outfits I'm wearing at that moment in time; so if that means throwing my Insta theme off kilter then SO be it.
I'm the first to admit that I feel a real sense of accomplishment when my feed is looking, as George and I say "FLEEKY" A fleeky feed means one less thing to stress over and believe me when I say I've been known to stress over it.
I'm a creative and an occasional perfectionist so when that grid don't match, I am one anxious little lady.
I say occasional perfectionist because yeah, I love it when things go well together, when things are cohesive and when things suit one another, heck, I'm sure we can all relate to that in some respect. However, I am not a perfectionist when it comes to documenting my every day with you lot. I'm always humbled when brands and publications call me the "girl next door" or refer to be as a "true northerner" or even better, "a weirdo" as, let's be real; I have been known to be all of the above.
Never has anyone referred to me or my life as perfect and I would most definitely like to keep it that way. I want to share my everyday with you, what I'm wearing to head down to the shops and what I wear to that v swanky awards ceremony when I had no other choice than to use that god awful iPhone flash... Dun Dun Dunnnnnn.
But truth is, yeah, I post it, flash or no flash, but I can't say it isn't with a little bit of regret when I see that those squares don't match up.
I follow so many incredible "Instagrammers" but tbf I never signed up to be an Instagrammer. Instagram was just the latest social fad that we all fell in love with and soon became obsessed about.
Gone are the days when Instagram lived up to its name and was instant. Now we live amongst feed after feed of perfection and like you guys, I get sucked in to it.
I strive for the perfect feed like many do, but never a theme might I add, I've got too many clothes to consider a colour coordinated theme and aint nobody got time for that, but if you do I sure as hell salut you gurl!
Last night I posted an image of me at the Fashion Awards, an event I felt totally honoured to have attended, I was proud to be there and seriously digging my outfit but fml the light was so bad we had to don our flash.
Yet I threw caution to the wind and posted it anyway, you lot loved it and I'm left with a temporary warm glow until I look back and the feed is look less fleeky and more freaky!
JACKET- ALEXA CHUNG X M&S (SIMILAR HERE), TOP- ABERCROMBIE & FITCH, TROUSERS- c/o URBAN OUTFITTERS, BOOTS- ASOS (SOLD OUT SIMILAR HERE)
So I'm writing this, on my way home from the awards, in the back of a taxi as a pledge to myself and hopefully as a reminder to you guys that Instagram should be fun. Let's post whatever the heck we want whenever the heck we want and simply support each other. Let's like, comment and share one another because we're in an industry of truly awesome women and it really shouldn't matter what our feed looks like because what matters is the moments we're choosing to share.
This has been a topic I've wanted to discuss for some time and now, after three champagnes, a truly pinch me moment evening and a solo taxi ride home, I'm choosing to voice it. I'd love to know your thoughts on this, do you here me? Does a perfect feed really effect how you engage with it? Lets discuss!
x M
hear hear to this!
I have a love hate relationship with Instagram and snapchat / youtube for that matter. I started as a blogger and i still am a blogger, i love a bit of social, but because I was so so focussed on my blog I never latched onto instagram when it started to get big, nor did I add videos into the mix when that hit the big time, and in many ways I kick myself. Compared to other bloggers who started way back when I did, my instagram (and still no youtube) feels so small despite my efforts and passion for photography and content. I just get fed up (and super sad) with the hard work not paying off, especially on instagram, so making sure I just have fun with it is KEY
Loved the post (and the events last night looked MEGA)
Mel x
http://mediamarmalade.com
Awww mel i read your blog religiously and find your content so engaging. Keep doing what your doing girl xx
http://Www.naybeautymua.com
I don’t know how you do it but you’re always on with the things my mind struggles with. I once tried to make one of those themed accounts on instagram and, as I was trying, I started to became so stressed that sometimes I even posted things just to look cool or something. But now, I’m slowly learning – like you said – to just live it up and honour the platform name. And although I’m not a blogger I can relate to the feeling. So yes, we should just have fun and share whatever the heck we’re enjoying or loving, however the heck we want to and support each other for being just ourselves!
I really agree with you here your feed always looks lovely and I so enjoy your outfit posts knowing that there is an outfit post most days makes me exited to see what exiting fashion statement you have go for today, you inspire me to go out of my comfort zone with fashion and I am slowly finding my style I want to do something hat is related to fashion when I am older I am doing textiles at this moment in my school (I’m in year 11) I would love to go to university and study it have you go any too and tricks? I have already watched your video on “how to make it in the fashion industry” and it was very very helpful very grateful! just keep doing what your doing gurlll ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve followed you for ages but never commented, so here goes my first one:
I have never heard of having a themed Instagram. I had no idea it was *a thing* – probably because I am not a blogger. Since reading your post, I’ve now realised that so many do it, from colour coordination in pictures, to using the same filter, etc, you know better than I do, because I still don’t really get it. What I mean to say is: please do as you say in this post and have fun with Instagram! I follow you because of your amazing personality and you’re my favourite mainly because of your less polished and far from superficial, unachievable look. That’s what I love about you: you don’t pretend to be perfect or create obviously fake flatlays, and I love in a recent video when you apologised for a lack of copper hangers in the clothes rack behind you, saying that your life isn’t Instagram (or something along those lines). I didn’t even notice the picture of you in the metallic dress taken with a flash was a different style, my only thoughts were how good you looked and how utterly amazing it is that you were going to the BFA’s for the first time and after being such a big fan for so long. No thoughts on the aesthetics!
Long story short: you’re great. Your Instagram reflects that, ‘fleeky’ theme or not (preferably not). Xx
I absolutely love this post and I couldn’t agree with you more!
I much prefer to see people enjoying themselves and a good mix of different things as I’m scrolling through insta rather than perfectly poised pics all the time, even though those pics are great to see at times too.
Echoing what you’re saying that instagram is supposed to be instant, in the moment type of pictures and content, it’s fun and it’s a lot more relatable to people too.
I absolutely love all your content and how you inject a little humour into things and everything 🙂 keep up the good work
Also you looked so fabulous last night at the awards 🙂
UGH YES! Thank you, this is a great idea! Having just relaunched my own blog and trying to build up the audience and ‘feel’ that I want for my blog, as well as my insta/twitter/etc I totally get that frustrated feeling when things don’t seem to match up or work!
I deffo agree that people seem to have lost the FUN of posting and now its all bout looking trendy and #goals worthy. Let’s get back to having more fun
Fab Post. Fab Photos. Fab fabbity FAB
🙂
Loved this! I completely agree; Instagram used to be so much fun until everybody started “branding” their accounts, whatever that means. I mean, it’s fine for actual brands to do it, but people? People are imperfect, inconsistent and multifaceted, and when I follow people I love seeing actual glimpses of their lives rather than another perfectly curated feed. That is when I get a real sense of who these people are because, to be frank, we don’t always follow bloggers on social media just for their fashion style, do we? We follow them for their voices and their personalities too, so it’s such a pity when they get obscured behind a “fleeky” grid.
So, I’d love it if more would follow your example and just post a pic if they just feel like sharing the moment no matter how not-instagrammable it may be. Then, hopefully, more and more people would stop expecting perfection and matching squares. But yeah, it will probably take some time to get there especially when those perfect feeds have become the norm in many cases. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with those who choose to create that “perfect” grid, as long as there’s still variety and others don’t feel pressured to create another almost identical feed.
Sorry for babbling on; I haven’t even drunk anything 😉 Still, I hope my thoughts made some sense… Thanks again for the post and that candid Instagram!
x Mary
Your kick ass, non-all-white-everything Instagram what I look to for blogger inspo! You’re one of the few people who makes succeeding online look achievable without living in a plain white canvas or only being able to eat out at blogger friendly restaurants. These things are nice sometimes but as a student I need to look at trying to achieve this for my course and my budget and my student flat does not work with me on this one, but your Instagram does! Personally, I find themes attractive but off putting it’s all about personality which all your social media platforms have in the masses!
S x
Well said girl. You wrote this in the back of a taxi?? I salut you?. Instagram winds me up more than makes me happy. People have become so focused on #flatlays, white back grounds (me aswell) im sure that people must be fed up cause i am. I tried to make things look insta then i think sack it my house is a family home…lived in! I have followed you for a while now and always thought you were super cool i also feel like i know abit about you too with you now doing youtube. Keep being YOU as you are the best??
Love how you’ve put this – I couldn’t agree more and I’m totally kicking myself to be more spontaneous instagram wise and just post what I want if I want to! Also totally agreed – my best posts are by far the ones that I’ve written tipsy ahah – That sparkly juice makes me so damn inspired! x
http://www.stylepetal.co.uk
Totally with you! Sometimes I’m really tempted to start a theme but when something happens you want to share, you’ve just got to go ahead and share it. There are way more important things to worry about in the world, but as long as your feed makes you smile (whether that be because it’s fleeky or reminds you of a fun night) then that’s all that matters.
Tie-dye-eyes
I’ve followed you (not in a creepy way haha ?) ever since I met you at a ‘Very’ press day where you made a Christmas wreath on my stand. I love your you tube videos, your Instagram feed, I love that you’re keeping it real and not trying to be like everyone else with these ‘themed’ insta accounts, yeah they may look pretty but I’d rather see life pics any day!! You’ve helped me discover my own style! You are my style icon for sure!! Keep it up gal! Xxx
At one point in time, curated Instagram was the thing to do but as time as moved us on, I feel like it’s lost it’s beauty. Everything looks same and boring – lacking originality. Sure, my pictures are more HD but I could care less about the curating part. I hope you continue to have fun with your page. I enjoyed reading this post
http://bumascloset.wordpress.com
If I were you I’d be proud of what I’ve achieved, your outfits are incredible and how you put them together is even better!
But sometimes I find it annoying when you’ve made this awsome fashion combo and everybody else is wearing the same thing a few weeks down the line ? Dunno if you feel the same..(dw I’m not being critical), just wondering, I mean I’d be super glad your an inspiration like !
Keep it up tho, your brillant at what you do.
saw you on some hair commercial and wondered about “that girl”, so looked on the web and found you. not only are you beautiful (still love the bangs) but intelligent and inspirational as well. love the pics wherever you post them. don’t stop being you. love hf xx
AMEN!! I’ve honestly just given up trying to have a cohesive feed because my life is FAR from cohesive. I’m a random gal so a random insta it will be xoxoxo
Great post !
I love Instagram and hate it as the same time because it makes me feel very lame, let’s say it the way it is. Seeing all those gorgeous profiles I follow and the fact that I have trouble to gain followers (I’d love to inspire the way I’m inspired by people), it can be possible some people can like a little bit but won’t follow because of my numbers which will make them feel ashamed. And you talking about the pressure of a perfect grid, I feel it but not for me, because it’s not really a concern, I love colours, prints and many different things that I can’t stick to one theme, one colour and that’s fine with me but sure, I can feel the pressure that it does not look cute and can get people away (Not to mention the fact that I used to add way too much saturation, I regret it, it’s awfuuuuul but since I love those old pics, can’t delete..). I think yours has a certain flow to it and I love it the way it is.
BUT, at the same time, I love Instagram for all the inspiration you can get on anything visual (fashion, personal style, makeup, hairstyles, home, plants and celebrity pics…), it’s beautiful that it’s a picture network, it’s like a game. I get that it’s not instant anymore and made to look perfect, to share happy, beautiful moment but it’s a nice break, and it’s a possive network, not like Twitter who scares me out !
http://i-think-its-today.blogspot.com
Love this Megan, so up for making it all fun again!
TINYTWISST.COM
Oh m g Megan I feel you throughout this post… Not that my insta is anywhere near your level… but it still kills me when something sticks out like a sore thumb in my feed. But what’s worse, deleting it because it doesn’t ‘fit in’, or keeping an odd ball? We’ve become monsters!
Kathleen @ Made In The 1990s
you’re so right!
I think your style is gorgeous and I love watching your videos because of your personality – call it weird, whatever.. you seem to be authentic, a life lover and a fashion lover 🙂 you are doing you own thing – I see a lot of blogger who changed their style a lot, a few year ago they had their personal style and now they just look like every other blogger – “fleeky” is the perfect word!
and I am watching your videos because I love the way you are speaking! I am from Germany and spent the first seven months of this year and now I am missing the british accent so I just listen to you
thanks for being a huge inspiration and congratulation, you honestly earn it!
x Katrin
Totally get the frustration – sometimes I feel inadequate posting and my most popular posts are of others rather than myself, even though it’s still my work. It feels hard to ‘cultivate’ a theme when it should be a fun sharing platform – both Insta and YouTube need a sort out
Lauren x
Britton Loves | Lifestyle Beauty Wellbeing
I completely agree Instagram has become ridiculous, it’s more like pages from vogue than snapshot of people lives in a instant. I’ve notice now people even uploading dslr edited photos to insta stories which is just plain ridiculous. The problem is I get sucked into to. I strive to have a pretty feed but with a full time office job I don’t have insta worthy outfits everyday, time or space to make a perfect flat lay in my tiny office with files everywhere nor do I get a perfect pretty latte but biol the kettle instead. It both frustrates me and saddens me to see a fleeky Instagram as I am drawn to it but know I can never achieve a similar look. I wish everyone would move away from that style and just post their actual life but that’s not going to happen, sigh
Lauren
livinginaboxx | bloglovin