my unfiltered feed
I opened Instagram nine years ago in 2011. I have already had Facebook since 2005. It was two great ways to stay in touch with friends from around the world, people I’ve met at the scouts’ summer camp when I was 16. And later on, people I spent meaningful days with when I modeled in different places.
I was a model long before social media was a demand or a criterion for which your likelihood to get a job was based. And looking back, I feel insanely lucky for that. I could make my own progress without constantly trying to prove my stories that I’m working enough. I understood the hard work it entailed and was relatively liberated from comparing myself. Granted, auditions have the same sense of comparison. But first of all, you don’t carry that burden everywhere with you. And at some point, you learn how to tune in and spend that waiting time reading a book. When I realized social media is mandatory if I want to continue to work, I was already a few years behind.
It took me a year to get on board. Initially, I was so against this shift that I deliberately avoided improving my skills or working towards becoming an influencer. I was above that, I was a different generation, and I had no interest in playing along.
I had a small following for the work I have done before, but I wasn’t creating any value for them. I could only see the downside of social media. The prying, the comparison, the seek for attention, provocation, and in recent years the filtering, adjusting, and perfecting every moment of your life.
I would not be hired based on what I did on my social media back then. And I would not be hired for my perfect pictures and fashionable outfits today because they hardly exist.
But I would be hired for me. And when I realized that, I found so much value and strength in social media. A platform to share what I care about, to generate conversations, to be me. I know that sounds counterintuitive to social media for many people. But for me, that’s the only way to do it and keep your sanity and mental health. And I truly believe it is also the best way as a brand.
I moved with my husband to Thailand, where we live a simple life close to nature. I try to minimize my consumption and am very picky about which companies to support, as a shopper and as an influencer sharing my experience on social media. I am a vegan and promote animal rights, meaning I refrain from animal products or anything that is not cruelty-free. I feel at best at nature, so I do my best to protect it. I attempt a plastic-free, minimum waste lifestyle, so I only collaborate with brands that limit their negative affect. I try to constantly educate myself on what we can do better, which led me to step away from fast fashion and unnatural materials in all fields.
I walk my talk, and I find great value in that. First of all, because I genuinely do my best to do good. And as someone lucky enough to have a platform to share her thoughts and agenda, I choose to promote good over anything else.
And my voice is consistent, authentic, and trustworthy. Three values that create real connections, real change, and hold great power.
I found that to make social media work for me; I need to follow a few guidelines. To protect me and to stay connected to the reasons I share myself in an exposed way.
I follow people and accounts who inspire me. What inspires me changes, and I try to stay open-minded to limit my experience only to what I know today. But I know when I’m uninspired. Fashion and beauty are art, and I follow many accounts by designers or makeup and hair artists. I do not follow shopping accounts or accounts that constantly recommend products or use the platform as a constant billboard. I highly respect hard-working people making money from their craft, but there is a fine line in polluting this media in endless collaborations. My current obsession is eco accounts and ceramics.
I follow people and accounts who make me happy. I do not follow accounts that constantly trigger negative feelings, which usually means I do not follow content that feels untrue to me. The massive use of editing and filtering, or even a perfect feed that doesn’t leave room for real life, usually makes me feel disconnected, sad, and judgemental about the person or myself. In both cases, that is unnecessary. No reason for me to go on this media and feel bad about myself or judge someone else for their decisions. I choose to refrain from using filters as I feel the only thing they do, is to make you unhappy about the real you, which is absurd to choose for yourself.
I limit my time using my phone. Not only for social media but anything, even phone calls with my family and friends. What worked for me is certain hours, I turn off my phone around dinner and turn it back on after my morning routine. That can change, but that’s a good guideline, which when I follow, I feel happier about. I also don’t use my phone in the bedroom or when I’m sitting with friends. And now and then, usually on trips or weekends, I’ll do a full detox and turn off my phone.
If you’re new to this practice, having your phone away from you is easier than holding it and trying not to use it. We are all way more addicted than we realize. And If you don’t feel that way, watch the social dilemma. If you still don’t feel that way, give me a call, and teach me. That means I am respectful to my time, and posting something doesn’t mean I scroll for another thirty minutes. It also means I am ok with not always creating content, even with the unimaginable price tag of not maximizing the platform. I maximize my life instead.
I constantly remind myself of the values I wish to create and promote and make sure the content I create and engage with falls in line with them. I do not post when I’m uninspired to post, although it’s fine to share something nice now and then. Keeping it light is something I can struggle with. I scroll through what I’ve already shared and check to see if something I wish to emphasize, based on recent events or something I’ve learned. And I educate myself constantly to make sure I’m making and sharing the best decisions.
Last but definitely not least. I separate my personal life from my social media. I do not share personal events or jeopardize relationships by exposing them in ways that don’t respect the people’s privacy in my life and around me. I also do my best to maintain relationships in a more profound way than following stories or commenting on a picture. I do not follow all my friends if they don’t fall into my other social media guidelines, and I do not take it personally if what I share does not resonate with them.
Bottom line, I try to do what is best for me. Create the content I believe in, follow the accounts I trust and enjoy. Focus my energy on that instead of growing my audience or counting my likes. There is obviously room to merge my interests with the demand. But that is mainly about how I share, not what. And that is skills you can learn, not you that needs to change.
