Instagram, it is a great platform to find inspiration, and some accounts are especially good at boosting our visual creativity.
Instagram is an integral part of what we call the ‘visual web’. The visual web represents a continuing revolution in the way we communicate – it is a new language of images, stickers, videos and gifs that is perfectly suited to the fast-paced, constantly connected world that mobile technology has created.
On Facebook, people follow their friends, but on Instagram, they follow their passions. Instagram is the centre of visual inspiration and discovery. Instagram is the perfect platform for a mobile, visual world. Images can take us places we’ve never been, connect us with people we’ve never met and show us things we’ve never imagined. Through images, we see the world with new eyes. They reveal. They record. They inspire.
Not only does Instagram enhance creativity, it also exposes people to others living in opposite ends of the world. Instagram helps, “give a glimpse into the everyday lives of people who will may never meet”, and it’s true. Instagram puts people into the perspective of another where they can live vicariously through their photos. The mobile app is a powerful tool to bring people together and create a community that inspires and encourages.
Instagram is one of my favourite social media platforms. I like to think of Instagram as a form of micro-blogging that focuses on pictures. People these days love to know about what goes on behind the scenes and Instagram photos give them that access. Sharing photos also allows people to get to know the person behind the camera.
Instagram allows you to see exactly what inspires people and how creativity is drawn from their everyday life. We use Instagram to capture what makes us smile, what brings joy to our life, and what we are passionate about.
In exploring what Instagram is and what it can bring to creativity and quilting I must confess that I have spent hours just looking at what people have uploaded. Instagram is the world in the palm of your hand. It can be whatever you want it to be. The most popular Instagram shots prove to be an interesting and insightful collection of different tastes and styles. It could almost be construed as an overview of the psychological landscape in modern social media. These photos are not only what people like, but also what they see and how they interpret that input.
The logo itself resembles that one of many years ago of the Polaroid camera. Their success was from that instant gratification and instant memory creation.
Creativity and playfulness often go hand in hand. On Instagram out of this playfulness not only comes the trivial pictures, but also highly creative visual experiments. The latter is the reason why I seem to have found a new addiction — a new way to stimulate the creative in me. In this case, technology not only facilitates, but also promotes creativity. It is in much later years when I may look at these quirky images with a smile. However, these will be captured moments of memories that cannot be repeated, and I will be thankful to have captured them for eternity.
Using hashtags can help to boost your creativity on Instagram
When you add a descriptive hashtag (#) to a photo on Instagram, that photo gets grouped into a gallery with all the other photos with that hashtag. There are many benefits to this. You can view the gallery of these images by clicking on the tag and you will see all the images in that category. This increases your thought process on that hashtag…. Opening your mind to different potentials and ideas.
It is also a great way to discover new Instagrammers that you might want to follow. Increasing your following helps to spark creative ideas. Of course, it works the other way by tagging your photo others will start to follow you to spark their creative process to. It also gives your photo great exposure. By letting it be seen outside your circle of regular followers.
