Rebelling Against Instagram Perfection…
Today I’m elated to welcome Adele to the blog, not only is she absolutely glorious (see the above picture!). She’s got some straight-talking views about Instagram, which I for one agree with. After all, isn’t our very own brand of perfect, imperfection what it should be about?
Take it away Adele…
I love social media. It creates communities & friendships; it spreads information & joy; it feeds creativity & artistry… but it’s also a breeding ground for fakery, unobtainable ideals & societal pressure. The pursuit of perfection is an easy trap to fall into, especially in this modern world of “instaworthy” marketing. So, this time last year I decided to rebel against this ridiculous notion of perfection and I shared a photo on Instagram that went against all the Insta-perfect rules and got the most incredible response. It was an honest capture of my everyday mum life and it showed me getting ready for the school run, with about 5 mins to spare.
Surprisingly, my morning does not involve being perched at an antique french dressing table, seductively brushing my perfectly styled locks and applying bright red lipstick while my children sing songs and giggle together. Although this would undoubtedly make a beautiful Instagram photo it is most definitely not my reality! We all want to see pretty pictures, that’s what Insta is all about, but do I really want to feed into this idea of pursuing perfection? Do I want to be responsible for someone feeling the way that I often do; that I’m not good enough, that I’m failing at Instagram, at motherhood, at life?
No. I’d rather be the reason that someone feels better about themselves. And if seeing a picture of me in my mismatched underwear with a mumtum and doughy hips, shoving my hair in a ponytail while the kids scream blue murder at each other does just that then I will happily share it a million times over.
Because this is what motherhood looks like. It is real, it is honest and it is good enough. I AM GOOD ENOUGH. Actually, I’m pretty damn awesome!
I get up every morning (albeit reluctantly) and I juggle as many balls as I can that day. Sometimes I drop one; I lose patience with the kids, I don’t do the hoovering, I miss out on a blogging job, I forget to post on social media, I’m too tired to go for a run, we have frozen pizza for tea again…
I’m not perfect, but I am completely normal. My life is not an Instagram grid and I’m not sure I’d want it to be. I’m doing my best and I’m trying to have fun along the way, so I say to hell with society’s ideals!
I’m not saying we should stop sharing beautifully curated photos on our grid but I think it’s so important, to be honest. Not just for your own mental health but for that of others, too. It’s time to ditch perfection and embrace your very own brand of awesome! Who’s with me?
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I’m with you Adele!
It’s such an honor to me that I have a platform where I can share not only my opinions but the views of others. When we support each other, wonderful things happen. If you’d like to read more, check out Adele’s Ethical Blog Here – Her Ethical Instagram Here & Her Running Instagram Here