Unfollow Influencers. Follow Influentials.
In the social media era that dominates our lives today, it can be easy to get swept up in the world of comparison. What fills your feed?
Whether you’re a guy or a girl it doesn’t matter, we’re all constantly, consciously and unconsciously comparing ourselves to the journey, success, money, beauty, and happiness of others.
While lots of influencers and celebrities are wonderful human beings who shine a lot of positive light in the world through their messages and their actions, a lot more. . . do not. It’s time to follow less celebrities and influencers and to follow more artists and influentials.
It’s your job to champion yourself and take charge of what and who you engage with online to make sure you’re surrounding yourself with input and images that will benefit you. I guess what I’m saying is, stop following the toxic celebrities who are in it to be adored, to be beautiful, rich, and powerful. It’s the equivalent to binge reading beauty magazines then wondering why you feel like crap. Trust me. Your mental health will thank you.
Follow less celebrities.
Follow more artists.
Follow less influencers.
Follow more influentials.
Ditch the people who just want your praise and attention, and give your attention to people making beautiful art, or people working to make the world better, or who want to help you be better. In no time at all you’ll feel mega-inspired if your feed is full of beautiful, creative, educational, and impactful stories and images — and not just images of beautiful people.
I’m not saying you can’t or shouldn’t follow celebrities or icons — but I guess I just have trouble understanding it. How some of them have 70 million followers on instagram when they do little more with their time than inject ass fat into their faces. Who want nothing but to show you how rich and beautiful and glorious they are and their lives are. I have no desire to support that lifestyle if they’re not good people. Or as my mother would say: “I don’t shop at that store”.
Here are some of my favorite accounts -some big and some small- that impact me every time they share something. Artists, creators, celebrities, activists, writers, educators, farmers, dancers, and more; they bring me joy, fuel me to follow my purpose, help me to learn and grow and be a better person, and inspire me by getting out there to do amazing things.
artists who make me smile:
Ashley Longshore - @ashleylongshoreworld
Ashley Longshore is a unicorn. Her artwork is so loud and bright and in your face - it’s almost impossible not to look at her work for thirty seconds and not have a grin on your face. Her artwork is irreverently bold and funky, and she’s not afraid to mix any and all kinds of wacky themes and elements.
Her Audrey Hepburn portraits might be my favorites, but truly all of her work is just over the top, mega fun.
Source: Atlanta Magazine
Rachel Burke - @imakestagram
Rachel’s account brings me SO MUCH JOY. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen any artist live their fashion truth so loudly and fearlessly. Her tinsel jackets are her brand signature, but she’s not afraid to dabble in anything unconventional.
She’s made some pretty glorious confetti pom pom pieces that I adore, too. I love her ethos and outlook, and every time I see something from her it makes me smile.
Check out her website here.
And read more about Rachel in my Spotlight Feature here:
Rachel Burke: Tinsel Maven + Pom Pom Princess
Rachel Burke in one of her own one of a kind tinsel garments.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you use those links. For more info please see my Disclosure here.
Maja Säfström - @majasbok
Just funny and real. Some of them are sweet and some are sassy, but all of them make me smile. Sometimes you just need a good chuckle and her cartoons and artwork always deliver.
Check out her website here where you can shop her work on journals, stationary & greeting cards, enamel pins and clothing, tote bags, and more!
Source: Majasbok
Morgan Harper Nichols - @morganharpernichols
I just discovered Morgan earlier this year, and after looking through her artwork for five minutes, I’m not surprised one bit that she has a million+ followers. Her pieces are like a meditation in themselves; a deep breath of fresh air. She knows how to speak to a part of all of us - and her words always resonate with a powerfully affirming deepness.
Check out more of her work on her website.
Morgan’s artwork is simple and beautiful and so amazingly uplifting. If you’re having a crap day give yourself some time to explore her account and you will feel 10x better. I promise.
shop some of my favorite stores online:
Check out his Instagram here.
simone bramante - @brahmino
I have followed Simone’s work on Instagram for years.
His photography is incredible dreamlike and his feed is simply beautiful.
Whenever he posts something new I’m always compelled to come to a full stop to fully absorb it.
Carolyn J Gavin - @carolynj
Carolyn is one of several painters I absolutely love following. She posts videos every once in awhile, too, that time-lapse her work, and it is amazing and incredibly cool to watch. I like to paint too, so I’m always impressed by her abstract style and use of color in way I would never think to use it. I love her landscapes and her florals. She fills my feed with beauty and color and the more I go through her work the more inspired I am to pull out some canvases and spend the afternoon painting. Check out more of Carolyn’s work here.
Source: Carolyn Gavin
asja boroš - @asjaboros
Asja is a newer discovery for me and I LOVE LOVE LOVE her work. She’s all about good vibes and the pursuit to betterment; her illustration style is retro and perfect and infused with positivity like a visual vitamin!
When I scroll through my feed and her work goes by I pause and reflect over it for several seconds and take it in like a mantra or an affirmation.
people + places that always brighten my day:
Olympic National Park - @olympic_nps
If you know me you know I love Olympic National Park, so obviously I follow their insta. Most of the National Parks do run a social media account, and it is a great way to feed your eyeballs with beautiful images from a place you love and watching it change from season to season, while also learning cool factoids from Rangers who post about the current happenings- weather, wildlife, and wilderness activity.
I just used Olympic as my example — and there are other outdoor spots that I “follow” that help keep my wanderlust alive and keep me dreaming of being back outside. What are some of your favorite outdoor places you’ve visited or vacationed to? Search for them in the Explore tab of your Instagram and give it a follow if there’s an account or a hashtag available.
Source: Floret Flowers
Floret Flower - @floretflower
If you love ogling beautiful flowers go follow Erin Benzakein’s family-run flower farm in Washington. She has grown her operation from a small and humble beginning, and has definitely grown over the years! She’s now written a book and sells seeds on their website, as well as teaches classes on green thumbing and flower farming, too. I just love peeking into her corner of the world and daydreaming that I’ll one day have a patch of my own PNW grass to grow beautiful flowers like Floret Farm.
Celeste Barber - @celestebarber
Every female age 13-99+ should follow Celeste Barber.
She is full of a raw + real hilarity that makes her shine brighter than every supermodel and celebrity she self-depricates beside.
As a woman I am so thankful for her existence and her social media presence and I appreciate her SO MUCH. (She is the perfect example, the zenith, the quintessence of the message I’m trying to reach in this post.)
She has made me laugh ‘til I cried on multiple occasions, and she teaches us how amazing it is to love yourself and give zero fucks in the process. She also took her social media influence and helped raise over $50 million for her native Australia during the wildfires that began earlier this year. I love you, Celeste!
Elizabeth gilbert - @elizabeth_Gilbert_Writer
If you’re like me and you devour the well known author’s writing (from Eat Pray Love, to Big Magic, to Signature Of All Things, to City Of Girls… I love it all), then do yourself a favor and follow her on Instagram too. Anything she writes or any little talks she shares wrap me up just as much her books. I just love her spirit and her brain.
Baby Brody - @bossbabybrody
Brody is four years old and LOVES ballet, and is seriously good. The passion in his every dance and the concentration on his face is the absolute cutest. Definitely a dancer in a former life! If I’ve had a crap day I go watch this little kid dance for a minute and I am always smiling.
Check out the video below to see the best tiny dancer ever!
Activists, educators, + empowerers that have helped me grow:
greta thunberg - @gretathunberg
A lot of you have heard of Greta by now, but if you haven’t she’s an environmental activist you need to be following. At only 17 years old, she’s making huge waves on the climate change front, and has spent the past year+ on school strike, trying to raise awareness and education around one of the most pressing issues of our generation by working with scientists and politicians alike. Greta is an amazing force of nature and keeps me inspired that we can still drive change.
Blair Imani - @Blairimani
Blair has helped and taught me a lot during this pandemic. As a black, bisexual, Muslim woman, her unique perspective is shared through a lens of learning and non-bias and focuses on creating education and awareness around so many essential issues like race, gender identity, equality, and more. She is amazingly sharp and smart and I’ve gotten a lot out of the segment she’s added to her Insta highlights called “Smarter In Seconds.” Go check her out!
Rachel Cargle - @rachel.cargle
Activist, author, educator extraordinaire and community empowered, the work Rachel does around antiracism and antiracism work is an inimitable force, and I’m so thankful to follow her. Founder of The Loveland Foundation and advocate for The Great Unlearn — her commitment to helping communities and individuals grow for the better is beyond inspiring and encourages me to keep my foot on the pedal.
So your challenge to yourself this week is to go into your Instagram and look at
who you are following.
Are they accounts that are good for you or bad for you?
Is it promoting a healthy relationship with yourself, your partner, and your life goals?
If not, it’s time for some of those accounts to go.
There are thankfully thousands of people out there who are making their corner of the world better, brighter, and more beautiful - and thousands more who are working to help you become that best version of yourself. So go find them!
like this post? share it!
See you on Instagram!
Post originally published 02/12/2020. Updated 08/26/2020.