Recently, an influencer was called out online for portraying a ‘fake’ life online and was essentially called a liar for creating content.
If somehow you managed to miss this viral storm then seriously, bravo! You can find the full details here. The aim of my post today isn’t to discuss my thoughts on this particular topic too much, however to give some context as to why i’m writing this post I thought it was important to share some of my personal views on the subject.
Urgh, I have so much to say about this I don’t even know where to start 😡
1. Shame on the people jumping on this as an excuse to send personal abuse and belittle someone’s creative work
2. The photo clearly states it’s an ad, would you make these sorts of comments about TV… https://t.co/LtkvrYS0fe
— Esther Wyse (@EstherRuthWyse) September 1, 2018
Advertising? All of which is staged
3. There are valid points arising about it being damaging to portray a perfect style life, but its social media…surely we can all recognise that this isn’t real and that’s ok? It’s a form of art! 🤷🏻♀️
— Esther Wyse (@EstherRuthWyse) September 1, 2018
5. If you don’t like/ agree with something, ignore it. I will never understand the need some people have to go out of their way to spread this kind of hate
I read this thread this morning and it made me feel so sad.
— Esther Wyse (@EstherRuthWyse) September 1, 2018
All in all, this was a pretty shit situation but if we can take anything positive from this it’s that more people are talking about what they do and don’t want to see online. Concerns have been raised about transparency as well as younger generations and whilst i’m in the mindset that social media is no different from TV, I can understand the worry some people have.
Just an FYI to everyone who complained about that Instagram ad being unrealistic, on tv:
– milk is replaced with glue for cereal adverts
– mash potato is used instead of icecream
– liquid soap is the foam on top of beer
– fruit is sprayed with hairspray or deodorant to look shiny— A L I ✖️ (@AliHemsley) September 3, 2018
Right, now for the fun part. Before I go any further I just want to let you know that this is supposed to be a totally light hearted post, it’s a bit of a joke but it’s my way of supporting any influencers, bloggers, or Instagrammers out there who feel frustrated by the fact that for some reason, there can be negative attitude towards the creation of online content.
When I say creation of content i’m mainly referring to creating something solely for a social/ online platform. I try to be as authentic as possible online, I share my sudocreme covered face on Instagram, I rant on Twitter, and I write about negative experiences on my blog. However I won’t lie to you, sometimes, SHOCK HORROR, I do things that aren’t actually real to make my content look better. I know right, shocking?!
I thought it would be fun to go through some of my Instagram content and point out what isn’t real, what i’ve faked, or what i’ve embellished to make things look a little more Instagrammable.
Because ya know what? Creating content is nothing to be ashamed about!
See that Starbucks cup there? It’s actually empty. Sometimes when i’m taking outfit shots I get a little bit awkward, my hands start flapping around and I just don’t know what to do with them so having a prop like this really helps me. I did however proceed to drink approx 6.5 cups of tea to get me through the day.
This looks like a seriously cosy set up, right? Wrong. I ran this bath, set up my little tray, got in and quickly realised the hot water had ran out half way through. Luckily I had taken the photos before, so still decided to post it on the gram.
This might come as a bit of a shock to a lot of you, I don’t actually like eating breakfast in bed. I find it a little bit uncomfortable and can’t stand the idea of crumbs in the bed. I know, soz Monica Geller. Often i’ll prepare breakfast, take a photo of it somewhere photogenic, and then eat like a normal person at the table. I’ll still continue posting photos like these as they’re my favourite to create.
I bought this orange specifically because I wanted to create this photo on holiday. I just had the idea in my head and you know what, I think it was worth it!
This isn’t a real desk. I wanted to take a photo of some of my cute stationery and my work set up but unfortunately, my desk just isn’t the right kinda Instagrammable wood. I bought two slabs of wood from B&Q at the beginning of last year and I use them occasionally for photo backdrops. Maybe one day I’ll have my own cute marble desk…
And there we have it ladies and gentlemen, I have well and truly outed myself. You lucky people now know some of my biggest Instagram secrets.
What’s sometimes difficult when you’re a content creator is the fact that unfortunately, some people just do not understand it. I know for a fact that content creators reading this post will 100% relate, we’ve all done things like this, whereas someone looking from the outside in might just think, why would you go to the effort of putting together a fake desk? What’s the point? The point is content creation online is no different that another type of art form.
Working hard putting props together for an Instagram photo is no different in my mind to creating a piece of art, or writing a song. Its putting your creativity to work to create a finished piece, no matter what that piece may be.
If nothing else I hope this post has given you a little giggle. I’m proud of the fact that I work hard on my Instagram, no matter how strange it seems I am passionate about it and I will always be open and honest about my content.
Finally, if you’d like to follow my Instagram adventures you can do so here. Expect lots of gin, flowers, brunch and happy chat.
I would love to hear if you’ve done anything crazy just for the gram, so please let me know!
Love this post Esther! We certainly have all done it! I agree with you about it being an art form. Some people are really good at, others aren’t (me haha), but at the end of the day, don’t let the critics get you down, they’re just jealous! xx
Author
Thank you so much Jess, I absolutely agree!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 it’s no different than anything else but I guess as it’s still relatively new, it’s misunderstood! Xxxx
HA HA!! Love this post! and we all do it … my photos are nowhere near as beautiful as Scarlett’s but I definitely still stretch the truth a little in mine! It’s part of the fun!!!
Author
EXACTLY!! Thats the whole fun of curating an Instagram feed, you can get creative!! Thank you so much!
I really enjoyed this post, and I’m pretty sure we all do it! That’s part of the fun with the actual content creating, and a little bit of cleaver prop use makes for a more aesthetically pleasing photo! I really don’t understand why there was such a big deal around this whole thing, the mug was empty etc. but who cares?! It’s a beautiful shot!
Em x
http://www.emsworld.co.uk
Author
Thank you so much em! Exactly – it’s all part of why we do it and you’re right, her photos are gorgeous!!!
I loved reading this because everything you’ve said is so accurate, we do sometimes ‘do it for the gram’ and that’s okay! Also, I’ve done the coffee cup trick before to stop my arms looking so awkward in photos!
Katy | http://www.therawrdrobe.com
Author
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I’m so glad others can relate! Outfit shots can be super awkward! Xx
I totally agree with you. It goes without saying that Instagram isn’t real! I felt so bad for Scarlett London, she was just being creative, not trying to portray something real, it is an art form! You just gotta take everything you see on insta with a pinch of salt and not take it too seriously!
Sinead x
Author
I know it was absolutely ridiculous wasn’t it!? People just have a crazy idea that social media is different to every other media…so strange! Xx
I could completely relate to this post, and found it super fun to read the BTS! When I read the outrage about that Instagram post, I couldn’t believe it. We all knew it was an advertisement. We all knew it wasn’t a reality of what her morning was like. I don’t get why people tend to make a fuss about everything now a days. Anyways, great post Esther xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Author
Ahhh thank you so much, I always love reading behind the scenes stuff too!! 😘 I know right?! It was crazy. People were just being blind to the fact that you can’t escape this sort of thing, especially on social media and it’s not always a bad thing! Thank you so much xxxx
omg Esther I love this post! I saw you speak about it the other day on Instagram and have only just managed to find time in my lunch break to read it, but I’m so glad I did! This is such a funny and light-hearted response and I love how honest you are- I’m sure we all do these things sometimes!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Author
Thank you so much lovely Sophie, that really means a lot to me and I’m SO glad it’s gone down so well 💖 it seems everyone relates which is amazing! Xxx
Love this post! I don’t understand how people cannot understand that’s a form of art rather than criticizing everything, these photos take time and hard work!
Author
Yes!! It really is it is such hard work! Xx