It's been about a year and a month since MelWearsWhat was born, and it's changed a lot for me in terms of my life and my feelings about a multitude of things. I look at fashion differently, social media differently, marketing differently, and I definitely look at influencers differently. Currently sitting at a bit under 700 followers, I certainly haven't grown as fast as others may have in a year, but I also don't particularly like social media - and I don't let it, or want it, to become my only "thing" in my life.
As cringy as all of this sounds, it's true - since starting my fashion blog and Instagram page in November of 2018, my perception of social media has changed. I've been injected into another world filled with hair gummies, ads and collabs and it's changed my perception of the platform forever - though, I wouldn't say I regret it.
Despite all of these things making the platform overall less mysterious to me (influencers are no longer behind a veil of wonder and awe quite like they used to be - though it doesn't make their dedication any less admirable), it also makes me want to use it...less.
Posting nearly every day (or at minimum once a week) has made social media a much different place for me. I care a lot less about likes now, and appreciate genuine comments more. Even in regards to my personal Instagram account, which I can say I spent way too much time trying to perfect in high school, I have grown to care - and scroll - a little bit less.
Being bombarded with all of these ads, perfect feeds and meticulously curated filters makes me much more aware of how much effort people actually put into their social media accounts. I do the same, to an extent: I spend hours sometimes getting a shot I like, and then take time to edit and play around with what looks good in my feed, as I imagine others do as well.
I don't think of myself as an influencer, or anything of the sort. I like clothes and I love fashion; I've always been a creative person and it's fun to share what you're passionate about with other people who are passionate about it too. But the moment it isn't fun anymore, that's when the gig is up.
Sometimes I don't post for a few days, or even a week at a time, and rarely make excuses for that. It's not my number-one priority, and I hope it never will be.
But it's always easier to focus on the negatives, and sometimes, especially when it feels like a chore, I forget the beautiful things it's allowed me to do.
My friends often call me by my handle, which I used to think was strange, but I'm kind of proud of that. Once, I went to one of my favorite thrift stores and the owner recognized me solely from my page and the posts I've tagged the store in.
It helped me get an internship at a fashion company. It's helped me connect with so many incredible people. I went to New York Fashion Week because of it. I've gotten acquainted with cool companies because of it. And, most importantly, it allows me to be creative whenever and however I please on a platform that is completely up to me. I'm my own boss, and I love that, because it never really does feel like a job.
It's also given me a schedule. Though I don't post regularly or at a certain time, there is certainly something wonderful about it that drives me and gets me up and excited on days when I need it most.
If you're thinking about starting, there's no day but today. It will be rough in the beginning, as most things are, but it will also be so worth it. I've never regretted it a single day. Start today, start now, start tomorrow! But let yourself be free with it.
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