If you’ve been subscribed to my newsletters for a while, you’ll know this isn’t the first time I’ve talked about the ongoing evolution of hashtags, and their usefulness, on Instagram. Not so long ago they were a primary driver of growth and discovery for most creators in the app. Now, most users report at best,
As I write this, we’re slowly coming out of another national lockdown here in the UK. West Yorkshire, where I live, has been under lockdown regulations for roughly 3 quarters of the past 365 days, and it’s taken its toll on us all. Myself, most definitely included – which I’ll probably be talking about more
This week, I talk about the evolving trends we see on Instagram, and why they all inevitably change. We look at the costs and benefits of playing into a trend, and I share some strategies for using trending styles of posts without losing sight of your brand or your own creative goals. This episode is
This post is adapted from a lesson in my Instagram class, The Insta Retreat, where I teach strategies to grow your account and your audience, while remaining authentic to yourself. Click here to read more. Think Like An Editor Running a successful Instagram account is sort of like being the editor of your own mini
When it is time to create a new product, and leave an old one behind? Something I see pretty often is people giving up on what they’ve already made too soon, because the selling and promoting feels hard, uncomfortable or like it’s not living up to our hopes. In this episode, I share lessons learned
The first interview I’ve done since lockdown began, for this week’s episode I chatted with experienced illustrators, authors and educators Helen Stephens, Katie Chappel and Tania Willis about their joint project, online art school The Good Ship Illustration. In this four-way Skype call we talk about the magic of imperfection, how to find your creative
Our little challenge made the news this week! UK news site The Metro and Dutch newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws both shared details of what we’ve been doing alongside some of the creations from the community. Big congratulations to those whose photos were featured. The creativity in all the responses continued to completely blow me away!
My mood has shifted this week. For the first couple of weeks at home I was reasonably sunny: enjoying the privilege of time with my little family, the slower pace of it all. But over the last few days I’ve turned grumpy; as sour as the starter dough everyone’s husband except mine is seemingly tending
How will you remember this time? I’ve been cataloguing my life in photos since before Orla was born and somehow, they seem to hold memories better than words. Each scroll of my camera roll is like uncorking bottles from the past: the strong black tea I drank with a tiny baby Orla asleep on