Recently, I've been feeling like I dove right into a content mind block. I don't know if it's the discouragement that comes with not being able to make a sale, the lack of activity that is happening on my feed or the exhaustion of mom life. Maybe a combo of all three? Most likely. 

Tee: Mila James Shorts: Big Kiss Little Kiss 

I know everyone always says, "Don't compare your feed to others, don't look at the numbers, post what you want." But in reality, once you start any sort of business related social media outlet, there's so much pressure to keep your edits and style exactly the same in order to bring cohesiveness to your feed. Don't get me wrong, my eyes love seeing those pretty, evenly edited, well thought out feeds, where every image has the same feel/look/colors/etc. On the other hand, I love seeing people's everyday lives along with their blogs/businesses. 

This image isn't the best, it's a tad grainy, unevenly shot (although I tried to fix that as much as I could) and I edited differently than what you'd see on my feed because I couldn't choose which style I liked best and tbh, I love so many styles! Mila's top isn't Mila James but I love supporting and sharing other shops. I saw an opportunity to photograph her doing what she loves, playing with flowers, but is it sharable according to the imaginary rules of social media? Do they match my last few posts? Probably not but I'm sharing it anyway because I love it!  

Personally, I love seeing people mix it up. This is where my question on real life or real cute comes in. Which style do you prefer? A really cute and cohesive feed or a feed that shares their real life along with their business? I feel like there are so many lost images for those who have excellent photos but can't share because the editing doesn't "fit" their feed. 

I mean, do I want all my photos to be taken in a well lit area with the most perfect background that will catch everyones attention? Sure! But will I always get that? Will I always catch a great image with the ability to edit exactly the same as the image I posted before that, or with a background that "matches" the rest. NO WAY! I love mixing it up. I love colorful backgrounds, earthy backgrounds, grungy backgrounds, playful backgrounds, florals, solids, and so on. I tried to tell myself I need to stick to one but I just can't. 

So here is a little real life for you. I feel like the new algorithms, the lack of activity and the whole numbers game (likes/followers) has really taken a toll on my mind. I truly believe I try my best at creating content that I think is worthy of sharing with the world but when I see myself losing follows, it hurts. It's not about the numbers (well it is) but it's really about what feels like a negative response to my creativity. I am always so excited and passionate about the content I create and always believe "oh, this is the one, this ones going to bring my little shop some great attention!" But then, I hit that share button and my photo is sent off into the world of Instagram only to get lost in everyone's feeds, and there goes my excitement. It almost feels like the fun of sharing my ideas and my love for social media is slowly dwindling away. 

With all this being said, I'm not going to stop! I may slow down for a bit while I work on creating some new content and products to add to my shop. Social media is one of the best (and mostly free) marketing tools. There's no way I'm going to give that up because this mama likes FREE! Plus, I've always loved social media and creating content, even though I have my feelings towards it. When I was in college, creating the social media content pieces for any project was one of my favorite parts. So I'm not giving up just yet! 

Thought I'd end this blog post with a photo of my two favorite girls because no matter what your social media style is, we can all agree that photos of cute kids are always a win!