I don't care about my Instagram grid. Here's why

My 'grid' - July 2017

I was a relative latecomer to the phenomenon that is Instagram. I've been on there since August 2014, but my posting was sporadic before I really got into my stride - or really got the point of Instagram at all - a couple of years later. Fast forward to 2017 and it's my favourite social networking site (Twitter; you're a close second. Facebook; get to the back of the queue).

Recently I've been dipping my foot deeper into the world of blogging, following other bloggers and blogging groups on Twitter, and I learnt a thing or two. Most notably, I learnt that people take this Instagramming thing seriously. Like, really seriously. We're not just talking professional photographers and designers, or celebs who make a fair whack for a single branded post. I'm talking average bloggers with not that many followers. A phrase that comes up over and over again is 'Instagram grid'.

At first, I assumed the 'grid' referred to the clever way in which many companies and Instagrammers build a complete picture out of the smaller images, as in the spammy example below. I've seen it used by much more legit brands too, and think it's a great idea if you're that way inclined.

But no, 'the grid' is something more sinister than that.

Just a quick Twitter search for the phrase 'my Instagram grid' shows the lengths that people go to to get that perfectly curated Instagram page, be it through only using certain filters or sticking to one colour scheme. You'll find people humble-bragging their 'anxiety' that their grid will never look this good again, lamenting that posting a birthday message to a friend has messed with their 'aesthetic', and, worst of all (in my opinion anyway), admitting to deleting pictures from days, weeks, and even months ago to make their grid look better. It's just another way that we're using the internet to curate our lives - because if it isn't on Insta, it didn't happen, right?

Sometimes exciting photos happen purely through being in the right place at the right time. Imagine getting a really unique shot, and then realising you can't share that on your Instagram page because it doesn't fit with your colour scheme, or your aesthetic.

A post shared by Laura Reynolds (@scribbling_lau) on Jul 15, 2017 at 9:33am PDT

If you're following me on Instagram, you'll have realised by now that I don't have a 'grid plan'. I don't have any plan at all. I post photos when I think of it, because I fancy sharing them. There are certain things that appear more than others (flowers, cakes, sunsets, big cats, cocktails, coffees...), but that's because these are my interests and hobbies. Yes, cake is a hobby of mine. What of it?

For me Instagram is a fun thing - why make it into a chore with schedules to stick to, colour schemes to be obeyed and themes to follow?

A post shared by Laura Reynolds (@scribbling_lau) on Jun 16, 2017 at 12:36am PDT

Life's too short for such nonsense. I'd rather be out there making the memories and taking photos than sitting at home drawing up a schedule for when my next post should go out, and which filter I should use. Perhaps some of my photos are a bit blurry around the edges, and perhaps I have fewer followers because of it, but it's because I had drunk too many cocktails was having too much fun to be thinking about my 'grid'. I may not have as many followers as a carefully curated page, but the people who are following me are more my type of people because what they're seeing is pretty much the real me - not the Ludwig-tinted version.

If you fancy following my disorganised, uncurated chaos of an Instagram page, you'll find it here. I'm also on Facebook, Twitter and Bloglovin'.