How I Use Instagram

Instagram has been almost exclusively my social media platform of choice since I joined in 2017. It’s mobile design seemed tailored for the situation I found myself in. People came for the pictures so there was very little pressure to say much. The app inspired me to turn monotonous moments of my recovery into content.

When Instagram partnered with Spotfiy to allow users to share what they’re listening to in Stories, I realized I had the tools to turn my Instagram into a multimedia journal. My pictures would give people snapshots of what I see and my stories would provide the soundtrack. I was sharing moments that required extensive time staring at my phone with my headphones in. I figured others could relate and I wanted to share what that experience felt like for me.

At my first job as a writer, I was required to publish four-to-six 300-to-500 page stories per day on the company website. I published each on both my personal Twitter handles and Facebook pages daily, while also handling distribution on company pages and handles. All writers did this from 8 am to 6 pm, plus weekends. We had daily page-view quotas. Stats were mailed across the company first thing in the morning so writers could see where we stood.

It wasn’t healthy for me. I knew I wanted to be a storyteller, which means, to some extent, having a public presence. But being required to share with my network online what I did at work that day, four times a day, felt exposing. I functioned mostly as a reporter so using a different name online felt a little unethical. Work had become fused with life whether I liked it or not.

In an attempt to start from scratch, I’ve been using Instagram to speak directly to the consumer in as many ways as I can. I use it as often as someone in recovery might use a mood journal. I use photography, graphic design, and writing to fill out that journal. I want to offer readers the opportunity to see the process of building a business while recovering.

(Except I'm not him and I can't be trusted not to lose a moleskin journal.)