For the past couple of years, in my household Instagram has been more than just a socialising platform. It’s been instead my meet/stalk on/ chat with/ ask for wisdom/ share with other-mums kind of secret retreat. Here, in this safe retreat, I could feel all their joys of motherhood while navigating together through those low self confidence, darker days and overwhelming white nights when breastfeeding a hungry tiny mouth to a sore nipple and changing endless scary nappies become common activities we sometimes brag and sometimes cry about.
The insta world has been the hot spot where good photography depicts the fairyland we actually live in (and there’s so much to see if we keep our eyes wide open and filters ready), where, unconsciously, those honest Father of Daughters captions made of raw parenting emotions make us hit that follow button (yet a rather good enough reason, too, to quarrel with my other half as the insta-procrastinating can easily delay dinner timings or break healthy routines while wondering how our life with twins would look like!).
Yet we smile, we follow, we laugh, we click, we love, we like, we frown, we comment, we join each other’s ride through bits of life the way the phone pixels can present it better.
Nonetheless, I am by all means your loyal instagrammer.
Over the past two years I’ve managed over 10 business accounts, currently working on five including three of my own at AllMumsTalk, AllMums.Shop and more than often, supervising daddy blogger’s activity at AllDadsTalk. A few hours a day I sink myself into Les Trois Soeurs‘ fashion glam world, the London bridal heaven where I get to forget for a second about mum’s jeans and leggings on the school run, but dream instead of Oscar de la Renta shoes and Zahavit‘s dresses. Hey, it’s all about the right balance, right? š
Nonetheless I often find myself navigating between three very different teams of instagramming muses
1. The powerful vocal pixels of the Pukka Family & coloured splashes on the city’s walls of Dress Like A Mum‘s posts
2. The insta and photography gurus to understand and share all on how this insta algorithm madness works like: All That Is She & Me and Orla
3. The fashion edit: effortless (not a mum, but rocking London’s streets) Rosie Londoner & Ted Baker’s good old fashion 60s’ inserts.
While I am still looking to get myself a theme that is 100% me and those right colours that go well together (according to the pros) but trying not to compromise my inner feelings that I bring across through endless filters and edited pixels (used less than we may think), there’s a secret forth category which has been equally inspirational for my insta journey: you, All Mums. Many of you have been more than supportive, often sending messages to cheer me up after a a series of disastrous tantrums in the middle of the street while still carrying the blues of a miscarriage, and all your thoughtful comments to let me know I’m not alone during mad school runs and midnight conference calls on the bathroom floor (perks of freelancing). There’s inspiration behind each shot you take, there’s something special behind each bowl of spaghetti and marinara sauce on your baby’s face you share each evening.
Thank you all, my 20k insta muses for sharing and caring…
And thank you Ania (Anna Pawleta Photography), for taking another last minute photoshoot challenge (one hour well spent in Pergola Hill and Gardens with my wedding dress I wore last summer at the registry that will NOT fit my 25 week baby bump – no wonder, Ted is not working on any maternity lines yet! Same goes to Sophia‘s shoes – I might have to wait until the baby comes so I can successfully wear these again! Let the stalking for flat butterflies begin…
If you wish to book a photo session with Ania or simply chat with her on anything photography or motherhood related topics, check her out for more here.
So…Who is your insta muse? x
Aly
