Being a "Brand" & "How I Grew My Instagram Followers"

"Nobody said it was easy..." Coldplay's "The Scientist" is playing and *in sing song voice* "I'll take you back to the staaaaart." 

Ooooo....ooooo....ahhhhhh.....wuuuuuuu

OK, I was having a moment because I've been doing that THING again. Where I just really get into my head about stuff. 

Ahh...so where do I begin. Haha, this blog post title is a little passé, don't you think? Although, not sure if I am using that word correctly in this case. Anyhow, sorry to mislead you, this post isn't a How To do anything at all.

Enough time wasting, let's just get into it. I was reorganizing some old computer files and I came across a whole bunch of Adored Vintage Archive stuff from 2010-2012 and I actually went through all these old graphics I made and little lists I had done of potential product names, and notes to myself of things that inspired me that I wanted to write about (Japanese street style, screencap the Russian version of The Little Mermaid, post about the cigarette cards from the 1920s you found.)

And it made me all happy and nostalgic because I just wanted to dive into the little world I made for myself. Then I realized, wait a minute Ro! That world didn't disappear. You just kind of put it on the back burner and it gathered dust. That's right, YOU did that. And just as easily, you can do it AGAIN.

Along the way you got caught up in numbers and improving. And polishing. And editing. And curating. And making everything JUST RIGHT and PERFECT and OPTIMIZED.

And that world you created of all the pretty, wonderful, little things you so adore... it became a little less wabi-sabi. And frankly, kind of boring. 

Back to the start. Remember why you started. 

"I will make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life."

I hate how fast everything has become. We don't enjoy little moments anymore (I am absolutely guilty). I think we're so afraid of getting left behind. Maybe forgotten even. We all want so badly to make a little mark in the world. That's a generalization of course, I'm sure some people could not give a fig about that.

I think we've forgotten how to make real connections. You know, I have, or rather, Adored Vintage has, over 68,000 Instagram followers. I'm never impressed with that number, or anyone's instagram following numbers actually.

It's not like I have 68,000 real friends. 68,000 shoulders to lean on when I'm having an absolutely shitty day. 68,000 people laughing at my really stupid jokes. 68,000 people to celebrate life with and be grateful for another day on this beautiful Earth. 

However, I DO know there are a handful of you, despite the fact we have never met IRL, that have opened up to me and shared your life stories, and goofy pictures of your pets, and reached out to tell me something I said or did on my Instagram stories made you crack up. I seriously LOVE when I make you guys laugh. I'm no comedian, but I get happier just knowing that I put a smile on your face today.

I know. I knowww so trite to say it, but it's the damn honest truth! 

When people ask if I have an Instagram and I tell them, yes, it's @adoredvintage most of the time they go "Holy Cats! You have so many followers!!! How did you do it?!" 

I don't know how I did it. I just post the same stuff all the time and it's always muted colors because that's what I like. And sometimes I use hashtags. And most importantly, I just try to keep it as pretty as possible.