I've tried a lot of different social media avenues with my weaving work. I have a Facebook for Comfort Cloth, I have a Twitter account and I have Instagram. Let me start by saying I hated Instagram because I felt like it was disconnecting people from the real world. "Oh we have climbed all the way to the top of this mountain- hold on a minute while I Instagram it!" Not my idea of enjoying the moments of your life. However, I am finding that I am using Instagram a lot, especially for my weaving endeavors.
Here is why:
You can easily search Instagram through the hashtags. Hashtags are just keywords or phrases that have the pound symbol in front of it. For example, #weaving. This creates a link that you can search from. I have discovered so many beautiful woven works this way and also to see how other people have the studios set up. I can also search for specific users- recently I just discovered Erin M. Riley, a prolific young tapestry weaver, and how she posts images of her work, and short videos or herself at the loom.
You can see what inspires people. If you go to my Instagram, not only do I have images of my work on and off the loom, but the small things that make me happy and inspire me to create. I do have the obligatory "selfie" here or there and a few pictures of my cat, Rupert. But I have pictures of my life, my space, and what I find absolutely fascinating.
It has connected me to weavers from around the world faster then I could imagine. I post a picture, and just through a double click on the image someone can "like" it. They can also leave a comment asking questions, critiquing the weaving, or sharing in the moment. Recently I have had "likes" from weavers in Barcelona, Spain and from Thailand. And if their profile is public, I can go in and see what work they are creating too.
Instagram allows you to share your images to Twitter and Facebook from the app, when you post. I try not to do this too often because I know how monotonous it can be seeing "Oh this person just uploaded a new picture of their work! Oh wait... these are all the same... at three different websites." So I try to post different pictures and ideas to different locations. This way I can share with different audiences what I am working on.
Instagram, the phone App that I thought was disconnecting people from reality, has actually helped me to connect to more weavers around the globe. And I can see other amazing craft artisans post their process pictures, their inspirations, and funny moments in their life. Yes, I do get tired of pictures of food, and seeing a million hashtags to a picture sometimes, but I have curated my feed to show me beautiful pictures of textiles and nature everyday.
The following images are from Instagram users that I follow. I find the work they produce phenomenal, the images of life that they share inspirational, and just overall a great visual treat when I check my feed to see what new thing they are working on next. Each username listed links directly to their Instagram page so you can check out more of their work.
If you have Instagram I would love for you to share your textile/craft/weaving journey with me at @comfortcloth.