Fall in Love...

FALL IN LOVE...With Instagram

Last December, I finally got Instagram after seeing a few odd friends occasionally posting photos on Facebook.

I wasn't really sure on it when I started...

• No inspiration on what to take photos of...
• Didn't really understand the concept of #hashtagging...
• Felt weird letting people I didn't know 'Follow' me...
• Felt weirder Following them back!
• Sure as hell didn't want to take a 'selfie' and post that up!
• Wasn't sure if people would like me...

I got bullied at school on and off for various things - 

1. That I wasn't pretty like the other girls I hung around with
2. I had thick wavy hair that didn't see straighteners until I was in year 10 (that made me 14)
3.  I had a weird sense of humour
4.  I had a cackle laugh
5.  My teeth were crooked - then it was because I had braces
6. I dressed differently to everyone else in my year group (dungarees and belly tops....?!)
7. Or the fact I had a 2 year crush on a guy called Phil who was WAY out of my league back then... and people in my D&T class found out via a 'friend' of mine and I never lived it down...

Gosh I sound so wonderful! Such a catch eh?!

Luckily as a I reached college I found that there was a completely different attitude to my personality and made some life long friends! Still, school certainly screws up your self confidence....

So can you just IMAGINE how I felt using Instagram for the first time where literally THOUSANDS of STRANGERS could judge anything and everything I posted, and the pure FEAR I had posting my first face-on selfie...

Here, I was a bridesmaid at a wedding...

Surprisingly...it wasn't that bad..

In fact...I quite liked it...

I #hashtagged a few pictures and got a few likes...

I started searching common tags and found other people who liked the same stuff I did...

I started following their accounts...some even followed back...

I got a few comments...I even got COMPLIMENTED!

Suddenly I had 50+ followers who actually liked my photos and even the ones of me!

It was fantastic! 

It's not even a vanity thing, or an attention seeker thing...It's acceptance for the way I am. And I loved it.

So now nearly 1 year on, I only have a humble 200+ followers, I have a handful of die-hard followers who literally comment on and like everything I post (I call them my Instagram Family), I post what I like and currently that's about 500 different pictures, I've made some great friends from all over the world, I've seen some great videos and photos of animals I never knew existed, It's a great style inspiration and I can say what I want on there without an angry Mob coming at me with torches and pitchforks because they don't agree!

(Like you can say ANYTHING on Facebook without the risk of some huge F***ing argument, you can't even delete the sodding thing without everyone questioning you and taking it personally!)

I feel more confident with my appearance too on IG - being accepted for the way you dress, look, act can definitely make anyone feel beautiful...even if they're actually only commenting on how beautiful Gimli looks!

Yes - Even Gimli has her own #hashtag and large worldwide fan base!

#gimlithedragon

In my opinion... everyone should get Instagram!

If you have it why don't you follow me on there?

 @hailienellie

Hailie

xo