Lately I’ve been thinking about how I use Instagram. Not as a way to chase likes, but as a way to curate.

I follow artists whose work makes me pause. I save posts that surprise me. I build little collections in my saved folders. Textures, compositions, color palettes. It’s become a visual archive of what lights me up.

This kind of curation helps me sharpen my own eye. I start to notice what I’m drawn to again and again. It’s not always conscious, but over time it adds up. It fuels my own ideas, sparks new directions, and helps me stay connected to what feels alive in the art world. Instead of random lunch posts and “look-at-me” portraits, my wall is an ever updating art gallery.

I especially use it to find local artists. I’ve discovered a new gallery literally down the street just by following someone’s tagged post. And that connection to my own community? Worth way more than chasing a bunch of likes.

So if you’re feeling burnt out on the pressure to post or grow your following, try shifting into curation mode. Instagram can be more than a billboard. It can be your studio wall.