This is a topic I’ve touched on briefly in other posts, but as it affects me so much these days, I feel the need to share more of my experiences and emotions.

Instagram and Creative Sabotage… what am I talking about, you ask?
I’ve always grown up being part of some creative niche, forum, or platform. Call it what you will. From dancing ballet since age 3, to photography, art and writing sites. I have learned everything I know from being involved in these communities and letting them influence me. But what I also learned from these artistic/creative communities was the etiquette of artists, and the respect for another’s accomplishment or great work. Which brings me to the issue you know I am greatly affected by (if you’ve read my other articles)!

On any typical day, we browse Instagram like it’s a religion or required class. We consistently see content from people around the world, from things we adore to things that don’t matter at all and are forgotten instantly. But there is one big issue with this heavy scrolling habit- one I can’t seem to escape…

When we take in so many things from others and allow it to affect our own creativity, to the point where we copy instead of make our own ideas, we are self-sabotaging our own potential. We ruin our chances to create work that is truly good, and fulfill our own personal visions.

I heard a popular YouTuber say how they don’t follow anyone and just use their channel to post their own content, in order to not have their ideas be swayed by what others are doing. WOW! I’m almost jealous that they are able to keep their self on the straight and narrow as a creator, and protect their vision!

Almost every day I wake up, check my phone, and see someone’s content or caption completely copying someone else I know, or myself. If you’ve read my other articles, you know how I feel about this. And can I just say, nothing starts my day off wrong than seeing someone rip me off the very day after I post something I’m proud of. When I create something that is essentially a little piece of me, something that makes me feel good and accomplished, and then in less than 24 hrs (or sometimes within days) someone has to say what I’ve said, or shoot where I’ve shot, or copy a photo down to the outfit/lighting/pose/editing/etc… It makes me wonder why I even bother. If I invest myself into my work… key word being MY work, then why bother if it’s just going to be giving someone else a shortcut? If it’s just going to become “someone else’s work”?

My creativity is not for others, it is my own. I’m not a creative bank for someone to show up and withdraw ideas from. So when I try my hardest, why does everyone else feel free to take the easy route, skip working on their own ideas, and steal another’s? I’ve asked myself if I read into this too much. Maybe I’ve been gaslighted on these types of scenarios before and can’t say for sure. But I put the question out there to you guys- is it too much when people copy images, locations, outfits, edits, captions, topics, and more? Even down to suddenly changing what they’re doing to use my methods and work flow for HOW I do what I do?

It may seem strange, but it feels like an invasion of my personal life when I share about how I go about my shoots, edits, painting, and writing, and someone decides that they can/will, verbatim, do what I do. What I’ve learned over years of experience, (actually over a decade) has made me who I am and taught me what works best for me as a creator. It has allowed me to develop my traits as an artist, and give me my unique vision. So, maybe you can understand how I am a little bewildered when someone attempts to take on my workflow or creative vision in the blink of an eye.

Another example lies with my voice… As I’ve started using it more after years of letting it fade to the background, it too has become a freebie for other’s to use.
I’ve written about very personal feelings on topics that you guys really appreciated. Topics that were legitimately conversations between my husband and I. And because I poured my heart out, you guys resonated with it and appreciated my words. It reached a wider audience because of that. On multiple occasions! So what do other influencers decide to do? Instead of just letting me have my voice and appreciate it, they have to re-write my own words for their own blog, garnering acclaim for their “brilliance” and unique perspective on the topic. This…. this kills me more than my photos being copied. Because this is my voice, these are my thoughts, it’s all me and feelings from my personal life. And people think they can literally steal it and accept the praise for what isn’t their own. They can sit happily, being told that their words are changing people’s lives, and accept promotion for speaking out. Am I the only one who can feel so wronged by something like this?

I’ve had thoughts about blocking those who so readily use my content as fuel for their own. And I’ve had thoughts of unfollowing nearly everyone who makes me feel jealous, frustrated, or whoever affects my creativity. Just having my platform to share my work and not let my vision be swayed seems appealing. But I’ve always enjoyed appreciating other creative’s work, I’ve done this all my life. I don’t want to go to such dramatic lengths, but maybe in the end, it’s what I need to do for myself, as an artist. Even if just for a time.

If everyone’s work is a free-for-all template to be stolen, used, and ripped off… then creatives will cease to be unique or sought after for their own vision and skill. All of us creators will suffer for work, work that becomes of less value to the world, because it’s not hard to find the same thing from someone else. And that idea truly scares me! I circle back to my question: what is the point of putting my unique work out there if it just serves as a free template for someone else? Or a stepping stone to success? Where is the artist/creator etiquette?

The post Instagram & Creative Sabotage appeared first on Jetset Lust.

I have come to accept it, and I’m sure there are people out there refusing to talk about it. Especially since last year it became a $1 billion industry, and could be worth $2.38 billion by the time 2019 hits. But while the influencer industry looks promising, there are some truths we need to acknowledge for it to remain so.

Think of how much money companies can save now by advertising with independent influencers. Their cost for running ads with services before the time of influencers included magazines, celebrities, commercials, billboards, street signs, etc. Influencers now offer not only more content than brands ever had a need for before, but a new, more intuitive kind of promotion. Less broad, and more acute/niche specific.

Here’s why I predict what is happening right now in the industry is going to cause it to crumble…

With the massive influx of influencers popping up every day, it greatly affects the industry in negative ways. Here are a few of the main problems:

1. More influencers equals more competition. (I suppose we saw this coming…) It’s harder for influencers to be found, or stand out from others just like them. What can one offer that the thousands of others don’t? Why should a company choose to work with them over the others? Countless look-a-like bloggers are literally clogging the pipes here, making the stream of work pretty stagnant for mostly everyone.

2. More NEW influencers mean more opportunities for brands to get free advertising. Why would a company pay thousands of dollars to one influencer, when they can just send free product to 20 small/new influencers who’s followings would add up to the same number as one big influencer? And the only cost to the brand? Probably less than $500 in cost it took to make their product (depending on what brand and the value of their products). But most brands probably spend on average about $13 in production per product. $13 x 20 influencers = $260. Add in shipping and packaging. This is still nothing compared to what influencers of 100k+ should be making per post. The brand’s goal is to not spend money, and smaller/new influencers are enabling this.

3. Bigger influencers are losing job opportunities. This is leaving brands expecting free work from everyone, because they can get it easily from small influencers. Now, everyone had to start by working for free, so it’s not really the influencer’s fault. But if the bigger influencers start having to leave the industry, only small bloggers will be left… sounds like a good thing for the small bloggers? Well not really when they’re stuck with brands that will only expect free work. Because now the system is broken.

I don’t know about you, but when I got going (even part-time) with this work, I had to start charging. Because of the amount of time and work and money it took to create content daily. That is all of value, and brands know this. (Heck, otherwise they’d be doing it all their self!) Which is why they are all the more keen to convince you otherwise. Why pay when they can get everything free?

Please listen up. You are only helping to promote them so they can make sales, so why shouldn’t the influencer be making money too? You have to realize, if they are trying to collaborate with you, it’s because they can benefit from you. So… what is actually fair for both parties? It certainly shouldn’t be one-sided. Even if you aren’t offering a huge audience, you must be offering quality content! Do you know what your value is?

If the big influencers start to bail, and only small influencers are left, how long will they want to keep working for free in this broken system? We all know they got into this line of work for the hope of success, for the promise of good income and rare opportunities. But when those things aren’t given, what then?

No one can keep working for free for long, even I’ve hit my wall. And yet the brands keep refusing to pay. Soon it will be no good for anyone. (Save for the minority of those who have “made it” and don’t have to worry about their jobs surviving.)

This is when it’ll all come crumbling down. And when the influencer market is dead, how will the brands find their audiences and potential sales now? Especially new brands who’ve started up at the gleaming prospect of success thanks to Instagram marketing? It’ll not only cause a loss of jobs for these influencers, but also for many independent brands and designers. People who might not have even started their brand if not for seeing the potential in influencer marketing. Could these brands even survive if they weren’t piggy-backing off the content and exposure of social media public figures? Think of all the money being saved in photography & model fees, location/destination shoots, ads, etc!

The truth of the matter is maybe these small/new brands actually can’t afford to pay influencers. Which means they couldn’t afford to pay for advertising either. They only started their brand at the prospect of free advertising. But if influencers went away, where would they be? Should they have even started their business in the first place, if they can’t/won’t pay for advertising? Were their intentions corrupt, greedy, or just naive from the onset?

So what can be done about this? How can we stop the seemingly unavoidable crash of a once (though sort of short-lived) promising industry?

Again, not all fault lies with the influencers, though both parties need to get educated and wisen up. But I think what is important is that brands need to contribute to the industry, not just take, if they want it to be around to benefit their companies in the future.

Like the Newspaper industry that is failing. Most people can and now expect to get their news for free. And the longer people get something for free, the less willing they are to pay for it. Hence why local newspapers are the first to be shut down, and many employees laid off for their paper not meeting profit margins.

It’s not that people may not pay for local news, it’s that local papers have declined in quality at the greed of their owners. The greed of the owners being their need to make higher profits to maintain their lifestyle, at the expense of the employees wages. Jobs are cut to maintain this.

Does this sound at all similar? Brands expecting to pay nothing, and greedily make their profits while offering little to nothing to the influencers. They have already started cutting out paying influencers (like cutting jobs of talented journalists) and lower the overall quality of the industry, by only inflating the part of it that encourages influencers to work for free. And there can and never will be lasting quality of work with no pay.

So, I’m scared for this industry, and I think it smart to take this food for thought as a strong warning. To influencers, brands, companies, and agencies alike. Something has to change, and NOW, if we are to prevent this shining star from burning fast and burning out.

And… to those of us influencers… as the saying goes: one should never put all their eggs in one basket. Who knows how stable that basket really is.

As an insider in this industry, I have an on-going discussion about the issues I’m coming up against. I’m sure you relate!
Read “Vanity, Negativity, & Imitation: The ‘Art’ of Instagram” for more!

The post IG Influencers: A Bubble Soon to Pop appeared first on Jetset Lust.

“If outside validation is your only source of nourishment, you will hunger for the rest of your life.”

We are all unique, we are all individuals. But what does it actually mean to be an individual- someone who is so confidently their self that they do what they do with an air of authority? And by authority, I mean that people see them as having a trusted voice in their niche.

Ask:

Do I go through my day trying to please someone? Do I wait for approval, for validation, to find out if I am worthy today? If today will be better than yesterday? Do I feel powerless or less valuable if I’m not being fed affirmation by an outside source?

I see this Individuality epidemic swarming social media- namely Instagram, and especially in the Influencer circles. It’s a sort of lie we are all choosing to believe. Those striving to stand out as individuals are somehow the ones farthest from being individual.

The prettiest of girls do it, and the most successful bloggers do it. Even the ones we consider “perfect” do it. It doesn’t matter how impressive their Instagram looks.

But if you think about it, this staking a claim of being an individual is reslly a need for seeking approval, and it is based on self doubt.

The more we post photos online and put ourself out there, the more we wait expectantly for reaffirmation that we did some thing good, we are worth something, we are talented, we look good etc. What is this success even measured against? Each other?

A independent individual has no need for validation, if they are confident in their self.

Don’t get me wrong, I know we all struggle with confidence- it’s the society we live in. But we only weaken ourselves when we base our strength on what others sum us up to be.

Our power in being individual comes from the ability to see ourselves through our own eyes, not through the eyes of another. To exist in our own personal experiences, and not compare them to another’s. To do it for ourself, and not need another’s like/comment/adoration/approval.

Why? Because those others can never really know you how you know yourself, and how your loved ones know you. You are so much more than what strangers could ever see.

Social media is a veil which hides 90% of EVERYTHING. So why do we put so much value in the 10% we see/share online? Why do we seek approval of this tiny sliver of us- some of which might not even be true or realistic?

This veil can be a positive thing, as we can be as strong or as weak as we allow ourselves to be, and it’s only for ourselves to know. It’s within our own control to improve ourself for ourself. But the veil can also be a bad thing, if we search for that validation in places like social media, countless nameless followers, or others in our life. Remember, they are only seeing that 10%- do you really want to base your total worth on what others judge of the small portion they get to know of you?

To be an individual, you must take your power back, and try not to stray from your own unique vision. Only you are living your life, stop waiting for someone else to approve of your experiences for you. You don’t have to do anything their way- what works for someone doesn’t mean it works for you. So there’s no real way they can decide for you anyway.

By staying true to you, even if it means you’re not doing as impressive things as some others, you are remaining an INDIVIDUAL. And isn’t that what we place the most value on in this industry, anyway?

So stop comparing yourself to others, stop trying to do what they do and how they do it, and start finding out what you have to offer that’s unique to YOU, that no one else can!

The post How to be an Individual appeared first on Jetset Lust.

I’ve been mulling over these thoughts for months now, wondering how to go about sharing them. I prefer to stay away from negative topics, and put my efforts towards spreading more positivity than negativity. But that doesn’t mean I don’t deal with fighting these negative feelings almost every day, considering my everyday job revolves around this App. An app with so much potential to discover beauty and magic, but also a place that creates a lot of unnecessary feelings.

Behind the masks of everyone who parade around on Instagram, showing only their best face, their best outfits, and their best versions of the truth is a whole lot of unattractive bullshit.

There, I said it.

I don’t claim to be immune to the bullshit or even the negative feelings it causes me. A lot of the time I want to escape it all.

But something calls me back, and keeps me creating. Keeps me fighting to reach you and inspire you. And that thing is the fact that before all this social media nonsense, I had a place here because I was part of a community of artists and creators. Not “bloggers” and “influencers”. But people who followed each other, supported each other, and inspired one another.

Are the days of admiring someone’s hard work and creativity gone? Do we no longer look at a photo and enjoy it, and appreciate that person’s unique view of the world?

Studies show that more people are depressed due to Instagram. I find myself literally scared to even interact with certain social circles on this platform, because of the overall vibe that radiates around them. I’m completely put off by the attitude that has been deemed mandatory for “influencers” to adopt.

The competitive nature, the jealousy, the need to surpass and constantly one-up another… to consume everything good one lays eyes on, and steal it for their self. No one’s content is safe, it’s just there for someone to use as “inspiration” for their own “work”. There’s no appreciation of the art, no supporting each other, and no shame in this behavior.

I’ve collided with many “influencers” and the one thing I have to say is, these self-proclaimed celebrities are not only anti social AF in person, but they only take and use, expecting that merely proclaiming fame makes them something. I’ve literally heard some say that they refuse to pay for things because they can get so much for free. (Anyone remember the saying, you have to spend money to make money? Am I weird for still believing that I should invest in and contribute to my future? What do these Instagrammers contribute? Do we really care about outfits that much? Do they actually inspire us on a deep level? Do “popular” girls on instagram really need a spotlight in our daily life?

I’m purging.

I’ve started unfollowing accounts that don’t truly inspire me, who don’t make me feel positive after seeing their image. Those who don’t create art, but only churn out ads and look-a-like content. If I can’t tell one travel blogger from another… if I don’t even know their names or their story, I’m unfollowing. It’s not to be cruel or unsupportive. But to be honest, I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.

I want to follow someone to be inspired, not made to feel jealous. Because serving jealousy no longer sells to me. And maybe that small account that posts beautiful lifestyle or nature photos that don’t go “viral” or generate tons of likes, makes me feel happier than the account of the girl who travels to every postcard worthy photo-op location in the world.Or the account with the best designer outfits. I mean, what is that contributing to my day? That I don’t travel enough? That I need to compete with that? That I must be doing life wrong if my life doesn’t look like that?

I don’t need to compete with anyone. I don’t need to put how many countries I’m going to this summer in my bio, because maybe I’ll just go where I want, when I want. Or when I can. Besides- what does anyone need to prove by declaring this anyway?

I also follow WAY too many brands. I not only consume more content than I can remember every day, but I’m pushed ads and products and clothing all day every day. I’ve almost become numb to it. There’s a nice outfit… there’s a pretty model… there’s another photo I like… there’s another photo that makes me feel nothing… or even worse, makes me feel jealous or etc.

It’s all a blur, BUT I’m left feeling something! I’m basically programming myself and my mood for the day thanks to endless scrolling. And guess what? Studies show that the more you scroll, the more unhappy you become.

Some nights I lay in bed scrolling till 1 am, feeling unfulfilled and therefore unable to just go to bed. But my search for inspiration is really only causing me to be more unfulfilled. I don’t need to see anything, I just search and scroll, waiting for some post to magically make me feel better and then I can happily go to sleep. As if this will somehow change my life.

But that rarely happens. Between all the BS content floating past, there’s no room for true art or inspiration to reach me. There’s no room for MY OWN inspiration to REACH ME.

We consume content, and we consume other people’s ideas and visions. So what becomes of our own? We wonder why micro trends and certain looks spread like an infection… it’s because as we all consume the same content and spit out something similar, it all gets re-consumed again and again until it’s some generic thing, essentially created by a universal mind. This could be something lovely, but it’s more like we are losing our uniqueness and learning to conform to be like what’s “successful” or “popular”. We are becoming what an algorithm is making us.

Like I was saying, I’m purging. Yeah, I may think that girl is cute, or like her outfits. But I’m being honest with myself and unfollowing whatever doesn’t truly inspire me. Beyond what I’m inspired to buy or wear. This will give me not only more time and focus for those who DO inspire me so I can support them (remember those good old days on instagram?), but also less influence on my own creative process. So I can get back to rediscovering who I am, what I love, and what I want to say with my creations.

I think this is something we should all be doing. I don’t know what that means for “social media” and people’s followings, but fuck it. Who cares. Humanity has created and held onto ART since the beginning.  It’s has been a constant that remains, and tells the story of humanity. That’s what we should care about. Not popularity and bikini bodies.

Speaking of art, another one of the issues I’ve been thinking about is art vs. imitation.

I have a personal calling to art. My dad is a painter and artist of many mediums, was a director of an art school, and more. I’ve been raised with art as a part of who I am, from drawing and painting, photography and writing, dancing and even classical music. I function on a creative plane that means I’m constantly envisioning and creating.

I’ve always been part of artistic and creative communities. First DeviantArt, and online forums, Flickr, Facebook pages and photography groups… I spent countless hours creating and sharing with strangers I got to know across the world. Since I was 12! Back when I had dial up and was scared to share a photo of myself on the web…!

There’s a certain mutual respect amongst artists of those communities. Even as “bloggers” were first born from creative souls with a strong voice, each one was unique. Not a celebrity, not a model, not a fit bikini babe. But just sharing their unique voice or talent, which is what drew in “followers”. Which is what gave them authority in their “niche”.

Somehow, we’ve arrived at this place where… anyone who has a photo-taking-device, and… anyone who wears clothes… must become a blogger. They must deserve even more followers if they’re cute!

This new crop of “bloggers” (okay, not all, but a lot of them) need no photography skills, or writing talent, or voice. They need not care for art, culture, or the power of words. They just want those free clothes, and party invites. To sky-rocket to 100k, to rock knock-off designer purses (and I swear if I see another Gucci knock-off…. 🤢)

Instagram is now high school… To those of us who have long since graduated, welcome to your worse nightmare- you’re back!

It’s all clicks, tricks, and fake tits. Okay I couldn’t help that one. But it’s not too far from the truth. Even if it’s just photoshop…

And the worst part? The part that is my biggest pet peeve and the point I’ve been trying to get to?

There is no respect for creativity. These new influencers never heard of the mutual understanding that you don’t just rip off every photo you like, and make it yours. And if you do, at least give a shoutout to your inspiration for the stolen (I mean imitated) work!

I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen one of my Paris photos copied by probably all the bloggers at this point… you might know it- the one with the feet up on the window and a bed of white pillows and blankets on the floor? I won’t mention names, but I came up with this shoot concept over a year ago (early spring 2017), and it recently caught fire after some big influencers felt the need to “re-create it” while in Paris. Then the shot went viral. As the Paris photos tend to do.

PS-  I’m not exaggerating when I say it was a vision. I’d been dreaming of shooting this photo against the perfect Parisian window since even before that trip, and Josh and I spent a while getting it just the way I envisioned it, that rainy day in Montmartre.

As an artist, I feel the need to stand up for my work when things start to get out of hand. I mean, it is the most personal thing, and artist’s creation. It’s their baby- their brain child. It feels personal when someone steals it from you.

Don’t get me wrong, finding inspiration in other’s work is something I do myself, and I hope I inspire you with my work! But blatant copying? At least make it your own!

Anyway, ranting aside… *sigh*

 They say good artists copy, and great artists steal. But I believe the truth is- those who do not have a creative eye of their own, steal.

I don’t know if you remember, but back in the day, ripping off another’s work was a big NO-NO. I mean, I still believe that today… but I think most of social media has forgotten… is there any hope left for this community to thrive with appreciation for true art? Or are we all copycats and generic reproductions?

*queue “Human” by The Killers*

I’d be foolish if I thought I could start a revolution for us creators. But maybe I’ve inspired you, and I can now go to sleep a little more content because I shared this with you. Whether you do anything differently, or go support your favorite artists, or unfollow the endless supply of meaningless accounts, that’s now up to you. I just want you AND me to rediscover what it is we need to be inspired. Nothing more, and nothing less.

The post Vanity, Negativity & Imitation: The “Art” of Instagram appeared first on Jetset Lust.

On the night of January 23rd, I had just about had enough of the struggle I’ve been experiencing on Instagram. I decided the ridiculous way my account was behaving couldn’t be due to something I was doing wrong. I have spent enough time questioning my content and my self, and spending countless hour on the app to engage with users to keep up my engagement, only to see literally next to nothing in return. With all the strange penalizing happening to mine and other accounts I knew, like being shadow banned and not showing up in hashtags, I started writing a Letter to Instagram to submit through their “Something Isn’t Working” Form on the app.

About 20 minutes later, after a list of issues turned into a rant to Instagram about just how much they are ruining this community, I frustratedly shared the Letter on my Stories and went to bed.

The next morning I woke up with maybe 15 DM’s from people who were sharing my Letter, responding with shock that they weren’t the only one going through this, and the discussion began. I started sharing these crazy messages on my Stories because I realized we were all suffering in silence, thinking we were just doing something wrong, our account was broken, or Instagram was punishing us for some reason. But the truth is, there is something happening with the algorithm that is causing major trouble for ALL our accounts! The only ones who are safe, seem to be the huge “elite” celebs and bloggers that IG has protected from their algorithm and deemed “safe” from their penalizing bans.

Through maybe 100 DM’s I’ve been trying to keep up with day and night since posting my Letter, I’ve been able to put together a pretty complete picture of what’s actually happening to us, and it’s not pretty.

From accounts losing massive amounts of followers, projected growth for the year being in the negative thousands, being blocked from writing captions, being shadow banned, being restricted to following 1-2 people a day, or only certain accounts, forced unfollows of people you still want to follow, the following counter being “Stuck” at a certain number for months, though you see followers come in daily, engagement being cut in half or more, paid IG ads not bringing in any clicks or views but they take our money anyway, our posts not being shown to our followers for maybe up to a week later, and never seeing posts from people we used to loyally follow. And there’s still so much more!

If this were a service company, they’d be sued… BIG time.

The good news? You’re not alone if you’ve been dealing with these issues. The bad news? Instagram doesn’t seem to care about us or completely manipulating us to use their app longer in order to make money off us. How can they be getting away with this?

“It’s common knowledge in the industry that Instagram exploits this craving [for notifications and positive feedback] by strategically withholding likes from certain users. If the photo-sharing app decides you need to use the service more often, it’ll show only a fraction of the likes you’ve received on a given post at first, hoping you’ll be disappointed in your haul and check back again in. a minute or two. They’re tying into your greatest insecurities.” – Matt Maybury, Dopamine Labs via The Globe and Mail

If Instagram knowingly withholds likes, and bans certain actions of “spammy” accounts, what would stop them from using these “powers” to completely control any or all users on the app?! What would keep them from deciding normal people are too spammy to get normal rights to engage on the app? What keeps them from controlling the number of your following so it seems as if you’re not growing, and you’re not successful?

This is the reason I believe it’s time to speak out. So many of you had no idea this was happening to everyone, and now you can share the info to make more people aware! The more who learn about this, and the more people who speak up, Instagram will have to hear us. Our best tactic is to keep the fire burning and tell our friends, tell fellow IGers, and use the hashtag to become viral on Instagram. Another great idea submitted by someone who joined the discussion, is to leave a 1 star honest review on the Instagram App, in the App Store!

As I learn more information, I’ll update the blog with new posts! And share tips on what I find works best to keep up engagement and growth during these tough times!

Join the Movement – BE the Change!

1. Tell your friends
2. Use the #TakeBackInstagram
3. Help take back control of exposure- join #FollowFriday every week on IG Stories!
4. Post the flyers below or make your own!
5. Leave an honest 1 star review on the Instagram App!
6. Pin one a flyer to Pinterest to help spread the word!

You don’t have to tag me, but I would love to be tagged so I can see how many of you are joining in, and get to thank you! When we stick together, we make an amazing team!

Flyer for IG Stories:

Flyer for IG Feed Crop:

SaveSave

The post #TakeBackInstagram is Born appeared first on Jetset Lust.

As 2017 comes to a close (ummmm, howww?!), I revisited my list of resolutions I wrote down last year, as I’m an avid note maker (can’t survive without them!). I was surprised to see what I wrote, as it really spoke to me. Some of these things I’ve really improved since I wrote them down, and it makes me realize how much I’ve grown. I can get emotional thinking about the crazy adventures from each year past, seeing how far we’ve come in what feels like such a short amount of tme. The year honestly does go flying by, and if there’s one thing I’ve strived to do, it’s to not waste a minute of it.

I did write some new goals and aspirations for 2018, but I wanted to share my Resolutions from the end of 2016/beginning of 2017, and carry them on into this new year too. It’s personal and very raw, and maybe you’ll find some inspiration in there too.

Read More to see all our photos and delve into my personal reflections for the new year!

2016-2017 (& 2018!) Resolutions

1. Tend to my mind, body, and soul at all times. If I’m feeling unfulfilled, or unwell, ask what part I’m forgetting and what I can do to balance my life out. Even with simple daily routines and changes I can make.

2. Live first. It’s the only thing that matters. Learn to let go of everything (include blogging & brands, but don’t let them take over my life). Simplify as much as I can. Do what I want/wake up and go for the experiences. Then share that. It’s more authentic that way, anyway.

3. Smile. Be authentic, be light, be enigmatic. Share my energy. DANCE. Laugh and get my blood flowing. Happiness is contagious.

4. Have me time. Be healthy. Take care of my body and needs. Invest in “spoiling” myself with grooming and working out. Eat yummy healthy things. Enjoy taking care of myself and FEEL GOOD for it. Work on myself. “If you want to find the goddess within, worship her.”

5. Take a moment each day to sink into bliss and/or fiery love. Find what inspires me or what wakes up the love in me that day, and let it be the course for the rest of the day. Let my passions fuel and energize me everyday.

6. LIVE the dream, don’t dream of life! Take whatever I have (no matter how little), and use it as fuel to go make my dreams happen! “Money is just a barbell packed with the weight of your own choosing.”

7. Be so irrevocably and unapologetically me that I become untouchable, with no self-consciousness or doubts to get in my way. Let that uniqueness catch people’s eye so I can inspire them and be fulfilled by doing so.

8. Invigorate all my senses. Put on perfume to inspire sensuality, light candles to play to my sense of smell. Surround myself with beauty and simple pleasures that inspire. Wear things that make me feel confident. Touch things that make me feel comfort. Taste things that awaken my taste buds and senses. Read things that inspire my spirit. Write things that inspire my soul.

9. Just BE around people in a public setting, dress up for myself, and feel like a part of the human race. Breathe air into the embers.

10. Listen to my body, its cravings and its needs! What to eat, when to rest, when to push through. Most importantly, listen to my gut feelings! They are always right.

11. Do what I feel like doing in that moment, as crazy or tame as it may sound. Go ahead and err on the more eccentric side, because I know that’s who I am! Don’t tame myself, and don’t be afraid to be the artist I am!

12. Experience the world. See new places, learn new languages and love the cultures. Find secret life lessons in every hidden corner, repurpose the world’s beauty into your own art. Live everywhere and anywhere!

  Dress: BCBG | Heels: J. Reneé | Coat: Lioness | Belt: Zara

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The post NYE – Getting Personal appeared first on Jetset Lust.

This post was a long time coming, as I get SO many messages regarding this topic. So I finally sat down to organize my whole story into a blog post, to shed some light on my personal journey. This isn’t a guide to success, or a one size fits all story. But hopefully it will answer your questions, and give you some insight and inspiration on just what I did to become a full time blogger!

Read more to learn my story!

How I started Blogging

From the beginning, I’ve always had an online presence. I started on creative writing forums when I was 13, determined to become a book writer.  My online life continued to art sites, where I wrote poetry, prose and books, shared my digital art and drawings, and began experimenting with photography. I also had been teaching myself web design, coding, and graphics design since age 14.

Some of you might know I was a ballet dancer all my young life, from age 3 – 19. I quit before joining a professional company in NY because I realized I had too many passion to only spend my life in one genre of art. I took to my photography as the creative outlet I needed to replace the part of me that was always invested in dance. But this time, I had gained some popularity for my digital art and photography, winning some art awards and publishing some poetry books. I’ve sort of dabbled in most art forms, taking after my dad who is an abstract painter by profession, among other things.

From learning classical guitar to cinematography, film photography and art history, I’ve done the college thing (and it wasn’t my idea of a good use of time). After one year of college (I was able to skip the required classes as my dad was director of the art school), I “dropped out” because I already had an up and coming photography business going. I was shooting with wedding photographers and doing fashion, model portfolio work, and senior photos with my own company. It was my full time job, but that didn’t stop me from investing time into my creative outlets of writing and fashion photography.

I would discover new models and creative direct fashion campaigns and films, which led me to working with local boutiques and brands for Lookbooks and editorials. I did this for a few years, when I started to dabble in modeling the products myself. I started my blog Ready Gypset Go in 2013, as a first step into fashion blogging. At the time, it was the era where I think bloggers had the most luck, because it was all new and fun for brands to collaborate. My blog took off in only a couple years, getting roughly 30,000 followers and 18,000 blog views monthly. It was also the era of boho and that was my thing, so it worked.

Within a couple years, Josh and I took Ready Gypset Go to the next level by deciding to buy a vintage airstream and renovate it ourselves on a shoestring budget. We stayed in Ohio (where we started), for 6 months riding out winter and slowly fixing up the Airstream (named Flo). But it was taking too long and we needed to be on the road and exploring for the blog. So (after a few cross-country road trips in our jeep) we hitched up and hit the road. Everything went wrong. Our truck broke down several times, and the original vintage furniture in the Airstream fell apart from travel. We crash landed in Arizona where we thought we’d call home base. While there for almost a year, we finished almost the full renovation of Flo, and left our last remaining place to call home for full time life on the road. This was fall 2015, and I started the concept of Blogger Campaigns. I created a plan for a specific trip and vibe, and made it public for brands to buy in to. It was so successful that we made more in one month than ever before. It was enough to cover some time traveling and to finish up some more Airstream renovations. But it was a lot of Lookbooks and content to shoot, and I got deathly sick at one point and had to push through during horrible weather to finish the work on time.

We did the road trip life for about a year, hopping from place to place, gliding down the California coast from the PNW to SoCal. It was an amazing, life changing experience that taught me so much, and made me so strong. But that’s another story. We eventually settled down in SoCal to relax after being literally homeless for so long, and based ourselves there (yes, still living out of our cute little Airstream!). I worked on the blog full time, and also depended on my Closet Sales to get us through the slow months.

Around the time when Instagram was a plentiful source of work for me, they implemented the Algorithm. Life certainly changed at that point, as it did for so many others. What was a free space to share my work and creations, and reach my loyal audience I’d built over the years, I could focus solely on the creative aspect of shooting and connecting with brands. But it became a whole different beast. These days we all know the story, so I don’t need to delve into that. But it changed they way I worked, the way one could be a blogger, and they way one had to start blogging if they’re new. It was a huge setback and we had to learn much more than what we expected, and it’s become a full time job of its own just to manage the business aspect of running an IG account. It goes so much deeper than what one might assume from a surface level of seeing bloggers. Over the past couple years I’d also taken on various interns and an assistant, which helped greatly with the workload.

I don’t think there is a straight up answer for how to be successful in blogging. It’s more about who you are and what you’re doing, and doing it at the right time. And, of course, expanding your knowledge of the business side of it. It’s not just another hobby, it’s an actual job that people typically hire professionals with a background of knowledge for. What I’ve discovered is, if you want to play, you have to first know the rules of the game. You have to be a business professional, or learn to be one. It’s more work than play, and more stress than fun. I’m not going to give you some sort of illusion to believe in. Because I’m not rich, I don’t have it all figured out, and I still have a lot to learn.

I learned as I went, which everyone does to and extent, because I had to when it all changed. But in the beginning, I certainly did not know what all I’d be doing years down the road, to keep the dream alive. It’s kind of a marathon, and you have to have endurance for each challenge and hurdle that comes at you.

Thanks to my background in all things artsy and creative, and having taught myself necessary things at a super young age, I was lucky to be prepared to do what was needed to fill all the jobs. Along with my husband Josh, who handles shooting the photography and video with me, the tech and web development, and being my partner, we cover all the jobs.

So where am I at now?

It’s grown so much that we are at capacity, and will soon be taking on a team to allow the blog to keep growing, and so we can delegate some of the workload. What allows me to keep blogging full time is how I connect with brands weekly, and take on monthly sponsored work, from Instagram posts to blog posts, etc. We also make a good chunk of our income by taking on campaign work with brands. I take the role of creative director/stylist/model/editor, and Josh shoots the photography/videography for such brands national and international, which takes place every season throughout the fashion calendar. You can now see our campaign work in the Portfolio on the blog!

I hope this gave you a better idea of how my life went in this direction. I came from very little, being broke 99% of the time and having next to no clothes to style, to becoming fully stocked in free products to run the blog, to then developing and growing to where I make my living off my blog and Instagram. All it took was creativity, a developed set of skills, and good content that I put out there since the beginning. And tons of determination, and not listening to those people who didn’t believe in me.

And, if you are reading this now, you’ll see that our brand has gone through yet another rebirth as Jetset Lust! As I’ve grown and my style & life goals have changed, I never wanted any part of what I do to be kept from growing with me. Times change and one must evolve. The blog shed it’s boho niche this past year, and now we step away completely from what we branded as the “Gypset” road trip lifestyle, to a more world traveling jet-set life. A little more luxe, a little more cultured. The new name came to me one day and I knew it was the accurate title for our new chapter. Combining our wanderlust with the yearning to jet-set across the globe, we bring you Jetset Lust.

Follow our upcoming travels, and discover what we do and how we do it! You can subscribe to get updates directly to your inbox!

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The post How I Started Blogging appeared first on Jetset Lust.

So much of Paris’s magic is found in the unplanned, spontaneous moments. Even though I had a month of photoshoots in the city, I still felt like I could never capture all the amazing things I saw. The world expanded beyond the scope of my camera and lens, and it was nearly impossible to photograph the sheer magnitude of the beauty, or the small details in my surroundings. Though my life is like a constant photoshoot in these types of situations, it’s sometimes in the unplanned and non-professional photos that I capture a more fleeting moment. To me, those photos capture a memory even better. I hoard these photos of my memories like treasure, hence why I’m obsessed with photography.

So my Paris Diaries will be made up of just those photos… random lost life snapshots that don’t fit into any one blog post or photoshoot, but deserve to be shared nonetheless. And this is only the first batch of what I could edit from my spontaneous snapshots! Some are from my iPhone, some are from my camera. And each are totally dear to me, so I hope you enjoy them too!

The post Paris Diaries appeared first on Jetset Lust.

I had a very specific change in music taste while living in Paris. The change of scenery and pace of life… I guess that’s just what this city does to you. I started revisiting old music I used to love, or new tunes that were trending on the radio in Paris. For me, now these tracks feel like a dream, remembering those Paris spring vibes all over again. They’re even sweeter now that I’m home. Hope you enjoy them too!

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The post Paris in the Spring: Playlist appeared first on Jetset Lust.

Dear Vogue, watch out.

You may have been the gatekeeper of the fashion world for decades, but some of us bloggers have been able to establish ourselves in less time than that. We are the new wave of the industry, whether you like it or not! Your authority is being challenged, as we have taken matters into our own hands. Because we love fashion just as much as you do.

Some of us bloggers hold many skills- we are models, keeping ourselves in shape and working to be the best version of ourselves we can. We are stylists, staying educated on the trends, but also declaring our own personal style, while simultaneously catering to our fans. Some of us are photographers, having honed in our skills, doing all our own shooting and editing, with expensive gear and softwares we ourselves invested in. We are computer wizards, learning how to code and design our own sites, and handle our own IT and SEO. We are public relations, making connections with brands, designers, and boutiques all over the world, creating a united network. We are a voice, establishing our writing abilities to cover many topics, sometimes stretching to the vastness of what many magazine journalists cover. We are passionate, reaching out to people and earning their interest and respect by inspiring them with what we have done, and the prospect of what we can accomplish. Bloggers are fierce, watch out!

So my dear Vogue, perhaps it’s time you realize that the fashion industry is ready to be let loose from your reigns. Because we are here to stay.

PS- I don’t borrow my clothes. People like my style so much, they borrow them from me. ??

#dearVogue #bloggersarefierce

Wearing:

Hat: Lack of Color
Top: Topshop
Silk Shorts: Band of Gypsies
Scarf: Topshop
Shoes: Ego Official Shoes

The post Dear Vogue, Watch Out appeared first on Jetset Lust.