I’ve enjoyed a few art museums in my day. Been to 3 of the most famous in the world actually – Louvre, Madrid’s el Prado and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. And I could probably add another 50 little ones to that when you count every church and every historic place I’ve entered in my travels. But I admit, I am not a huge art lover. I can appreciate someone’s effort, maybe even their intent if someone can explain it to me. I love a good backstory. I don’t do well with the whole interpretation thing though.
That’s why Instagram is so perfect for me. Most people caption their art in some way so I get context. With the context and the work of art together I get a story. I’ve found myself following the most unexpected people just because I am seeing the world through their eyes. It’s out of character for me, it’s so random and beautiful. Now, I realize opening Instagram is like walking into a museum of art for the whole world.
If I were lying on a leather couch, one might postulate that I’ve found myself at a particularly creative phase of my life, where I am finally letting myself be me. Or, it could just be that I miss our travels and walking in another’s shoes for a few days. I find myself exploring hashtags more and more, wandering further away from my circle of friends and my known topics, and peeking over someone’s digital fence, to see what their idea of art and life is. I think this scares some people. I don’t want to be a lurker or a weirdo. I have never really used social media for this before. It’s truly a new world with a new kind of sharing.
Reality is I’ve been an Instagrammer maybe a little more than a year now and I am just coming to really appreciate the true value. Accounts are private for a reason, I get that, too. I just wish that it wasn’t a security concern and that people could feel comfortable sharing their works of art with us all. There is so much to see and learn. I hate to think what I am missing!
OK With Change 