My Instagram Story + Q & A


As promised here is my instagram story and how I got started. I thought it would be fun to have this post as a Q & A on some questions I got in the past so without further ado...

Q: How did you start Instagram?
A : I first started Instagram about 3 and a half years with my personal Instagram when Instagram wasn't as popular as it is now but shortly closed it. About a year later I opened a new account under the name the pink diary, which was actually a placeholder until I found a different username. I started browsing the popular page on Instagram and saw pictures of bloggers. I only knew one blogger at the time and that was Cupcakes and Cashmere because my friends would talk about her blog. Shortly I found there was a blogging community after googling and discovered blogs such as Song of Style, Sincerely Jules, and Atlantic Pacific. I was inspired to start my own Instagram and share items that I liked and pulled outfits together and decided to post it. Instagram was also an outlet for me to post something that was bright and happy because I was depressed and unsure of my purpose in life. I didn't think anyone would care to follow and what started as a hobby became my passion. I was motivated to post photos but wasn't consistent until about a year ago. I realized I enjoyed styling and was the happiest when curating images and pushed myself to post at least 1 photo a day that was a reflection of my style.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?
A: I get this question a lot and honestly 95% of my photos are from every day life as cliche as that sounds. I get inspiration from everywhere whether it be from pinterest to an outfit I see on a person walking by. I used to be an avid Tumbler-er but am now hooked on pinterest, but one rule of thumb is that I try not to stay on Pinterest no longer than 15 minutes and tend to not look at blogs. Why? I feel that often I compare myself and don't want the content that I produce to be an imitation of someone else's work. I feel like I lose my creativity and am just like any other blog or instagram. I try to be original and have content that sets me apart from everyone else. It took a while to find my niche but I found it through trial and error.

Q: What's the meaning behind the pink diary?
A: Honestly I don't know haha. My favorite color is pink (pastel pink) and thought that Instagram could be a platform where I could document my style and look back and see how I've evolved. There is no real explanation for it but I did change it once and got some backlash so I decided to keep it. Thank you to those that told me to not change my username!

Q: What are some of your favorite brands and do you consider yourself a girly girl?
A: This might come as a shock...but compared to what I post I don't consider myself very feminine. I consider myself a tomboy and don't like to dress up and would choose comfort over style any day. But there are days where I do want to pamper myself and dress up, but I'll pick sweats and an oversized tee any day. I wouldn't say I fit into one category because my style and taste is always evolving. I don't have a favorite brand at the moment, but I tend to buy what catches my eye rather than the brand when shopping. If I had no spending limit and could pick from any clothing brand I would choose Acne, Alexander Wang, UNIF, Supreme, One Teaspoon, Zoe Karssen, and Wildfox. I like pieces that are minimal and casual, but also represent my current style and mood. Some brands that I often buy from are Madewell, J.Crew, Top Shop, ObeyAlternative Apparel, and ASOS. Key is to buy when it's on sale! I typically don't pay full price unless I can't part with it or know it won't be there next time.

Q: Have you met any bloggers?
A: I've only met one blogger and it's because I went to her book signing a couple years back, Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere. She was really sweet and although we didn't have time to chat because of the long line she commented that she liked my outfit. I think that was the one of the moments I realized that maybe I do have style.

Q: What's the name of the watch and why do you always have 3 rings in your photos?
A: I think this is one of the top questions I get haha! The watch that's in my photos is the Nixon Small Kensington in Rose Gold. I love it because it goes with 99% of my outfits and is the perfect size, I wasn't a huge fan of wearing watches until this one. I don't really have a reason why I have 3 rings in my photos but I think it balances out the photo and three is my favorite number. But it is somewhat sentimental because I have an older sister and a younger brother and each ring represents us.


Q: Why do you never show your face?
A: This is probably another question I get asked the most and my reasoning is because I think it takes away from my photos. My photos don't require for me to show my face and to be truthful I am insecure and don't know how I would feel being judged constantly. The internet can be quite brutal and don't know how I would be able to handle it, but also partly because I do want privacy. Eventually I will show my face (perhaps this year?) and would love to meet you all personally!

Q: What's your advice on someone who just started an Instagram account?
A: Set yourself apart and be original! If you're passionate about something it will show through your photos and people will appreciate it. I'd be lying if I'm not inspired at all by other Instagram accounts, but don't blatantly copy and instead make it your own. Creativity will last longer and it's also refreshing to see something different :) It's also OK to post things you used in a previous post. For me it would be my watch, rings, and beauty items such as my YSL glossy balm and Chanel nail polish. I think there's always that pressure to constantly have something new in a photo. I think it's important to make use of what you have and know that having style doesn't mean how much something costs. Also take as many photos until you're happy with the outcome, sometimes I'll take as little as 5 or up to 200 photos until I finally post it. I was told before that my photos looked sloppy and that it was getting repetitive so I used that to get out of my comfort zone and try something different. Take constructive criticism and let it help you grow and mold you!

Q: What do you use to edit your photos?
A: This is probably the #1 question I get and the answer is really simple - good lighting! Luckily I have a lot of light coming through my window when taking photos and always take my photos in the morning. I do use apps like Afterlight, VSCO, and Instagram to adjust with the brightness and contrast. Also, having a white background helps bring out the colors and brighten the photo.

Thank you to those that read the entire thing and sorry if I bore you mid-way! Hopefully this helps you get to know me a bit personally and answers some of your questions :)

stay connected: twitter // pinterest // instagram // tumblr




Love, Sharon

14 comments

  1. Hi Sharon, interesting post. Thank you for your honesty. I really enjoy your pictures' style and mood, keep it up x

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  2. Hi Sharon, interesting post. Thank you for being so honest. I really enjoy your pictures' style and mood, keep it up x

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  3. Hi Sharon,

    Thank you for this post! It's truly inspiring reading your brut honestly. I just wanted to let you know that I'm a huge fan of your Instagram and blog. Sometimes I look to your page for some outfit inspo and creativity. Keep up the amazing work, and I think it would be awesome to "show your face!"

    -Cynthia

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  4. ks for sharing your story, loved reading this post! I've been following you on instagram for quite a while & I absolutely adore all your photographs! <3

    xx

    ALINA ERMILOVA | BLOG

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  5. What camera and lens do you use? Looking to upgrade!

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  6. Of course I read the thing all the way! I love your blog and your pictures are my favorite out of all of the other bloggers I know. What camera and lense do you use? I actually found you on instagram and your photos always brighten up my day! I really enjoyed reading this post and I hope you can post a bit more often!
    ;)

    www.travelfashionlife.com

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  7. I take my photos with my iphone 5s :)

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  8. Hello Katherine :)
    Thank you for the encouragement! It may come as a shock but I take my photos with my iphone 5s haha. I will try to post more often thank you :)

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  9. Thank you Cynthia :) This made my day!

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  10. Thank you for reading my post :)

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  11. Thank you Alina :)

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  12. I'm still at that stage of using Instagram for personal pictures! I also like being behind the camera more than in front of it :) -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

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  13. glad to know i'm not alone :)

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  14. Hi Sharon, I still started write a beauty & lifestyle blog by Vietnamese.
    I'm following your account Instagram and I love it :)
    Thank you for sharing your story and You're my inspiration :)

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