Have you ever logged onto Instagram and gone: "This is super overwhelming. I have no idea what I'm doing." or, "I have no idea what to post, there's just too many options." OR "I just want to make some new friends, but I don't know how?" - because dear reader, SAME. The internet, for as many billion users are out there in the blank void, it can be super lonely. If you've been around these parts before, you know that I'm a pretty big activist for mental health, and also trying to find ways of people to interact. Queue: The Short Collective.
There's two things to know about me:
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- I'm an ambivert
- I'm really short
I've been famously quoted previously as being the most introverted extrovert which is a title I'll gladly take upon. I like projects where you feel like you can be included whether you're a bookworm, or someone who likes to party - or both! I also like the play on being short (Like the Short Pal Project which will be launched later this year) which is where the inspo behind this project came from!
So what is The Short Collective?
The Short Collective in a nutshell is a social engagement group that allows you to be able to find new people on Instagram and Facebook. Each day, there's a new prompt posted, (really good if you're doing a 365 day project) - and you use this prompt to inspire what you post. Others who are interested in the project can find you through the hashtag #TheShortCollective, and interact with your posts.
The tagline of the project is "Collecting Short Moments, Together." - which I believe is the most easiest way to explain the project. My vision for it is that not only will you be able to meet new people, but also get to capture more of your own world, too.
Q&A
Q. Who Can Participate in The Short Collective?
A. Everyone! It is geared towards content creators (basically, if you can take a photo, or draw a picture, make a graphic etc, you're good to go!) - and will be primarily Instagram based. There's also a currently free Facebook group where you can start to interact with other people in the project, however totally not compulsory!
The prompts can also be used for BuJo or Journals, or blog posts*, or any other creative use you can think of using with them.
*It would be lovely and the nice thing to do however to link back to this page if you choose to do a blog post!
Q. Do I have to post every day?
A. Nope! However the more regularly you post, the more you'll appear in others feeds, and the more interaction you'll find on your posts (yay!)
Q. When will the months prompts be posted?
A. The prompts will be posted on here, and in the Facebook group, generally the last Sunday of the month. They'll also be posted daily on the The Short Collective Instagram page.
Q. Do I have to have a certain number of followers?
A. Nope!
Q. How do I participate?
A. It's SUPER easy. Just use the hashtag #TheShortCollective on Instagram. Follow the main page on there too (as the prompts will be uploaded daily), and for brownie points join the Facebook page. Now, admittedly, I have no way to police this, and it's an honesty system - but if you're using the hashtag - head over and like and comment on some of the other posts that are also using it. See the next post for more on this.
Q. What will I actually get out of it?
A. You'll get out what you put into it, and it's like most things in life - if there's only one person doing the work, it's not as fun as getting a group of people together to get a better results. Whilst the project is in its baby stages, it's actually the perfect time to follow the tag, and interact with other people who are doing the same prompts and posts!
The hope is that you'll find some new people to follow, make some new friends, and get inspiration for your own feed ♥
Q. Does it cost money?
A. Not at this stage, and not in the indefinite future either. I wanted to create a community that can be as inclusive as possible, and whilst it's still in the smaller stages, this seems to be entirely possible! You can always shout me a coffee if you're loving it, though!
Q. What will the prompts be like?
A. The prompts will vary as I'd like them to be able to be used for anyone ranging from our peeps doing fashion blogs, through to lifestyle, and bookstagrams and doggos! (and everything in between!)
A typical prompt will encourage you to either post a photo related to the prompt, or write it in the caption, giving flexibility on how you tackle it. The prompts themselves could be as simple as "Post a picture with the colour blue" through to "Talk about a time where someone did something nice for you, or you did someone nice for them." or, "Shout out someone you think deserves a mention!"
They're engaging prompts ♥
Q. Do I have to be a professional photographer/blogger/artist to join?
A. Absolutely not. The goal of the project is for you to be able to discover new people, but also look at pushing your own boundaries. If you're just starting out on Instagram, or just starting out in editing, or photography etc - this can be an awesome way to find inspo. If you join the Facebook group, I'll be posting up photo tips throughout the month!
Q. What's the difference between the Facebook page, Facebook group, and the Instagram page?
A. The Facebook page is the main page and will be cross posting with the Instagram page. It will also house the prompts on a daily basis, however won't be actively used for users to connect.
The Facebook group however will open up further dialogue between people, having more options to connect and chat, including a sneak peak of the next months posts, hashtag and photo tips, games/competitions etc If you're looking to make new friends, this is where you'll want to be!
The Instagram page will be there to post the daily prompts, and also be able to re-share images throughout the day from accounts helping with your exposure ♥
So this sounds cool!
I'm keen to join in The Short Collective - so what do I do now?
The best way to do this is to:
- Like the Facebook Page
- Join the Facebook Group
- Follow the Instagram Page
- Watch me on Twitter as I'll post the first month of prompts in the next few days
and on the 1st of September, get ready to start posting! ♥
If you have any questions, please list them below, or send me a message on Twitter! I hope to see you soon!
