I’ve been getting back into the Instagram groove recently and remembered how inspiring this social platform is. As I scrolled through one day I realized how many accounts I’m following now because a friend introduced me to them and how many I’ve shared with her. Just like with my post on Snapchat recommendations, I knew I had to share all the inspiring creatives that I follow on Instagram with you!
Of course, this list doesn’t cover ALL of the inspiring creatives to follow on Instagram, because there are too many to put in one post, but it’s a great place to start if you’d like to see some of my faves.
Please keep in mind that these users are not listed in any particular order. I basically went through my Instagram account, jotted them down and am sharing them in the order that I come to them in my notes.
Artists
Paige Poppe // I mentioned Paige in my Snapchat post. She’s been pretty quiet over there recently, but has been using Instagram Stories and, of course, posting photos. I love her art so much, but I also love her work ethic and her passion for what she does!
August Wren // I love her artwork and her Insta Stories that give peeks into her process. She paints daily, so she’s the perfect inspiration for incorporating creativity into your daily life.
Shawn McCann // Shawn is an artist I’ve had the pleasure to meet. He’s such a versatile artist and documents all of his art adventures on Instagram. His artwork and a short story also appears in the short story anthology that I had a story published in back in 2015: Night Shadows.
Sam Larson // Sam is an artist whose artwork is largely inspired my nature. I fell in love with his mountain scenes, but I’ve loved everything that I’ve seen from him. He also gives glimpses of his process through videos.
Mari Orr // Mari also appeared in my Snapchat post, but I absolutely love her Instagram as well. In fact, when the Insta algorithm first changed and everyone was telling people to receive notifications when they posted, she’s the only one I actually did that for. I absolutely love her colorful art and the different series that she has. I also love that she really thinks through her captions and often works on puns to share with them. I just love that her creativity permeates everything that she puts out.
Katie Rodgers (from Paper Fashion) // Katie was also mentioned in my Snapchat post (she, along with the nagging of a friend, is the reason I signed up for Snapchat in the first place–I wanted to see all of her painting snaps). I love the little glimpses she gives into her art and her world. She sees the world in such a magical and creative way that’s so inspiring!
Catalina Garreton // Catalina is another artist that I’ve had the pleasure to meet. She was at the first mermaid convention (yes, a mermaid convention…they exist and they’re awesome!) that a friend and I attended. She’s someone who you can instantly bond with and her art is fantastic! I love having the chance to see the art that she’s creating and glimpses of where her artwork ends up on her Instagram.
HRJ Fletcher // Heather and I met in the French class from hell, but we bonded over our love of art, writing and mermaids (yep, she’s my mermaid convention friend!) and have been good friends ever since. She’s not only one of the nicest people I’ve met and the person I want to talk to when I have a creative thought brewing, she’s one of the most inspiring artists. She shares her water marbling (such an incredible art!), the other art she works on and the inspiration she seeks out in every day life on her Instagram.
Crisp // Crisp is a street artist who lives in Bogota. I was introduced to his art on the Bogota Graffiti Tour last June and was instantly drawn to it. He’s been so much fun to follow on Instagram to get peeks into his artwork and his travels through the pictures he posts and his Insta Stories.
Heather Kirtland // I also follow Heather on Snapchat, but since Instagram added it’s stories feature I mostly see her there. I love her paintings and enjoy her Insta Stories, where you get a peek into her daily life to see how she balances family, art and work.
Katie Jobling // Katie is an artist that I originally discovered on YouTube, when I spent a week watching her painting videos. I love art that draws inspiration from nature and her art is filled with animals and flowers. She also had a series of wave paintings and moon paintings back when I first started following her. When she pops up in my Insta feed I always want to pull out my paints!
Photographers
Merlin Kafka // Drool over his travel landscape photography to your heart’s content.
German Roamers // Ditto. ☝🏼
The Highland Collective // Ditto. ☝🏼
Stephanie // Stephanie is a fantastic photographer and she has one of the cutest dogs! She’s also doing Project 365 right now and is sharing her gorgeous photos on Instagram.
Forrest Mankins // I also talked about him on my Snapchat. He also travels and fills his feed with absolutely beautiful photos of mountains and lakes and all that goodness, but he also shares photos of life on the road and he currently has a set of Lightroom presets for sale. You can also follow: forrestpersonal
Esther Julee (from Local Adventurer) // I didn’t know whether to put her into my photographers category, my bloggers category, or both. She has the awesome travel blog Local Adventurer and shares stunning photos from her travels on Instagram. She also engages with those who follow her on Instagram. Whenever I comment on a photos, it leads into a discussion.
Charlotte Faraday // Charlotte is a friend from the blogging world and her photography is so, so beautiful! I also enjoy watching her Insta Stories, which frequently feature the street art she sees as she explores her new home, Montreal. I almost went to Montreal last year, but went to Ottawa instead with plans to make it to Montreal soon. Her Insta Stories have increased my desire to go!
Bloggers
Chelsea Lankford (from truelane)// I also mentioned Chelsea in my Snapchat post. She used to live in Minneapolis and while I miss seeing my city in her photos, I love seeing the photos she posts. Coffee, travel… what more could you ask for? But as with Snapchat, I think her greatest strength is in her Insta Stories. She recently did a couple “Day in the Life” stories that were so much fun to follow!
Chelsea (from Inspiration Indulgence) // I love Chelsea’s sense of style and how varied it is. She also just got a dog and… well, you know how I feel about dogs!
Helene Sula (from Helene in Between) // I think there are a lot of bloggers out there who love Helene, because of how helpful she is to the blogging community. I’ve always enjoyed her social profiles, but I love them even more now that she’s living in Germany. Follow along with her travels through her photos and her Insta Stories!
Kayla Hollatz // Kayla is another creative who I’ve had a chance to meet. She’s all about creating a community of creatives and uses her Instagram to motivate and inspire. She regularly shares a thought or asks a question that has made me think.
Erica Ligenza (from Coming Up Roses) // Travel, fashion and inspiration… there’s a little bit of everything here! She also shares motivational thoughts and is another Instagrammer that has made me think.
Crime by the Book // Abby speaks my language with book photos… simple, in real-time and not over-staged. While I also enjoy taking in the elaborate shots that are so popular in the bookstagram community, the simple shots feel real and you can’t get better than a cup of coffee and a book! Also, her recommendations are 👌🏼.
Chaucee Stillman (from Streets and Stripes) // I didn’t know whether to talk about Chaucee’s account in the photographer category or the blogger category, but I’ve been following her blog longer than I’ve followed her Insta account, so I thought I’d talk about her here. Her photography is absolutely stunning. You’ll see a lot of travel, books and dogs on her feed… so, pretty much all of my favorite things!
And if you like dogs, books and travel posts, we should be Insta friends!
Who are some of your favorite creatives to follow on Instagram?
