7 Amazing Instagram Projects That Will Inspire You to Create
I’m going to make more art! Do more yoga! Read more books! Finally do that rewarding and worthwhile thing that’s constantly on my backburner! But first, there’s a new Netflix series …
Such is the internal monologue so many of us struggle with daily. It’s easy to let these sorts of vows slip when you’re the only one who hears them. But declaring them before friends, family, colleagues—or followers—well that’s a different story. That dose of accountability is one reason we love Instagram challenges: they help keep us motivated to open that sketchbook, pick up that guitar, or explore that nature trail by inviting us to share. But even for those not participating, Instagram challenges can plant seeds of inspiration in an otherwise tired social feed and prompt new ways of thinking and seeing. From studies on type and color to challenges aimed at discovering and sharing worthwhile reads, here are the Instagram projects lighting up our feed and inspiring us to strike up the courage to create and share.
#The100DaysProject
#The100DaysProject is the brainchild of artist and author Elle Luna and writer and community-builder extraordinaire Lindsay Jean Thomson. The goal is to inspire and motivate makers from all walks to heed their muses and create art daily. Participants choose an action and unique hashtag to share their project on Instagram, and receive weekly prompts to get their creative juices flowing. The results are inspiring! Not only has following the project introduced us to new artists, designers, writers, and brands, but the 100-day commitment itself shows how a daily creative practice plus a supportive community can help you resist creativity-killing perfectionism and form a habit. Here are a few of our favorite participants:
#100DaysOfFeministAds
Los Angeles-based copywriter Eileen Matthews is creating 100 feminist ads for iconic brands. Clever spins on slogans and timely references show just how effective inclusive, feminist values can be in advertising. We hope she has 100 job offers by the end. Follow her project at @feministads or #100daysoffeministads.
#100daysofthemoon comes from Adobe Express’s own content design lead, Amanda Fetterly, who’s pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in Adobe Express Post with her nightly cosmic meditations. Not only do her celestial creations remind us to moon gaze each night, but she’s showing what awesomeness can come from thinking differently about text elements. Her designs often feature text in surprising ways, like using layered periods to create a crescent moon shape or text cutouts to reveal lunar images behind it. She also relies on Magic Layout to create collages and layers that add beautiful texture to her designs. And as Amanda points out, the project has helped her tap into the courage it takes to put your work out there:
Creating comes naturally to me, but as an introvert, sharing is a stretch. The challenge has been a great way to build a new habit, and to deeply empathize with the emotional courage required to share ideas visually—something we are encouraging the Adobe Express Community to do all the time.
#100daysofcolor comes from self-described “book person” Katie Zanecchia, who launched her project with the handy explainer: “100 days of exploring NYC chromatically.” So far, she’s moved through red, orange, yellow, and green, turning her page into a rainbow homage to New York City. We’ll be blue to see this end.
Pro-Tip: Take a page out of Katie’s book and try creating color cohesion on your page by thinking of your Instagram posts in groups of threes. When your individual posts connect to each other, you incentivize followers to spend more time interacting with your page and hashtags.
This whimsical study on typography comes from U.K.-based shop hello DODO, which specializes in prints, patches, and pins (and more!) designed to make you smile. We have no doubt that their project #100daysoftypographyfun will do the same. We especially love this challenge because it showcases the personality fonts can bring to designs. The clever images marry font, type, color, icons and even movement, showing that when message and type align, visual communication shines!
#EcoYogaSummer
In this weekly photo challenge from L.A.-based yogi Leeza Yurchenko, participants submit a photo of themselves in a yoga pose of their choosing around a particular theme. The challenge aims to raise awareness not only about yoga, but also ecologically friendly products and companies. With a handful of key eco-conscious sponsors, this challenge appears to be a win-win model for aspiring Instagram influencers and for brands looking to get their name in front of key audiences.
#LetteringChallengeAccepted
Love typography, but itching for some creative time away from the screen? This challenge may be for you. It invites participants to submit hand-lettered projects featuring their favorite quote from the popular TV shows listed. Mayon-egg, anyone?
#ReadWomenMonth
Challenges aren’t just about creating art—they can also be a discovery engine and space to share ideas in visual ways. For instance, the idea behind this fun, literary challenge conceived by blogger Stasia, is to read, share, and celebrate women authors. For every day of June, Stasia has given participants prompts as guides for what photos to post, and what books to revisit on their shelf or seek out in shops.
Looking for your own challenge to reinvigorate your feed? Check out our own #FeedGoals challenge for 31 Instagram prompts to get you started.