Surely you can relate…you finally decide you’re going to start sharing this little idea of yours. You open Instagram. Hit the plus sign. And then realize…
You have absolutely no idea what picture to post.
So you close Instagram and decide you’ll figure it out tomorrow…ugh!
When you’re starting something new, you probably don’t have a folder full of professional branding photos waiting for you. You may not even have a logo yet. Or a website. Or a perfectly styled workspace with a cute neon sign displaying your business name.
Good news: you don’t need any of that to start. You already have one of the best tools for creating content sitting within arm’s reach.
Your phone.
And instead of trying to create a bunch of perfectly staged “business” photos, just start documenting what you’re already doing. Here are five photos you can take this week.
1. Your Hands Doing the Thing
This might be one of my favorite ways to start because you don’t even have to put your face in the photo. What do your hands look like when you’re working on your idea?
Maybe you’re:
- Typing on your laptop
- Packaging an order
- Sketching in a notebook
- Decorating a cookie
- Working in Canva
- Holding your camera
- Making jewelry
- Writing out ideas
- Pouring a cup of coffee before sitting down to work
Prop your phone against something, use the timer and capture yourself actually doing it. Or like for the shot above, you could tape your phone above you on a light fixture or even hold it in your mouth…trust me you can find a way! It doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, it’s usually better when it isn’t.
What could you post with it?
Tell people what you’re working on. “I’ve had this idea floating around in my head for months, and today I finally sat down and started working on it.” Now you’ve got a photo AND something to say.
2. The Tools You Use
Look around you. What’s sitting there because of the thing you’re creating?
A laptop? Paint brushes? A sewing machine? Camera gear? Stacks of fabric? A notebook covered in scribbled ideas?
Don’t underestimate how interesting ordinary things can be when they’re part of a story. Instead of lining everything up perfectly, photograph your tools while you’re actually using them.
Your coffee can stay in the frame. So can the half-used sticky notes. We’re showing people what it looks like to build something.
What could you post with it?
Talk about one of the tools you’re using or something you’re learning.
“I’ve been teaching myself watercolor this week and here’s one thing I wish I’d known when I started…”
That’s another post.
3. Your Workspace, Even If It’s the Kitchen Table
Please don’t wait until you have a beautiful office to show where you work. If you’re starting your business from the corner of your bedroom, show it. Kitchen table. Show it. Coffee shop? Definitely show it. There is something incredibly relatable about seeing the beginning of something. Someday you might have the office. You might have employees. You might have shelves full of products or a studio with your name on the door.
And you’ll be really glad you have a picture of the kitchen table where it started.
Step back a little when you take this one. Let us see some of the environment around you instead of photographing everything super close.
What could you post with it?
Tell us where you’re starting.
“No fancy office over here. Just my laptop, sofa and an idea I’m finally giving a chance.”
Wouldn’t you want to know about this person?
4. A Photo of YOU
I know you knew I was eventually going to say it. If you’re building a business or personal brand, people are going to want to know the person behind it. That doesn’t mean you need professional headshots right now. And it definitely doesn’t mean standing against a blank wall with your arms crossed because apparently that’s how we prove we’re professionals.
Take a photo that actually feels like you.
Set your phone somewhere and use the timer. Work on your laptop. Walk into your favorite coffee shop. Sit outside with your notebook. Create whatever it is you’re creating. Give yourself something to do instead of staring awkwardly at your phone wondering what to do with your hands. Movement almost always feels more natural.
What could you post with it?
Introduce yourself. Not with your entire resume but say why you’re exploring this idea. “Hi, I’m Jenny. And lately I’ve been wondering what would happen if I actually gave some of these ideas in my head a chance…”
People connect with people. Let them see you.
5. The Messy Middle
This one you may never even think to consider BUT….take pictures when things aren’t finished yet. The sketches. The rejected logo. The first attempt. The pile of packaging samples. The notebook page with arrows pointing everywhere. The product that absolutely did not turn out the way you planned. We have enough finished products on the internet.
Show the becoming.
Because when someone else is sitting at home with their own idea wondering if they’re capable of doing something with it, seeing your imperfect beginning might be exactly what makes them think:
Maybe I could start too.
What could you post with it?
Say what’s not working yet.
“Attempt number three. Still not quite right, but I’m getting closer.”
That’s content too.
You Don’t Need to Create a Photoshoot. You Need to Start Noticing.
Here’s the biggest take away from this:
Your business doesn’t have to look established before you’re allowed to document it.
Actually, I think there’s something really special about documenting it before it is. You don’t need to wake up Saturday morning and announce that today is CONTENT DAY. Just start paying attention while you’re already doing the work.
When you pull out the notebook, take a picture. When you’re trying something new, prop up your phone. When the table is covered in supplies, capture it before you clean everything up. When you finally do the thing you’ve been talking yourself out of doing for six months, for goodness sake, document that moment!
You’re not just creating content. You’re creating a visual record of how your idea became something real.
Your Challenge This Week:
Don’t try to take all five photos today. Pick one, that’s it. Take the picture and share what’s happening in it. You don’t need a perfect caption. Try:
“Today I’m working on…”
“Something I’m learning as I figure this out…”
“I almost didn’t share this because…”
“Here’s what starting actually looks like today…”
Add a couple of sentences and hit post. Because the goal right now isn’t to make your business look bigger than it is. It’s to start letting people see what you’re building. And your phone is more than enough to begin.
