The Art of Unfollowing (And Other Small Rebellions)

It’s been approximately seven hours since my first post, and in that time, I’ve done three things: 1) burned my tongue on reheated coffee, 2) scrolled Instagram for way too long, and 3) had a minor epiphany.

Here’s the thing about Instagram—it’s like a highlight reel of everyone’s "perfect" life, and I’m over here with my coffee-stained notebook feeling like I’m failing at… everything. But today, I did something radical. I unfollowed a bunch of accounts that made me feel like crap. You know the ones: the influencers with flawless skin, the designers who seem to churn out masterpieces daily, the couples who post #RelationshipGoals captions under sunset pics. Poof. Gone.

And wow, the instant relief? Chef’s kiss.

It’s not that I don’t want to be inspired, but there’s a difference between inspiration and comparison spirals. My professor said something last week that stuck with me: “Your voice is in the mess, not the mirror.” (Okay, fine, she was talking about design, but it applies to life too.) My messy, imperfect, still-figuring-it-out self is valid.

So here’s my small rebellion: I’m letting myself be a work in progress. My latest sewing project? A skirt that’s lopsided. My love life? A series of "maybe next time" texts. My confidence? Some days it’s a crop top, other days it’s a hoodie. And that’s okay.

Next step: actually wearing that lopsided skirt out in public. Baby rebellions, you know?

xx Mandy

(P.S. The barista remembered my name today. Progress.)