I am taking this class as I'm starting to get more serious about my classes here on Skillshare! So far, I've loved teaching on the platform, but really haven't dedicated much time to growing and engaging my community off the platform. I'm just starting my Instagram, so I'm starting from scratch (which seems good and bad).

I think flat lay photos (with helpful tips as the content) will work well on my feed. Here's an example.

Instagram Post for New Teaching Insta - image 1 - student project

I will admit it, I'm a planner. I love to make lists, cross stuff off lists, write down goals, make sub goals for those goals, then tasks for each sub goal. It's INTENSE. It can also be really helpful sometimes. Planning out what I want to accomplish in the year, the month, the week, and even the day helps me prioritize and reflect on what's important. It can also take up a lot of time and headspace when I could be creating. In other words, it's my favorite form of procrastination.

Planning isn't really something that I'll be able to just stop doing. Instead, I've learned to work with my planning nature and plan in that unstructured time that I need to be creative. I'm a person who needs long expanses of uninterrupted time in order to produce work - whether it's writing, design work, or choreography. I've learned that I can't sit around and wait for that time to come to me, I've got to proactively schedule it in, and protect it on my calendar. I go so far as to title it that, so my team knows when I'm ok to be interrupted. I have 'desk time,' which I use to work on emails or administrative tasks - that's free and encouraged to interrupt. I also have 'work time,' where I schedule in that piece of work I've wanted to do. For me, while I'm managing a team, that work time looks like two 6 - hour blocks a week. It's a time when the office chat gets turned off, the email gets closed (so I can't see it) and the dogs have both had loooonnngg walks so they are too tired to interrupt :)

How do you plan in your creative time? Let me know what strategies work (or don't work!) for you to help get that important work done!

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Another type of post I'm planning on doing is more 'lifestyle photos' of myself. This is cringe inducing for me, because I'm not super comfortable in front of the camera. I have seen these posts do well in my other Instagram (I have a different one for dance/yoga) and know that because I am really my brand/business, I have to be a little more comfortable putting myself out there. Eventually, I plan to also put photos of other creatives, as I'd like to start including stories of how others are breaking the mold, changing careers, or having creative careers. For now, I've tried a photo of myself and an 'origin story.'

Instagram Post for New Teaching Insta - image 2 - student project

A few years ago I was burned out as a creative. I had founded a dance company - choreographing, rehearsing and performing (and loving it)! But the dream creative career I thought I wanted was not so dreamy in reality. I was teaching 22 classes a week to try and make ends meet. It was destroying my body, and sucking away my creative energy. I was working while my friends and loved ones weren’t, I couldn’t travel because I’d miss classes, and I was taking performance opportunities I wasn’t excited about because I had to make it work. I loved my work - teaching and creating, but the way I was doing it wasn’t working. I thought if I could find another way to channel my creativity, that wasn’t at the expense of my sanity, I could make room in my life for teaching movement and creating work without the stress. So, after months of research and endless google searches, I taught myself how to build basic websites and started freelancing as a designer and copy writer. I slowly let go of many of the extra classes, making more time for the dance company I wanted to focus on. I took more and more freelance design work, and was able to focus energy on choreography and growing my dance company.

Eventually I took the plunge and made a full career switch to UX Design, working as a consultant, in house at big companies, and most recently, managing a large design and research team at Amazon.

I’ve been able to return to my original goal - finding flexibility and stability while pursuing a creative career. Spending my time helping others develop their creative skill set so they can find work they love is an awesome way to spend my time.

What’s driving your career change dream? Burnout? Boredom? Share below!

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The other content type that I think would work for me is spaces/places. I think it offers a peek into the type of lifestyle that many career changers are seeking (stability and flexibility), maybe being able to work from anywhere, having the energy after work to go and explore, rather than feel totally drained.

I struggle a bit with the type of caption to put here, so am thinking that an inspiration message would be best.

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Instagram Post for New Teaching Insta - image 3 - student project

Instagram Post for New Teaching Insta - image 4 - student project

“The one thing you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can. The moment that you feel that just possibly you are walking down the street naked…that’s the moment you may be starting to get it right. Neil Gaiman

I feel the most myself when I'm out exploring somewhere new - I feel playful and full of energy. Everything becomes interesting and magical and exciting. The best part is when I can bring that feeling back to my everyday. It's usually right after a trip to a new place that my creativity is at it's hight, I just want to go. make. something. Thanks Neil Gaiman for reminding us that making is about being us.

What makes you feel totally yourself?

Carlye Cunniff

Experience Designer

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