Do you watch Instagram Stories? They’ve become my guilty pleasure. Every night, I devour them like I’m watching reality TV. Here’s my #1 favorite…
For those who don’t know what Instagram stories are: You’ll see them when you tap on a person’s Instagram profile photo. They’re collections of short videos and photos that disappear after 24 hours. (FYI, you can view Instagram Stories only in the Instagram app, not in a browser.)
My current favorite Stories are from The Home Edit by Clea and Joanna, two professional home organizers based in Nashville. They’re hilarious, endearing and neurotic. While Instagram photos can be so idealized, Stories are more raw and fleeting. I can’t stop watching them.
This is their typical glossy Instagram photo.
And here’s a still from today’s Instagram Story. Clea is describing how she gives her friends, family and employees the exact Pantone color of the coffee-milk combination she prefers, so they can get her order just right. Joanna is making fun of her for being high-maintenance. I’ve watched so many of these episodes that they feel like my friends, and I start laughing before they even begin talking. They often discuss the calming rituals they do on flights (“I’d rather be in labor than on a plane,” Joanna recently admitted), how they freaked out when they got to organize Gwyneth Paltrow’s pantry, and their Container Store obsession.
You have to find your people on Stories — some people do confessionals, some do live commentary during TV shows, some reveal the behind-the-scenes at work, some show their babies slow-blinking to sleep. They can be hugely compelling. A few that we love in the office: Jenny Komenda (interior decorating and musing), Chad Jamian (his garden, his cat and general LA funniness) and Hillary Kerr (fashion and anxiety).
What about you? Do you follow anyone on Instagram Stories? Do you publish your own? Are you really into them, too?
P.S. 8 cool Instagram feeds, and a funny (daring) guy.