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Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPhowicreate

Weekend Hashtag Project is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram’s Community Team. For a chance to be featured on the Instagram blog, follow @instagram and look for a post every week announcing the latest project.

Weekend Hashtag Project: #WHPhowicreate The goal this weekend is to make photos and videos documenting your creative process — the why, the when and even the deeper question of how. San Francisco-based architect Dan Hogman @danhogman tackles these questions during his sketching work: “Architecture brings a sense of stability and timelessness,” he says. “Before you get into the discussion on what it means or how it functions, a basic question is always current — how to represent it? How to capture the essence in just a few strokes, whether it’s a single structure or a citywide scene,” says Dan, who makes daily drawings of settings and buildings that inspire him. Here’s how to get started on your own submission this weekend:

  • Document what happens when you sit down at the literal (or figurative) drawing board. When you put pen to paper — or brush to canvas — show what emerges, and how.
  • Try exploring beyond what you might consider a typical creative process. How does a child line up her crayons? A bike repairman lay out his tools? Take note of the not-so-obvious creativity happening around you.
  • Experiment with different ways of capturing a creative process — like a Hyperlapse of a mural coming to life or a Boomerang of an artist at work in her studio.

PROJECT RULES: Please add the #WHPhowicreate hashtag only to photos and videos taken over this weekend and only submit your own visuals to the project. If you include music in your video submissions, please only use music to which you own the rights. Any tagged photo or video taken over the weekend is eligible to be featured next week.

weekend hashtag project, howicreate, video, photography, instagram,

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The Power of Community and Storytelling: Meet Amos Mac

March 31 is International Trans Day of Visibility. Join others in celebrating by sharing your #KindComments — empowering comments that uplift you and others in the trans community.

“I found confidence from community,” says Los Angeles-based photographer and writer Amos Mac (@amosmac). “When I was a younger person, I couldn’t anticipate what my life would look like, because I didn’t know what a trans experience was. I didn’t see myself reflected in the media. I didn’t know that there was a name for what I was feeling as a kid about my gender, so it was hard for me to visualize what adulthood would be.”

In 2009, Amos, along with Rocco Kayiatos (pictured), launched Original Plumbing, a magazine for trans stories, as told by trans men. By broadening the representation of the community, Amos instills confidence in others. “I continue to be humbled by the kind words I hear from people who tell me they’ve seen a little bit of themselves in my work, and how it’s made them feel less alone, or encouraged to live authentically.”

instagram, original plumbing, Rocco Kayiatos, Amos Mac, transgender, trans, LGBT, international trans day of visibility, kindcomments, photography,

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Creating Space for Goddesses Around the World with NORBLACK NORWHITE

This post is in celebration of Women’s History Month. Throughout March, we’ll be highlighting the stories of women doing extraordinary things around the world.

“We’ve had many moments of extreme frustration through rude peers, disrespectful landlords and ridiculous bankers who have asked where our ‘daddy’ is during business meetings,” says Mriga Kapadiya, one-half of NORBLACK NORWHITE (@norblacknorwhite), a female-owned business based in Delhi, India, on a mission to celebrate indigenous art and immigrant culture through handcrafted textiles. “It’s important to identify and contribute to making sure evolution doesn’t simply mean working towards colonial ideas of greatness and success, including the mass manufacturing of everything,” explains Mriga. “We wish to work with communities around the world, but we will always be committed to promoting Indian artistry.”

Despite the daily challenges, Mriga and her business partner Amrit Kumar are lit up by their female peers. “We are all coming together in such a meaningful type of sisterhood. It makes our hearts explode,” says Mriga. “We are super excited to keep creating, building and creating space for the goddesses around the world.”

photography, Delhi, India, smb, fashion, norblacknorwhite, WomensHistoryMonth, instagram,

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Home Is Where the ‘Sole’ Is for Documentary Filmmaker Idil Ibrahim

To see more from Idil, follow @i_am_idil on Instagram.

“I was born in California, but had a nomadic existence growing up. I find it reflective of my Somali background and ancestry. I find I keep moving, myself. As I once heard someone say, ‘Home is where my sole is.’ That statement resonates with me because my family is a mixture of immigrants and refugees — many of whom were displaced when the conflict in Somalia began in the early ‘90s. They are now sprinkled all over the globe — throughout the United States, Europe and all over Africa. Therefore, I have many homes, for which I am grateful.

There is a famine unfolding in Somalia right now, among other countries. Close to 20 million people in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria are threatened. When you live beyond borders, it hits close to home.” —Idil Ibrahim (@i_am_idil), documentary filmmaker #whereIcomefrom

photography, famine, Somalia, whereIcomefrom, immigrant, refugee, Idil Ibrahim, instagram,

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Curves Ahead: Nadia Aboulhosn Designs Clothes That Show Off Her Shape

This post is in celebration of Women’s History Month. Throughout March, we’ll be highlighting the stories of women doing extraordinary things around the world.

Crop top, bodysuit, skinny jeans — Nadia Aboulhosn (@nadiaaboulhosn) wears any little thing she pleases, keyword “little.” “People try to shame me with, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t be wearing that,’” says the 28-year-old Los Angeles-based blogger, model and fashion designer. “I’m not gonna feel guilty because someone feels uncomfortable.” Half-Lebanese, Nadia grew up surrounded by women happy with their shapely hips, yet she soon realized there was a dearth of cute clothing choices for them. Instead of shrouding their curves, she thought, why not flaunt them? “When I started blogging in 2010, there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me in the fashion industry — 5’3” [1.6 meters] and thicker, with bigger eyebrows,” she explains. “I’ve helped normalize girls of all sizes to be able to wear whatever they want and be unapologetic for it. Your life isn’t for them. It’s for you.”

photography, fashion, WomensHistoryMonth, Nadia Aboulhosn, body image, instagram,

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Portraits of ‘People In Between’ By Narisa Ladak

This post is in celebration of Women’s History Month. Throughout March, we’ll be highlighting the stories of women doing extraordinary things around the world.

It was the everyday, vibrant diversity that brought photographer Narisa Ladak (@nooristan) to Harlem, New York. “There’s so much to learn just by eating at restaurants and listening to music,” says Narisa. “It’s cultivated here. You can learn by walking down the street and paying attention.” Narisa self-identifies as South Asian, but her background extends globally: She was born in Canada, her parents in Tanzania and her grandfather in India. Her own family’s diversity helped to draw her lens toward minorities and immigrants — “people in between, like me” — when her previous work in marketing took her to live in Kabul, Afghanistan. “In taking a picture of someone, they’re trusting you, and you’re building a relationship with them,” she says. “I believe in the power of human connection.” Narisa now lives in Harlem, and brings that to life in a recent photography project where she documents Congolese musicians in her neighborhood: “There’s something about live music that brings people together. It has a universal nature no matter what language you speak.”

photography, Harlem, Congolese, documentary, music, diversity, portrait, WomensHistoryMonth, Narisa Ladak, instagram,

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Snacks and Sculptures: Visual Artist Lilian Martinez Is Inspired by Paul Cézanne and Cheese Plates

This feature is part of #MadeToCreate, a series highlighting our community of entrepreneurs, makers and artisans on Instagram.

Lilian Martinez’s (@bfgf) playful tapestries aren’t just modern-day, digitally printed cave drawings — they do double duty as throw blankets you can wrap up in or picnic on. “Art wasn’t very prominent in my childhood. My main interests were eating snacks and watching TV,” says the Los Angeles-based artist behind the unisex art brand BFGF (Boyfren Girlfren). While she does paint canvases and show in galleries, things took off when she removed her art from the wall and transferred it onto fun, functional home goods and clothes like pillows, rugs and sweatshirts. Lilian does love famous artists like Paul Cézanne and Henry Moore, but she’s just as inspired by a good Stilton cheese and some fruit as she is by sculptures. “Art is everywhere,” says Lilian. “Take time to explore. It will make you feel good!”

photography, bfgf, tapestries, textile, art, MadeToCreate, smb, Paul Cézanne, Henry Moore, Lilian Martinez, instagram,

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Worldwide InstaMeet 15 #WWIM15❤️

This past weekend, tens of thousands of people around the world joined together to shared, explore and celebrate #WWIM15❤️ while spreading this InstaMeet’s theme: kindness. We’re featuring some of our favorite moments from the weekend, and be sure to check out the rest here.

weekend hashtag project, wwim15❤️, video, photography, instagram,

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Superheroes and Spiderwebs with Actor Tom Holland

To see more from Tom, follow @tomholland2013 on Instagram.

Actor Tom Holland (@tomholland2013) found out he was Spider-Man on Instagram. “Marvel had posted a photo and said, ‘Go to our website to find out who the next Spider-Man is!’” says 20-year-old Tom, who grew up in London. “I rushed to my computer, and lucky old me, it said my name. I went absolutely crazy.” With one film as Spider-Man under his belt and a second, Spider-Man: Homecoming (@spidermanmovie), coming out this summer, Tom adapted to his role and the physical training it demands, from freerunning to gymnastics — anyone who frequents his account is familiar with Tom’s signature backflips. But his favorite part about being Spider-Man is meeting kids while dressed as the superhero. “It’s such a joyous experience to see how happy it makes them to meet the real-life Spider-Man,” he says.

photography, Tom Holland, Marvel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man Homecoming, CinemaCon, instagram,