How I Fill My Instagram Feed with a Little Hope

Me, scrolling through Instagram:

I just have a lot of feelings. And when my feed is full of accounts that post heartfelt content, all of those feelings come out. All of ‘em. Just ask my husband. 

Here is how I fill my Instagram feed with a little hope:

• Good Good Good.

  • This is my number one pick for good reason! Good Good Good focuses on “real good news, not just feel-good news.” I’m all for a quick pick-me-up, but the stories highlighted here are about lasting, systemic shifts.

  • For example, this recent article, “32 Reasons Why Everything Will Be Okay,” serves up stories about conservation, equality, mental health, and turning heartbreak into action. Plus, in true Good Good Good fashion, the article peppers in some timeless quotes about hope and triumph along the way!

• Some Good News.

  • Remember this from the early pandemic days?! Jim Halpert - err, John Krasinksi started reporting on and creating good news stories, giving us joy with a side of smudgeness when we needed it most. These days, Some Good News is still capturing heartwarming stories of people doing amazing things for other humans.

• Upworthy.

  • If you haven’t heard of this one yet, check them out! It’s a fantastic go-to for uplifting clips of everyday people who remind us of the goodness we can find anywhere.

• Tabitha Brown.

  • Tab’s specialty is showing us how to make yummy vegan food that’s good for our souls and for the planet. But she is SO much more than that - she serves up wisdom, love, and encouragement whenever she feels called to do so. It brings me so much joy to see all of the things she’s creating now, and I have a feeling she’s just getting started!

• The Uncommon Creative Studio!

  • The Uncommon Creative Studio is owned by my BFF, Katie Driver, and this girl walks the talk! Everything she does is rooted in faith, creativity, authenticity, and integrity. She recently launched “The Uncommon Pep Talk” on Instagram, ensuring that friends and followers feel seen and heard, no matter what they are going through in their lives. The inspiration is contagious!

• Kate Bowler.

  • What I love about Kate is that she tells us earnestly and gently that it is simply not possible to do it all. Much like the title of one of her books states, there is “No Cure for Being Human,” and we will time and again find the limits of our agency. The stage IV cancer diagnosis Kate received at age 35 meant she was constantly inundated with data, reports, charts - math that never seemed to add up. Yet somehow, she has turned it all into art through her storytelling. Kate is piercingly honest about her own pain while continuing to be deeply compassionate and “incurably optimistic.” She is a professional academic, yet she loves to tour the most absurd things on the “World’s Largest ___” lists. I guess what I’m saying is that in some ways, Kate does seem to do it all. Or at least, she seems to do the meaningful things that her specific life has offered to her. I’m also saying that you should follow her because she’ll do a far better job explaining what she’s about. I think you’ll come to love her as much as I have!

To recap:

We can find oodles of inspiration when we look for it. I’m sharing my favorite ways to stay inspired these days, but I’d love to hear from you! Who is inspiring you lately?! Tell me all about them!