Category: Creating

I never imagined that my marriage prospects would be so complicated because of building a life around Instagram. I am a 27-year-old, living in chennai, managing collaborations, creating content every day, and caught up with life so much around social media, that now when my relatives ask me “when do you plan to get married?” I dread my life. Everything in my life probably looks perfect for someone who wants to start out as an influencer, travelling, fashion, brand recognition, follower base, etc., but what they dont see is behind all these filters and content lies a constantly confused soul. Now that I have a well-sorted after career, my only worry isn’t about marriage, it’s about who I am supposed to marry. As a Mudaliyar community member, caste has always played a significant role and is a constant conversation you can’t avoid. Although it’s not very openly acknowledged, my parents do hope that I find someone from my caste and “settle down”. They are still in the process of accepting that I have a very well-established online presence and that when I marry, I want to continue to pursue this. It’s a hefty task to find somebody willing to accept that their better half will be online constantly and consider this a primary job.

They even suggested I register on mudaliyarkannalam.com, a matrimonial site dedicated to our community. And while I understand where they’re coming from, I can’t help but feel a little boxed in.

Dont get me wrong, I’m not against traditions or cultures, I love where we come from, I’m well-versed with all of our rituals. I speak fluent Tamil and celebrate Pongal with my family every year; I even draw the attention of my followers to these customs and traditions. But that being said, I dont understand the concept of love must happen within the caste, it’s hard to digest for me. What is the person I connect with who isn’t a Mudaliyar? Or what if the person who respects me, understands my career, and supports it, is from another background? These questions have haunted me for quite some time.

Many people would say that dating is a great option to figure out who is compatible with me and understands my life. But as a public figure, it’s hard to date or even go out to meet someone for a coffee chat. People notice a lot, why I went out, who I go with, even when I dont post. Although my work is about my life, I think it’s necessary to draw boundaries around it. And if I share too much, it’s gossip for people. If I stay quiet, people have the space to assume things. Either way, I’m always the one in trouble in such situations, so I make sure to remain neutral. And on top of that, if we add the caste expectations, the pressure is definitely unbearable.

And for influencers who are women, like me, there’s always an unsaid rule that you should avoid few content after marriage, not to post bold pictures, or not to outshine your husband. The worst part is, they dont even appreciate it if you earn more than your husband, which is ridiculous. All of the efforts that I put in for so long, just for it to be avoided later, that’s not something I look forward to.

I know that I’m not alone here, I’m pretty sure many young women like me are every day fighting the world to balance personal ambitions and family expectations, it’s not an easy task. It’s about identity, freedom, the future we want to have, not just the marriage part. There are days I just want to give in to my parents’ expectations, maybe I’d find someone decent on a site like mudaliyarkannalam.com and settle down quietly. Other days, I feel, its better to look for someone who genuinely gets me, forget the damn caste.

Maybe I’ll figure it out eventually. For now, I’m still creating, still growing—and still hoping that when the time comes, I won’t have to choose between love and being myself.

Let’s face it,

Creating and posting daily on Instagram is like a year-round self-imposed group project on steroids. You’re the planner, editor, writer, on-screen talent, creative director, and sometimes even coffee runner. I do enjoy creating content, but there was a time when I spent more time trying to figure out what to post than posting.

To combat burnout, I chose to take action and do something fun.

Gone are the days when I would create a reel 10 minutes before posting, edit on a 4% battery, and eat in between drafts. But now, I batch everything out in 2–3 days and hang out the rest of the week.

Here’s how I batch-create content and stay sane while doing it:

Begin with a brain dump, not a creative brief

Every Sunday, I go to my Notion page, “chaotic ideas at 2 a.m.,” and dump. There is no strategy, and you don’t need to be an artist or designer to do this; sometimes, just showing up is enough.

Group & theme your content

Once the crazy is out, I slam them into these three buckets.

• Relatable reels creator
• Helpful stuff (tools I use, growth hacks, behind-the-scenes)
• Personal/feel-good (examples, stories, book recommendations, inspirational carousels)

This structure helps me ensure that I’m not scrambling and posting for the sake of posting. I’m crafting a cohesive narrative from day to day throughout the week.

Batch Create — make it flexible

Batch Creating can create a lot; it can be the highest-possible-impact way.

Day 1 – Shoot day: Hair/makeup/wardrobe, lighting, stand setup, audio check, lip-sync practice, and going through TikTok trends.

Day 2 – Edit + caption + schedule day CapCut + Notion + Preview App = content creator power trio.

What’s living up my life right now: getting 3–4 reels filmed in a row when my hair is still done. There’s no need to jump around state to state or race the sun across the country daily.

Leave room for random creativity

Batching may sound robotic, but it’s not. It’s about having freedom and time for yourself. Sometimes, I am guilty of following the trends and following what others do just to be on the loop, but in the long run, it never works. It only reduces your credibility. So leave some room for the creative side of you to pop, now and then, so that it looks realistic.

Batching takes care of that foundation, and then I can add spontaneity when I choose to.

Take time to look back

Every Sunday night, I reflect:

So what was successful this week?

What failed and for what reason? Was I happy while producing it?

I adjust if it starts to feel like a work-for-hire gig that I need to go through because I’d much rather build at a slower pace and enjoy myself than fizzle out in a quest for perfection.

And most importantly-

You can batch evergreen content and still be that spontaneous, in-the-moment content creator. Surprise, surprise—authenticity isn’t the opposite of planning ahead. It’s about making room for happiness.

Your turn: Have you ever worked in batches with your content? Or are you more of a “post-what-I-think” type of content creator?

Until next time, batch smart, sleep smarter.

Hello there!

Whether you’re looking to expand your storytelling skills to include more visual mediums or just want to get a better sense overall of how to move through this timely transition to hybrid and virtual formats, our new track is designed for you. The built environment at this scale invites us all to create interventions that elevate, connect, heal, and flourish. influencer 101

You might be reading this blog post right now on Instagram, soaking up all the free education reels, and at some moment in time, you’ve wished I want to create content online. You are in the right place.

I was just like you, a person who started with no knowledge, a few followers, a phone, and a dream to put out something tangible, relevant, and a little drama.

Who qualifies as a “content creator”?

It feels a lot like being a one-person band with your own brand, because you create all the content in-house, everything from video to photography to copy to memes, stories, everything. It may be a fashion transition or a funny, relatable reel.

But a big part is more than just going viral daily or looking pretty.

You need to be consistent in what you do. Use your imagination and be as creative as possible to tell your story. Be real and speak the facts.

Is this an actual career?

Many people will say no, this isn’t a full-time career, and it cannot give you as much as any job would. But I say, yes, it is, and I will state the reasons why it is sometimes better than a full-time job-

You learn fundamental skills by applying them practically here

Writing captions improves your communication. Designing posts boosts creativity. Talking to a camera is all about confidence

Build a personal brand

Finding the right frequency of posting that works with your schedule and capabilities will help you be recognized as that unique voice that people want to listen to. This is personal branding, or how your presence is affected online.

Making a profit

We have these brand collaborations, or you could sell your own merchandise, create your own courses, become an affiliate marketer, and do many other things. There are endless opportunities, provided that you learn how to make the most of them.

Work at your own pace for quite some time

You do have control over who you collaborate with and how extensively you decide to collaborate. You’ll have lots of flexibility to make your own choices. As terrible as it sounds at first, the reality is that it’s less stressful than a nine-to-five job.

So, how do you get going?

1. Establish your overall theme right from the start.
2. Avoid chasing trends and leaning too hard into the new thing; instead, lean into where your energy is.
3. You don’t need a team or a DSLR. Your smartphone and natural daylight are plenty.
4. Post regularly. Even just once or twice a week is amazing in the long run.

That’s ultimately why I got into content creation—to create change, empower and uplift others, and educate in the process. I was so enamored with the idea of folks employing creativity to create something from absolutely nothing. And now it has turned into a space where I surprise them, make them think twice, and evoke an emotion.

So if you’re reading this and you happen to be one of those people who’ve been hoping for a “sign” that it’s time to begin your creator journey, this is it!!