Do you ever feel stuck when you are trying to write your caption on Instagram?
Yeah, me too.
Sometimes the inspiration flows, sometimes itâs stuck.
No matter how hard I try to write down something, it just doesnât feel right. It feels forced, it feels⊠not âmeâ.
I know my caption is âthe oneâ when something simple magically happens: I write like I speak.
This, my friend, is my first tip to you: write like you speak.
But the thing is, we are always on-the-go. Always scrolling. Always reading other peopleâs captions. All these can be âdistractionsâ. They can pull us away from our own voice – which is the one you want to use to write your amazing captions.
Do you want to know what I do to find my own voice again?
Here are my 10 tricks to help you feel yourself again in those moments when youâre just stuck and you want your thoughts to flow naturally:
Also read: 13 Creative Instagram Caption ideas
1. Imagine you are talking to your friends
Imagine you are talking to your friend face-to-face. Or imagine you are texting your friend and you want to tell him or her this amazing story. What would you say to him or her?
How would you describe the photo or moment to your friend?
2. Write your captions in advance
I donât like freaking out about what to write just before I post on Instagram.
So this is what I do: I use Preview to plan my Instagram feed in advance.
I set a time and a day to plan my Instagram in Preview. This day is my âPreview dayâ. Itâs like a date with my Preview app. Having this date puts me in a very creative âInstagramâ mood.
I know when the day is coming so I get super excited. My âPreview dayâ allows me create my Instagram on my own terms, in my own time, at my own pace. And I always look forward to it.
Writing captions in advance:
- Removes the pressure of coming up with something on the day of posting, and
- Allows me to write down some of my thoughts and come back to it later
But sometimes, I just donât know what to write. I freeze. When that happens, this is what I do:
3. Take a break
I know, I know. You might not like this tip, but trust me: take a break. Donât stress yourself out over an Instagram caption. Today might not be the day to write an Instagram caption. Take a break, and come back later.
4. Read your old captions that you really like to find your voice again
Get inspired by your own Instagram captions. Find a caption you wrote that you really like. Read it again. It might help you find your voice again.
5. Read an inspirational caption or blog post
Is there someone who inspires you ? Go in their Instagram captions or on their blog and start reading. Sometimes reading someone elseâs story will inspire you to write your own, using your own words.
6. Start writing in your notes, for fun, like youâre talking to your personal journal
I do this a lot. When Iâm completely stuck, I just start writing. I donât start with an introduction or a goal. I just write whatâs on my mind. Sometimes it is not even directly related to the post. I write what I am thinking about at that time and guess what? It gets the creative juice flowing again! Once I get the creative juice flowing, I milk it (lol). I take full advantage of it and I start writing my captions.
Give it a try next time you are stuck too. Just start writing somewhere, like in your Notes or your Preview app.
7. Look at your photo carefully and relive your emotions from that moment
Another trick is to immerse yourself in your photo. What can you see? What can you feel? What is the story behind the photo? Is there something that stands out in your photo that will make a fun story or quote?
8 . Donât be hard on yourself, not all your captions have to be a masterpiece
If inspiration doesnât strike and you want to post, donât stress out. Itâs ok if your caption doesn’t sound like you want it to be. Most of the time, people will not even notice it. Your words will resonate with them.
Remember, Instagramming is not about perfection but connection. I have learned that posting on Instagram even if my caption is not âperfectâ is still better than not posting at all for days and weeks. People are happy to keep in touch and connect at any time – even if you think your caption sucks.
9. When inspiration strikes, write down all your thoughts
Boom! All of a sudden, out of nowhere, you might feel inspired to write a bunch of captions. It flows, you feel good about it, youâre having fun.
Take advantage of this moment and write down all your thoughts. It doesnât have to be super organized. Open your Notes app or your Preview app and start writing your captions.
10. Write your thoughts as soon as you take the photo
Usually when you take a photo, you are in the moment. You see thing, smell things, hear things, experience things. Notice these âthingsâ and remember them. If you can, write them down straight away. Otherwise, wait to be home or wait for the end of the day. These âthingsâ are part of the story you can write in your caption.
Thatât it!
I really hope you found these tips useful. Do you have any other tips? What helps you feel inspired again?
Until next time, see you on Instagram or around our Instagram blog.
