IG Perfect

There seems to be an unspoken rule on Instagram these days, and that is, post under a common theme. The most interesting ones, not counting celebrities, do it. Their pages send a unified message, one that maybe represents who they are, if not how they want to be perceived. You could say that every post — any post at all — does this, although not with the same impact as an entire stream of beautifully captured photographs, all edited in cold blood with at least three apps (Afterlight for general tools, VSCO for filters, maybe throw in a little Fused for effects, and the Instagram’s Lux button — that sun-shaped icon that magically makes everything better — for the finishing touch).

Themes can mean anything from colors to subjects to humor, to a particular style of photography. It brings us back to what suckered us into signing up in the first place: to have a platform for thoughtful, striking images that are unlike those we see on Facebook. I get it. Every account is personal, blah, blah, blah. But if you’re vying for IG popularity, or just want a pretty homepage that you won’t get sick of or would want to delete, this is the way. Did I mention it’s also a way to regulate your own posts? If you’re inclined to posting super random things just for the sake of posting, having a theme will keep you focused on quality. Personal doesn’t have to mean mediocre or all-over-the-place, anyway.

Having said all that, here are some accounts that might inspire you to post within theme — real people with short-of-stratospheric following, but with fun to follow, pretty awesome-looking Instagram lives. How we envy them so.

Maria Brito @lifestylingnyc

Theme/personality: Art insider in stilettos

An art collector and interior designer should naturally have interesting photos, right? You’d be surprised. Many interior designers have surprisingly lackluster photos. Brito’s work is strongly influenced by art, and this shows on her page. She goes to museums, gets featured in magazines, designs clutches, hangs out with Diddy, and lets her son play with a Yayoi Kusama pumpkin. All is well with her world.

Beth Kirby @localmilk

Theme/personality: Foodie with a twist

Word of warning: photographer Beth Kirby takes pictures of her food — but before you run the other way, know that she also takes “food porn” to the next level. Her stylized montages of cooking topshots and kitchen photos are dark, desaturated, and almost ghostly. Food becomes art, and that makes for an interesting page.

Trashhand @trashhand

Theme/personality: Concrete jungle photography

Trashhand is a Chicago-based streetwear brand, but their Instagram is more about the street than the clothes, and so far it seems to be working. Focusing on street snaps that are equal parts gritty and dreamy, almost bordering on romantic, their photos will make you want to walk around your own neighborhood and explore.

Justina Blakeney @justinablakeney

Theme/personality: Bohemian rhapsody

Author and designer Justina Blakeney is all about boho. She makes portraits out of leaves and petals, loves indoor plants, and fills her home with quirky, colorful, exotic textiles. Her page is the antidote to the Kinfolk effect — you, know, where everything is white and desaturated and just way too minimal to be real.

Rachel Brathen @yoga_girl

Theme/personality: Yoga everywhere

Rachel Brathen is an international yoga teacher living in Aruba. In her photos, she marries her practice of yoga with travel, but these are not your standard asanas-on-the-beach. Her IG page will make you want to take yoga seriously, or give at least give it some serious thought. We’re talking handstands for days, backbends on a surfboard, and limbs — elegantly — thrown all over the place.

Anna Bond @annariflebond

Theme/personality: Arts and crafts ninja

Founder of a paper company and all-around arts and crafts girl Anna Bond will spark your desire for creative pursuits. She doesn’t joke around with her calligraphy and takes painting patterns seriously. As they say, she is the child who survived — a creative spirit that will make you want to be one. P.S.: She makes nail art, too.

Baelyn Elspeth @allmattersofspirit

Theme/personality: Stevie Nicks version 2.0

Why follow model Baelyn Elspeth? Because she’s living the dream as girlfriend of Brandon Boyd. Her IG handle explains all you need to know about her page: she is mystic, hippie Earth Mother and human friend of Bruce, Brandon’s French Bulldog. Oh, and yes, most of her portraits were taken by The Boyfriend.

Into the Gloss @intothegloss

Theme/personality: Professional beauty addict

Into the Gloss is still one of the most focused and cohesive makeup Instagrams out there. One look at it and you know: makeup, makeup pegs, more makeup everywhere. The layouts are clean, often on a white background, so it never looks cluttered. It really lives up to its profile description, “Beauty, from the inside.”

Johan Lolos @lebackpacker

Theme/personality: The great outdoors

Travel blogger Johan Lolos is “currently in NZ,” according to his profile. If you some day want to put “currently” before your location — because you travel so much you have to inform people that you won’t be staying long — raise your hand.