My background is in fine arts, and I always dreamt of being my own boss… Originally, I started making handmade necklaces for the characters in my performance art videos to wear. To this day, the ethos of the brand revolves around the marriage of art, design and fashion.

It’s an abundant platform for self expression. I’ve found so many amazing and talented creatives through this platform, so it felt like a natural next step to post my work on it. Much of my artistic practice revolves around self reflection and involves a very internal relationship between myself and my work. Posting on Instagram is so fun because it’s completely the opposite of my process. Once posted, people from all over the world can see my work and react to it. Every time I share my work, I view it as a “mini-critique.”

To me, this means endless possibilities. I’m eternally grateful that my work resonates with others, and that’s something you can never plan for as an artist. Sometimes I feel as though Beepy Bella is “hacking” the system or certain aspects of the fashion industry. I love the contrast between innately selling in a commercial market but personally embodying a playful mindset that intentionally disrupts it for the sake of art. It’s constantly challenging and keeps my mind running with ideas on how to evolve.

Instagram feels limitless when it comes to finding inspiration. I use this app in many different ways, such as collaborating with cool illustrators or emerging 3D graphic artists and meeting new creative friends who founded their own thriving fashion brands. The Beepy Bella collaboration with Lirika Matoshi derives from my heartfelt and beautiful friendship with Lirika herself, who originally reached out to me via DM to meet for coffee. It’s incredible to watch other artists uplift and inspire each other on this platform.

When I make my images or videos for Instagram, I always think about the viewer’s perception from their phone or device. My work mainly plays with surrealism and evoking the subconscious through hypnotic visuals. It’s a form of therapy for me. I’m looking for emotional impact when I share my work on social media. If it’s meaningful to even just one other person in the world, then I feel like I made a successful piece of art.

Definitely DMing with certain celebrities has surprised me. My follower count is pretty modest in comparison, so I think it’s really special that we can have genuine and meaningful conversations that would potentially never take place otherwise.

In one word, it’s the vulnerability. I can make something in real time and share it with my followers. I feel like I am always in direct conversation with my audience. What I’m feeling, they’ll know. As a brand, I believe that leads to transparency, and subsequently, a trust, between my audience and Beepy Bella. We have cultivated a form of friendship, because they know me in a very thorough and unprecedented way through my work.

Pretty much world domination.

Looking to learn more about how Instagram can help you push your brand’s creativity? Browse our Instagram for Business blog for more inspiration, and learn from more businesses that were born on Instagram: Megababe, Estilo 4 Olhos, PRICK, The Editorial Nail and Dowel Jones.