The photo that broke the internet.

I shared a photo of my new coffee mug and Substack went wild for it. Here's what it made me realise about social media and people, in general...

Me and my mug, in my parents’ kitchen. Photograph by my son. NOT the photograph the broke the internet. That’s coming shortly.

I don’t like shopping.

I rarely buy clothes and if I do, it will be a very quick online purchase.

In fact, I’ve developed a capsule wardrobe not just for ease of getting dressed but also, because it then limits the time I have to spend looking at clothes.

Now, I wear only beige, cream, white and black. I rarely veer outside of these parameters and the simplicity of it makes me feel calm.

However, I have a 10-year-old daughter who loves shopping. Browsing, picking up ornaments, trying on clothes.

And so for her birthday, I took her into town and we went to buy her a pair of trainers and some summer clothes. She was walking around slowly, taking it all in.

I tried to stay upbeat but I was like those men you see trailing after their girlfriends: he wants to make her happy; shopping makes her happy; shopping does not make him happy; I am him.

At one point, I had to apologise for my lack of enthusiasm. I was starting to ruin the trip into town by asking far too often: ok, are you done here? Shall we move on?

And so a few weeks later, when my daughter had a £15 voucher to spend in Oliver Bonas, I decided that not only would I go with her but that I’d be really patient.

So we went in and as she spent (what felt like) a long time picking up shiny purses and comparing them and wandering around, I stayed calm.

I probably looked a bit awkward to the shop assistants, because I didn’t know where to stand, or where to put my hands.

(I worry they’ll think I’m stealing if my hands are in my pockets.)

I was patiently but awkwardly loitering.

Until something caught my eye. It was a mug. A beautiful, creative-looking paint-splattered mug. I went to look at it. I picked it up and felt the weight in my palm.

It was perfect.

My mug. And the photo that broke the internet.

I decided to treat myself to this mug.

You see, since January, I’ve been living at my parents’ house in London and using their white mugs for my morning coffee.

There’s nothing wrong with their mugs but the mug I’d usually use, which is in my old house, in Somerset, is special to me.

It was from TK Maxx, in the sale, and it’s wonderful.

It’s like a small bowl, with a black and white design, and it’s the perfect weight and size and the rim is thick-but-not-too-thick and I enjoy it every single morning.

Well, I did. Until I moved to London. And since then, I’ve been mindlessly drinking coffee from any old mug.

So buying the colourful mug from Oliver Bonas was my way of saying: it’s time I had a special mug for my morning coffee. I deserve this.

I took it home, unwrapped it and showed my sons and my mum.

My mum was politely enthusiastic; my sons didn’t give a fuck.

The next morning, I got up at 6am, as I do every morning, and made an Azera instant coffee in my new mug.

I took a photo (the one above) and shared it on Substack.

I thought: no one will care about my new mug but it’s bringing me such joy and pleasure, so I’m going to share it anyway.

Usually, on the Notes section on Substack (the feed for quick thoughts) people just talk about Substack and how many new subscribers they have.

So a photo of my coffee mug wasn’t very in-keeping.

But suddenly, all these people started ‘liking’ my post and leaving positive comments.

THEY LOVED MY MUG.

But what I think they loved more is that I was taking a moment to appreciate the mug and my morning coffee…

Usually, the posts I share on Notes don’t get much attention. I don’t care. I continue to share my thoughts.

With all social media - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter - I share what I want, when I want. I follow no rules for posting. If it flops, I shrug and move on.

I’m no longer attached to the possible outcome of a post on social media, I’m simply sharing whatever I fancy, in the moment.

Sometimes, I’ll share three poems in an hour on Instagram, and I’ll copy them over to all the other platforms. I’ll then go a few days and share nothing.

I’m bored of being told I need to be consistent, niche, scheduling content in advance, using careful language so as not to upset the algorithm.

If I want to swear, I write fuck. Not f&*k.

If that means less people see it, so be it.

The only rule I now follow is that I will do what I want to do, at the time it suits me to do it.

As I’m teaching in my online course, The Creative Way (to earn a living online): at the centre of all your social media content is you. And that’s what matters.

Not your niche. Not putting out three posts a day at specific times. But being completely, unashamedly you.

Sharing the things that delight you, as well as the challenges. Or whatever you want. A snapshot of your life; notes on your work.

In my next course - The Creative Way (to build your confidence) - I’ll be inviting others to take a similar carefree approach to creativity.

When we feel confident, we are more creative. When we live creatively, we find joy in all the small pleasures - like drinking coffee from a colourful new mug.

Obviously my photo didn’t actually break the internet. But it reminded me that people aren’t just here to hear about the books deals and big news.

They like the small ‘wins’, too.

The little ways you add a spoonful of joy into your day.

The more spoonfuls we add in; the sweeter life becomes.

Annie x

The Creative Way (to build your confidence) is an online course is for women who’d like to tap into their intuition, feel more confident in themselves, get creative and set exciting goals for the future. You can read more and sign up here.