Social media inspiration: accounts & hashtags creatives follow

Discover a wealth of creative inspiration from the most influential social media accounts and hashtags. This comprehensive guide offers expert insights on transforming your online experience into a powerful tool for innovation and idea generation. Learn how to curate your feed, decode trends, and harness the full potential of social platforms to fuel your creative projects.

  • Curate Social Media for Intentional Inspiration
  • Transform Chaos into Creative Compost
  • Craft a Focused Toolkit for Inspiration
  • Decode Patterns in Niche Content
  • Mine Social Media for Job Seeker Insights
  • Repurpose Visual Cues for Event Design
  • Tap into Raw Emotion with Somatic Language
  • Draw from Art History for Design
  • Leverage Hashtags for Industry Trends
  • Explore Faith-Based Creativity for Show Ideas
  • Curate a Distraction-Free Design Feed
  • Harness Social Media for Creative Strategy
  • Follow EV Innovators for Product Ideas
  • Study 3D Artists for Marketing Inspiration
  • Scroll with Intent to Spark Interests
  • Transform Social Media into Idea Playground
  • Learn from Customer Creations Online
  • Use LinkedIn Groups for Creative Exchange

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Curate Social Media for Intentional Inspiration

I actively gather inspiration for my creative projects, especially in video storytelling (since I’m a script writer). Rather than relying on algorithms, I follow a set of intentional hashtags and a few well-known writers and copywriters whose work consistently pushes creative boundaries.

I treat my saved posts like a visual mood board, grouping them by style, tone, or technique. This habit helps me spot emerging trends, content formats, or narrative transitions that I can adapt and experiment with in my own projects.

Hashtag-wise, #creativemarketing and #storytelling are my go-to choices. They offer a behind-the-scenes look at how other creatives plan strategies, frame big ideas, and build emotion into scenes. It’s a goldmine whenever I’m stuck on structure, tone, or visual pacing.

Diana Royanto, Content Writer, Milkwhale

Transform Chaos into Creative Compost

I use social media as a creative compost bin. It is messy and chaotic, but surprisingly fertile. My greatest inspiration usually comes from overlooked corners such as comment sections, stitched reels, or heated threads where raw emotion seeps through the filters.

That’s where I find the sparks. These are typically tiny moments of honesty or absurdity that I can shape into something more thoughtful or humorous in my own work.

One account I closely follow is @shityoushouldcareabout on Instagram. It serves as a cultural temperature check with a beating heart. They blend serious issues, niche internet culture, and deeply human stories in a way that reminds me content can be both urgent and irreverent.

It has helped me reframe what parenting content can be – it doesn’t always have to focus on diaper hacks and baby gear. Sometimes it’s about zooming out and saying, “Here’s how this moment in culture affects you as a parent or a person.”

In my personal projects, whether writing essays, scripting videos, or brainstorming feminist takes on parenting tropes, social media reminds me that creativity isn’t about broadcasting. It’s about tuning in.

Annika Nagy, Content Marketer, Fathercraft

Craft a Focused Toolkit for Inspiration

The method I use to spark inspiration is less about scrolling aimlessly and more about wielding a trusty toolkit, each platform fulfilling a different purpose. I don’t lean on one feed for ideas. Instead, I rely on focus and intention to pick the right tool for the creative job at hand.

My go-to playbook, depending on what I’m working on, includes:

  • Product Hunt, if I’m digging into product-market fit. This helps me catch the vibe of user reactions to what’s launching.
  • The CSS Design Awards showcase, when I need a great resource for cutting-edge web innovation and visual design.
  • Dribbble, when I need to focus on pure UI craft and animation, opening a direct window to all that visual designers are creating.
  • The Figma Community, for understanding design systems and components. And to see how others structure and build their projects.

I steer clear of chasing trendy hashtags or fleeting accounts. Over the years, I’ve seen more of them fade away than stay. Instead, I zero in on foundational thinkers who shape my approach. Luke Wroblewski, with his timeless insights on mobile-first design and data-driven product strategy, has been a guiding force. When it comes to publishers, Rosenfeld Media is my go-to for that front-row seat to a UX masterclass.

Curated, deliberate, and always tied to the challenge at hand — that’s how I use social media for creative inspiration!

Tej Kalianda, UX Designer, Silicon Valley

Decode Patterns in Niche Content

I follow niche, interdisciplinary creators whose content focuses on how people think. One account I regularly turn to is @uxwritinghub on Instagram. While it’s rooted in UX writing, the posts dissect micro-decisions in interface copy, user flow, and intent-driven design.

For me, it’s not just about clever phrasing; it’s about observing how small word choices shape emotion, behavior, and trust. That insight fuels how I approach personal creative projects, whether I’m storyboarding a brand narrative, outlining a webinar, or sketching a content prototype.

What makes social media so valuable is its pattern recognition capabilities. When I notice a caption format, carousel sequence, or tone shift that resonates emotionally, I ask myself: Why does this feel natural? How can I repurpose that rhythm or structure for something completely unrelated, like turning onboarding emails into mini case studies or turning customer feedback into social proof-driven landing pages?

Inspiration often hides in plain sight. The key is to stop consuming content like a user and start observing like a strategist. Social media becomes far more than noise when you use it to decode the craft behind what makes ideas stick.

Lidiia Yushchenko, Chief Marketing Officer, CustomWritings.com

Mine Social Media for Job Seeker Insights

Social media is my go-to for real-time research gold, and everything I learn here goes into my personal and creative projects. Think articles we drop, the resources we whip up for our ever-growing community of candidates, and even the actual features we build into our solutions. All that I discuss and develop is inspired by the real struggles job seekers face everyday.

I’m all over platforms, from LinkedIn to Reddit, digging into raw, unfiltered stories from candidates. I discover what’s troubling them, what they fear about AI hiring, and what upsets them when they get zero feedback after submitting resumes they’ve personally worked on. On the career side of things, I follow the challenges they face in a new workplace, the worry of not being able to move out of an old one, and even how they show off their wins!

If I had to pick one hashtag I’m always exploring, it’s #jobsearchjourney. Every story I find here is like a living one. From hyped-up beginnings and the grind of applications to the gut-punch of being ghosted by employers and then those sweet victories, there’s so much to learn from here! Tracking this hashtag lets me spot patterns, and when I find a real problem, I can’t wait to jump in with a new blog post or get my team brainstorming on a template tweak to tackle a new problem or simply make things better for our community.

At the end of the day, I only want to use every bit of information I can get my eyes on to make a job search a power-up, not a worry. Listening to stories on social media is how I can figure out real problems and show people how to crush it!

Andrei Kurtuy, Co-founder & CMO, Novorésumé

Repurpose Visual Cues for Event Design

I’m constantly designing spaces and experiences. This requires evaluating how to stay creatively charged. It’s not optional. In fact, social media is where I reset my visual plane. I don’t scroll aimlessly; I use it like a mood board. I save posts by theme, I screenshot layouts, and I use some of the lighting choices or materials that people tag in behind-the-scenes reels.

@eye_swoon is an account I always come back to. I like Athena Calderone’s feed because it feels nice and stylized but maintains a grounded sense of texture, restraint, and warmth. I find her styling choices to be perfectly aspirational but also achievable, which is the design zone that I like to work within. The two hashtags I check are #interiorandliving and #setdesigninspo. Both have lots of images layered in a way that are more than surface trends.

The trick is to view social media as a curated gallery and not a popularity contest. When you look at it purposefully, you stop copying and start adapting. That’s when it gets inspiring.

Jamilyn Trainor, Owner and Senior Project Manager, Müller Expo Services International

Tap into Raw Emotion with Somatic Language

When I need inspiration for writing or program design, I search the hashtag #somaticlanguage on Instagram. It’s quite a niche corner, but rich with genuine content. I’m not looking for polished or AI-generated tips. I want texture — phrases that slow the body down, words that hold emotion without naming it too quickly. That’s what inspires me to create.

What I notice most under that tag is its rhythm: how someone describes grief in five words, or how a caption uses pacing instead of force. This kind of writing helps me reconnect with what I want my own work to feel like. If I, for example, start scrolling hashtags like #selfgrowth or #mindfulness, I lose the thread. They’re too curated, too digestible. But under #somaticlanguage, people write from the body, not for the algorithm or likes. That’s the kind of tone I want to stay close to.

I don’t save much. I read slowly, once, and move on. And when I write from that space — less filtered and more felt — the work moves better. Clients sense it too. They need resonance; that’s what I look for, and that’s what that hashtag gives back.

Clara Whitlow, Women’s Wellness Coach and Sex Educator, Clara Whitlow

Draw from Art History for Design

One account I follow regularly is @metmuseum on Instagram because I appreciate how their posts feature marvelous pieces of art and historical artifacts from many countries, including remarkable historical fabrics. I sometimes draw inspiration from this account when I wish to incorporate antique motifs or intricate craftsmanship in contemporary interior design. Observing the display of cultural objects, such as sculptures, paintings, wearable art, and old rugs in art historical contexts, illuminates their timeless allure. It serves as a reminder of how every piece has a story, which, as a designer, I must recast in new ways while respecting its history and doing justice to its timeless tale.

Jason Nazmiyal, Owner & Interior Design Expert, Nazmiyal Antique Rugs

Leverage Hashtags for Industry Trends

First, I utilize curated content and niche communities. Social media allows me to investigate a subject or industry closely, such as digital design, tech innovations, or user experience trends. For instance, I follow the #UXDesign hashtag on Twitter, where a variety of designers and interested individuals share new insights, case studies, and groundbreaking designs. I like to see emerging trends, but I also appreciate seeing common issues designers are facing. I enjoy recontextualizing some concerns and issues that I see in my personal projects. Being involved in these communities allows me to digest ideas in a variety of formats, from articles and intriguing comments to images.

Second, I utilize Instagram and Pinterest for visual inspiration. I follow accounts that relate to my personal interests outside of work, in terms of minimalist design, photography, and architectural innovation. For example, I follow minimalist design accounts, like @minimalissimo on Instagram, which posts amazing minimalist designs across a number of different fields and domains, such as architecture, products, and advertising. These tasteful, simple designs have helped me establish the idea that less is more, which I always try to integrate into my personal and creative engagements.

In addition, LinkedIn is a great place for me to connect with people in my field to see what personal and creative projects they are working on, as well as to stay current with trends from industry and creative fields. I am part of LinkedIn groups (like “UX/UI Design & Development” and “Product Development & Innovation”) which operate fairly well because, although people are mainly discussing specific topics, they still openly share content, resources, case studies, and solutions to common problems.

I also follow hashtags such as #TechInnovation, #WebDevelopment, and #DigitalTransformation to observe how professionals are creatively applying technology in their fields or industries. #UserExperience and #AgileDevelopment allow me to see daily updates on month-to-month best practices and emerging trends in UX, as well as myriad agile approaches and methodologies. Most importantly, following and posting under these hashtags helps me stay up-to-date with modern, cutting-edge strategies, new tools, and possible solutions based on the most current best practices, all of which have a very tangible impact on my own creative process.

Sergio Oliveira, Director of Development, DesignRush

Explore Faith-Based Creativity for Show Ideas

Social media is a source of creative inspiration that I frequently use when I need to come up with ideas for new episodes and sections for which I would like to invite guests to talk on my show. I happen to use platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to get a sort of raw, unvarnished sense of what people are feeling, doubting, or laughing about, moment by moment.

The first hashtag which I religiously follow is #ChristianCreative. It is a community of faith-minded authors, artists, and musicians who are touching the world through their talents in some uplifting way. Just going through that tag normally brings new inspiration on how to mix humor, testimony, and life lessons in the show. It makes my material anchored, timely, and relatable to the rest of the Christian creative community.

Steve Wyatt, Host, Wyatt Matters

Curate a Distraction-Free Design Feed

Social media is a great source of inspiration. Unfortunately, it is all designed for user retention, always trying to show you things to keep you on the platform.

To minimize this side of social media, I created a separate Instagram account where I only follow a few design influencers. This way I am not distracted by content from people I know and other unrelated posts.

One designer I can recommend is Zander Whitehurst (@zanderwhitehurst). As a UX designer and Figma user, I find his short tutorials really helpful.

Jiri Padour, Senior UX/UI Designer, Vefru.com

Harness Social Media for Creative Strategy

Another approach to social media would be as its most vibrant conduit for creative inspiration, allowing me to consider trends as they emerge, visual storytelling techniques, and approaches to handling the targeted audience. My methodological approach involves engaging with handpicked accounts and industry-specific hashtags relevant to my profession and project needs.

Among the accounts I follow is @itsnicethat on Instagram, which never fails to present innovative design, branding, and visual communication from all over the world. This content opens up a fresh set of ideas and expands my perspective on the intersection of creativity and business goals.

Hashtags like #CreativeDirection and #BrandStorytelling offer an ever-flowing consignment of ideas from various creatives and marketers, so I might pick up new courses of action and apply them to my own projects. If used correctly, a social media platform can go a long way toward ideation, collaboration, and strategic implementation.

Yaniv Masjedi, Chief Marketing Officer, Nextiva

Follow EV Innovators for Product Ideas

LinkedIn is actually really my jam and provides raw, backstage glimpses of posts from real designers and developers, not just the cleaned-up shots. I follow people who share the “why” behind their work, not just the finished product. This often encourages me when our creative flow isn’t happening or when we fall into safety net ideas in the agency world. #MadeInWebflow and #WebflowDesign are spot-on hashtags to start leading me towards new things. I give @Timothy Ricks a high rating for being creative and helpful to the community.

Tom Molnar, Business Owner | Operations Manager, Fit Design

Study 3D Artists for Marketing Inspiration

I look at social media all day long for inspiration for new projects and to develop new ideas for our product. I also follow industry analysts, leaders, and fans on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to stay abreast of trends in EV technology and sustainability. This allows me to identify new opportunities and hone content strategies that speak to our readers.

For example, I always follow @Tesla — not only to know about their product updates but also to learn from their marketing strategies and customer interaction. Their posts focus on innovation and what customers are saying, which leads to ideas on ways EVhype can enhance its platform features and user experience. Also, I often browse #EVInnovation — a perfect way to get a sense of the latest news and topics in the EV industry and to come up with new ideas.

Rob Dillan, Founder, EVhype.com

Scroll with Intent to Spark Interests

Among others, I use platforms such as Behance, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. I get ideas and inspiration for my marketing strategies from the accounts of digital artists, 3D and AR/VR studios on these social networks.

One of the accounts I follow is kitbash3d. They deal with 3D models for movies and video games. On their account, they regularly post new renders that are a kind of visual storytelling. Based on their publications as references, I give technical specifications to our artists to create showcase renders for the marketplace.

Serhii Antropov, Head of Marketing, 3DModels

Transform Social Media into Idea Playground

If business has taught me anything, it is that sitting in front of a blank canvas is a very difficult task. So, instead of rattling my brain trying to figure out what I enjoy, social media is a great help. Instead of scrolling aimlessly, I use social media to scroll with intent and save posts that move an emotion in me or make me feel interested into different collections or boards. This helps me identify and highlight when I’m really interested in something by finding several posts within the same category.

For example, this could be identifying a country to visit for my next “Travel” collection and knowing that a specific destination has sparked my interest by the amount of posts I felt connected to and saved within that section. The advantage is that the more I engage with these posts, the more the algorithm starts to understand my interests and propose similar topics and patterns.

Marlon Misra, Cofounder/CEO, Copilot

Learn from Customer Creations Online

Social media serves as my main source of creative inspiration. The process of scrolling through social media transforms into a treasure hunt that reveals exciting ideas for my personal projects. The Instagram account #CreativeMinds provides me with bold artistic designs and fresh perspectives from artists who spark my imagination. The short inspirational messages in each post serve as tiny muses that guide me toward my upcoming major projects.

I participate in LinkedIn groups to exchange innovative ideas with other creators, which maintains my creative energy. The process of engaging with posts through liking, commenting, and sharing helps me build relationships that provide inspiration. The idea playground of social media transforms brief observations into creative bursts of genius. Join the platform to explore hashtags, which will help you launch your upcoming masterpiece.

Social media functions as an online space where you can express your inner self through creative content. Choose the #CreativeMinds hashtag to spend ten minutes absorbing one powerful idea instead of mindless scrolling. After closing the app, take a few minutes to write down how the idea can transform your project, similar to a chef modifying their recipe. The brief social media break allows you to transform casual online content into powerful creative energy, which drives your upcoming innovative concept.

Your personal projects will gain significant power when you harness social media effectively. I discover innovative visual content through Instagram’s #CreativeMinds, which challenges my mental perspectives. The LinkedIn communities enable me to exchange creative ideas with fellow creators, which maintains my project’s freshness. The act of posting likes and thoughtful comments helps you establish relationships that generate inspiration. Begin by following one motivational hashtag or account, then explore the content and share your work to develop your creative network. Your next big idea will emerge from a seed you plant through this process.

Muhammad Usman, CEO, Rank Wisdom

Use LinkedIn Groups for Creative Exchange

Social media has become a great source of inspiration, especially when we see how customers share their freshener creations online. It is always exciting to see people post photos of air fresheners they designed with their pet’s face, a family photo, or a business logo. Their creativity not only sparks ideas for us but also inspires others in our community to get more personal with their designs.

I often look at hashtags like #customairfreshener or #personalizedgifts to see what people are creating and how they’re using those items in real life. These posts help shape how we think about product improvements, new shape ideas, and ways to enhance the design experience. It is a reminder that inspiration often comes directly from the people using your product, not just from within your team.

Nick Campion, Digital Operations Manager, Make My Freshener