Being an artist these days means being a one-person orchestra.You paint, photograph your paintings, edit images, update your website, prepare catalogues and PDFs, answer emails, manage social media, and somewhere in between, you’re supposed to find time to actually make art.And then there are Reels.There’s a meme going around that says, “Whatever you do for a living, you’ll have to make Reels.” As a painter, I can confirm. A few days ago I begged my husband to help me film yet another Reel. Eye roll. I basically ran, walked, turned around and repeated various movements I would never normally perform unless Instagram was involved. Running, in particular, is something I normally do only at gunpoint. After all this physical activity, we looked at the footage. It was terrible. My phone camera, even at its best settings, didn’t do the jib I had in mind. And after spending so much time trying to make something visually interesting, discovering that the actual video looks awful is rather discouraging.
Instagram finally broke me. I’ve resisted buying more equipment for quite a while. I’m a painter, after all, not a professional content creator. I already have enough things to learn, maintain and occasionally swear at.But Instagram has changed. Some of the Reels I see now basically look like little movies. The lighting, the camera movements, the editing — everything has become much more sophisticated. And although I know perfectly well that I’m supposed to be making paintings rather than producing short films, I can’t help being interested in how these things are made. Also, it’s a classic case of: if you can’t beat them, join them. So I decided to try something new and bought a DJI Osmo Pocket 4. This is not sponsored. DJI has absolutely no idea who I am. I’m hoping this little camera will make filming Reels easier, improve the quality of my videos, and perhaps make the entire process a little less frustrating. So how does it work?I have absolutely no idea yet.But here’s the thing: I actually like the idea of Reels. I think of them as tiny movies. They offer another way of telling stories, creating atmosphere and showing things that don’t necessarily fit into a single photograph.
And as a painter, storytelling is something I’m already interested in. Curiosity has always been one of my weaknesses. Or strengths.I also believe that as long as you stay curious, keep learning new things and remain willing to make a complete fool of yourself occasionally, you don’t really get old.So here I am, learning another skill I never imagined I’d need. The last bastion has fallen. Not because Instagram convinced me. Because now I want to know what I can do with it.
In Part Two, I’ll tell you whether the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 actually helped me create more cinematic Reels, whether it made filming easier, and, most importantly, whether any of this made a difference to my views.
If nothing else, you can applaud me in the comments for trying. Look for new reels in my instagram @tubesqueezerfineart
Another tool in the tool box
Pretending like I know what I’m doing
