The Highlight Reel Isn’t Always Sinister

Am I an influencer? Will that term ever feel comfortable? Is it comfortable for anyone? Should I just call myself a content creator? Whatever.

I have a large following that contributes to my main income stream. I create content and build online relationships to keep it growing. That’s my job. I don’t know what to call it, but my friends aren’t that.

My in-person friends—my homebase—are dentists, teachers, speech pathologists, sports coaches. Their relationship with social media is consuming it to unwind. My relationship with social media is wanting to chuck my phone across the backyard and spend the evening by amber lamplight (bonus points for beeswax candlelight).

A few months ago, we were all at a playground (or a birthday party? When your friend group has 12+ kids, the events blur together). I was zoning out, keeping an eye on Hawthorne, my little wanderer, when I overheard my friends talking:

"Her kids are SO GOOD. I don’t know how she does it!"
"Mine would NEVER act like that at a theme park. They’d just turn their ears off."

I had to jump in. “I PROMISE whoever this is, their kids are probably just like yours. Instagram is not reality.” But they weren’t buying it. “She posts so many reels! She’d have to catch a tantrum at some point.”

Listen. As someone behind the camera, I see all the tricks. If kids are part of your content, here’s what you do:
📌 Get your b-roll in the morning when they’re fed, rested, and haven’t had a chance to be disappointed yet.
📌 Film their joy after you finally cave and buy the treat they were whining for (but NOT the whining itself).
📌 Capture them sleeping in the stroller (but NOT the overstimulation meltdown right before).

And BOOM. You have a beautiful reel of your thriving family, perfectly behaved children, and a peaceful, magical day.

But this isn’t about Instagram tricks.

This is about depression.

That memory popped into my mind randomly—like memories do—three days after someone DM’d me: “I can just FEEL your joy in this story!”

Now, this person is a friend, but also, I never hide the fact that I struggle with anxiety and depression. So I responded honestly (in a series of stream-of-consciousness style texts):
"Oh you do!!! Full transparency, I’ve been going THROUGH it with my business and my worth and my value BUT"
"If teaching taught me anything, it was how to ‘turn on the Suzy magic’ even when I’m feeling down."
"SO IT WORKED."
"I’m just lying to you all."
"^Meant to be funny please laugh along."

And this happens a lot. So many times when YOU ALL message me saying a post brightened your day, or made you giggle, or inspired you to get outside—behind the camera was someone battling serious self-doubt.

I do this. Regularly. And if you’ve ever looked at me and thought, How is she so happy all the time? How does she have so much energy? How does she get so much sunshine and drink so much water?

Know this:
❌ I RARELY drink enough water, and it’s even rarer that I drink it before coffee. I post that reminder for myself JUST AS MUCH as I post it to remind and encourage you all!
❌ Many days, I wake up counting down the hours until bedtime, closing the blinds at 4 PM and waiting for Hawthorne to go to sleep so I can disassociate with a book.
❌ The bouncing energy in my stories? Either pre-recorded from my ovulatory phase (iykyk) or just me flipping the switch and turning on the Suzy Magic.

But here’s the thing—I don’t think that’s lying.

I’m also regularly open about my meds (which help me SO much), and I don’t shy away from sharing when I’m having a Raccoon Day. But if I showed up every single day saying, Hey guys, I feel worthless and like I’m failing in every aspect of my life!!!, you’d probably unfollow me. And honestly? I wouldn’t blame you.

This is my work. And sometimes, work—whether it’s content creation, parenting, teaching, or being a dentist—requires putting emotions in a box and turning on the part of yourself that gets the job done. That keeps your students engaged, your patients calm, your kids feeling safe.

And if you haven’t heard it ENOUGH already, let me tell you again:

📢 What you see on Instagram is not always the truth. It is a highlight reel,

But it’s not always sinister, either. Sometimes, the highlight reel exists because I want to make YOU laugh, give YOU a little hope, inspire YOU to drink more water (even if I haven’t).

Even if I can’t necessarily give those things to myself every day.