Racking up Instagram followers is a science that many people have yet to solve. If you're not famous, beautiful, or a raging exhibitionist, it can be an uphill battle. Take the following 10 Instagram accounts: They're creative and sometimes brilliant examples of how the social media platform can be used for something beyond selfies, sunsets, and food porn. These people deserve to be Instagram famous, and goddammit we're going to help them get there.
@walle_from_russia - 7,625 followers
If Pixar had a Cuteness Hall of Fame, Wall-E would definitely be the cutest, which is why this precious account is so damn adorable. There he is looking sad at the Great Pyramids! And there he is with his camel friend on a deserted highway! And there he is staring longingly at a hot air balloon, missing home! Awwwww.
@theminorthread - 5,639 followers
Band merch, specifically T-shirts, don't have the cultural currency they used to—or maybe we're just getting older—but this account by a dude who collects them mercilessly is a reminder of how timeless they really are. I mean, look at that Cat Power shirt. Want. It. Now.
@jdspeakman - 752 followers
There are plenty of wonderful photographers to follow on Instagram, but what makes Jason Speakman's account so notable is that his photos are an eclectic mix of candid New York moments, striking concert photographers, and any and every other weird and wonderful moment that Speakman's sharp and roving lens manages to capture. It feels like he's everywhere at once.
@dannyzab - 499 followers
Can someone explain to us how an artist from Toronto who fills his Instagram with awesome illustrations of #obsoletesuperheros doing the most banal things life has to offer doesn't have more than 499 followers? Didn't think so.
@donatar_69 - 10.3K followers
Kyle Mooney is often the best thing about SNL, and this IG account of his alter ego, the blowhard designer Don Atari, is a great example why. Mooney has a knack for creating characters that are both completely off the wall and somehow recognizeable. This is bascially a viral marketing campaign for Zoolander 2—Atari appears in the movie—but we hope Mooney keeps it up long after the movie comes out.
@hilton_als - 6,475 followers
You likely know Hilton Als as the respected author of White Girls and as a New Yorker staff writer. Did you also know that he spends a lot of his free time chilling with the likes of Tavi Gevinson, Petra Collins, and a whole cadre of artists and intellectuals? Well it's true, and he artfully documents it all on his Instagram account with elegant portraits of his friends, and sparse captions that make it feel like a constantly updating, ultra-hip photo exhibit.
@badfanart - 1,788 followers
This account is pretty self-explanatory, but that does not make it any less brilliant. Fact: You're not really famous until you end up here.
@lil_tuffy - 3,556 followers
Based on his Wikipedia entry, Lil Tuffy is "an American rock poster artist and printmaker." Based on his Instagram account, he is an incredibly talented one.
@goth_screenshots - 894 followers
The Internet can be a dark, depressing place, especially if your world view is already so bleak and nihilistic that even when it's not intending to, it reminds you that nothing really matters and we're all going to die.
@shadimichi - 3523 followers
The owner of this account is a mystery to us, which is part of what makes her—and it—so appealing. Amidst all the weirdo Internet ephemera she posts, she'll also throw in the odd selfie, revealing that she's a total babe who wears emoji as earrings. Can we be BFFs, please?
