Are Your Images Aweshortsome?
You sell yourself short when you make lazy choices
It’s Tree Langdon from Medium and Linked In.
Here’s A New Word, An Idea, and A Question.
A New Word
This is where I share a word that really should exist, one that should be in the dictionary.
Aweshortsome
: This is when you feel awesome, but you sell yourself short just in case the other person does not think so. (adjective)
// My last article was aweshortsome.
An Idea
Your writing is unique, so your image should be too.
A well-chosen image attracts the eye and encourages someone to read your post. Once they’re a reader, they might become a fan, so choose your images carefully.
There’s one thing that really bugs me:
It makes me cringe when I see a writer using an image that I’ve seen before. If you scroll through Medium posts, inevitably, you will see some duplicates.
One big mistake I’ve noticed (and made) is choosing an image too quickly. Writers open a free image source — Unsplash is a great example — and select the first image that seems to suit their topic.
Lazy.
Unsplash is a great tool. It’s quick and easy, and the images come with a caption and a source, and you know you have permission to use it.
There’s one problem. There are over 30,000 other writers on Medium who are using it too.
Tips for finding unique images to use on your posts:
Don’t always use Unsplash. It’s the easy way out, so most writers use it. There are several other easy-to-use sources of copyright-free images.
If you use Unsplash, don’t select the first photo that comes up. Look through several pages before you choose.
Use a variety of search terms — instead of love, search for passion, heat, or romance. You may find something perfect for your unique story.
I use Pixabay, and there are other free image options, but be careful there too. Use several search terms and find an image that isn’t the first one to come up.
Don’t choose from the selection of ‘the most popular images.’
Here are examples of images that I’m embarrassed to say I’ve used in stories, only to recognize them later in another writer’s story.
Do any of these images look familiar to you?
hands by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay If you take the time to find a unique image, your article will stand out from the crowd.
A Question
Do you think your images have to match the topic of your article?
I’m curious.
✔️ Get The Multiplier Effect Checklist as a Free signup bonus.
If you enjoyed reading this post, share it with your friends.
I try to match the photo with the content and tone of my story. It's hard to do sometimes. I check several photo sites before deciding on the photo I use.
I think we often try too hard to match the image to the words. I prefer to view the image as an invitation into the words. I consider the concepts, themes, and feeling the writing evokes. For me, that approach expands my creativity for the image and the writing.
Your points are spot on and love the word.