Mansi Ugale's Advice for Aspiring Content Creators: Create for Passion, Not Fame

Mansi Ugale is a social media powerhouse, winning over audiences with her incredible talent and artistic vision. Known for her mesmerizing reels and self-portrait photography, Mansi's aesthetic prowess and attention to detail have earned her a devoted following on the platform. 

As an influencer and Instagram sensation, Mansi's unique style and aesthetically beautiful content continue redefining the digital space's possibilities, making her a true force to be reckoned with. In an exclusive conversation, Mansi opens up about her journey, being a one-woman army, and more!

Can you tell us about your journey as a self-portrait photographer and how you started taking aesthetically pleasing pictures of yourself? 

I started my journey as a self-portrait photographer when I was 16 years old. I started experimenting and clicking self-portraits with my brother's camera, and when my audience started appreciating my work, I was motivated to learn more through trial and error. I see it as a medium to put my vision and creativity into artistic visuals.

What inspired you to become a content creator?

When I discovered my passion for photography and videography, it became a medium to express my artistic vision. I started taking inspiration from every little thing around me. It can be as simple as a prop you see lying around your house, a song, or a movie character that can inspire you to build a concept around it. The possibilities are endless.

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You manage every aspect of your photo shoots, from setting up the background to taking the perfect shot. We're amazed by the behind-the-scenes content you share, and it takes a lot of work. How do you manage all that? What challenges do you face while being a one-woman army?

When I think of a concept, I start with making a mood board, deciding everything from aesthetics and colour palette to hair and makeup references, sketching the setup, etc. I also make a list of props that I will need for the shoot. After creating content for so long, I've also learned to improvise things last minute if pre-planned things don't work out.

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You've created powerful concepts in your photography, from recreating movie aesthetics to paying tribute to iconic films. What drives you to come up with these unique and captivating ideas?

You can always get inspired by little things around you, like different movie aesthetics or a particular character, an iconic look, or a song, and build an intricate concept around it for better storytelling.

You've worked with several notable brands. How do these collaborations enhance your work as a content creator, and what kind of creative freedom do you have when working with brands?

Working with brands can be challenging, but they can push you to experiment with different concepts and broaden your horizon, making you think out of the box. Sometimes there's not enough creative freedom, but as a creator, I appreciate when a brand wants to hear my ideas and incorporate that into the branded content.

What's your take on the threads app? 

I've not explored the app much, but I am curious to see how it will work out for creators to express their thoughts and ideas better.

 A lot of content creators have in the past spoken about how social media sometimes takes away the balance. Do you agree? How do you manage to make sure you aren't missing real-life moments?

As a creator, it can be challenging to maintain a healthy balance between our professional and personal lives. It's important to step back and engage in activities that don't include technology. Personally, I tend to forget about my phone when I am spending time with my loved ones. 

How do you take care of your mental health? With the constant pressure of outdoing your videos and so much competition around? How do you keep up with it?

Lacking motivation and experiencing creative blocks is a part of the process. In such times, I take a break and do my favourite self-care activities, like spending time with my dog and hanging out with my friends to clear my mind. I've also learned not to overthink every piece of content I put out there because a shoot that is not 100% satisfying for me can be a really good one in my audience's eyes. 

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Really proud of how far you have come and your authentic journey, tell us, do you ever look back and pat yourself and say yes, I did it? Or is there that sense that you have a long way to go?

Sometimes I like to scroll through my old videos to find inspiration for my current shoot. So it's nice to sit and look back on your journey to see how far you've come. It motivates me to keep exploring new avenues since you're always learning something new on this platform. 

I must say you have a great screen presence, does acting in any way interests you? 

Acting is definitely something I would like to explore in the future. As a content creator, I have to act out a certain character that I am playing, so I'd be more than happy to explore acting opportunities in the future.

As a content creator, what advice do you have for aspiring content creators who want to make a mark in the industry?

If you're starting, don't start with the intention of getting famous, getting brands and money. It takes a long time to build a loyal audience and credibility. So start making content because you're passionate about it, and the rest will follow.

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