Alice: Hey Bob, I was hoping to pick your brain for a second. What are you seeing as the latest trends in Rednote these days?
Bob: Hey Alice! Great question. I've been practically living on Rednote lately, so I've definitely noticed a few things.
The biggest one, hands down, is the move from general aesthetic "cores" to what I'd call "hyper-specific lifestyles." It's less about just "cottagecore" and more about, say, "coastal grandmother who only reads vintage paperbacks." People are building entire feeds around incredibly detailed and personal niches. It's fascinating.
I've also seen a huge surge in "anti-tutorials." Instead of a polished, perfect "how-to," creators are posting their messy process, the mistakes, the "I have no idea what I'm doing but let's try it" journey. It’s way more relatable and, honestly, more entertaining. Think less "5 steps to the perfect sourdough" and more "My first ten attempts at sourdough and why they all failed."
What's your feed been looking like? Are you seeing any of this stuff pop up?
Alice: That is so spot on! You’ve perfectly described what's happening. The "hyper-specific lifestyles" thing is so true—it's like my algorithm knows I'm a "rainy Sunday afternoon, drinking tea and organizing my vinyl collection by color" kind of person. It's gotten scarily accurate.
And I am completely here for the anti-tutorials. It's such a relief from the endless stream of perfection online. It makes trying new things feel so much less intimidating when you see someone else’s glorious failures first.
The other big thing flooding my feed, which kind of goes hand-in-hand with the anti-tutorials, is the "de-influencing" trend. Instead of hauls of new products, it's all about posts on what not to buy, what's overhyped, and what products were a total waste of money. It feels refreshingly honest. Have you been seeing much of that?
Bob: Oh, absolutely! The "de-influencing" trend is the perfect third piece of the puzzle, isn't it? It's like the perfect antidote to the last five years of hyper-consumerism online. You're so right, it goes hand-in-hand with the anti-tutorials—both are rooted in this craving for raw honesty.
I've seen it everywhere on Rednote. It's not just a quick "don't buy this." It's these incredibly detailed photo carousels or long-form notes titled something like, "An Ode to the Overhyped Air Fryer I Never Use." Someone will post a picture of it gathering dust in their cupboard and write a whole essay on why their regular oven works just fine. It's brutal, honest, and so, so refreshing.
I think it works so well on Rednote because the format encourages that kind of depth. You can't just flash a product and say "it's bad." The community expects you to show your work—show the pilling on the sweater after one wash, or the "miracle" pan with everything stuck to it.
It's funny you mention your vinyl-organizing niche—that's the perfect example of the "hyper-specific lifestyle" we were talking about! It's not about acquiring more stuff, but about appreciating and curating what you already have.
Have you seen the de-influencing trend spill over from just products into experiences? I've seen a few posts about "de-influencing" the need to have a perfectly aesthetic morning routine, for example.
Alice: Yes! That's such a great point. I was just thinking that the other day. The "de-influencing the perfect morning routine" is my favorite version of this trend. Instead of the 5 a.m. sunrise yoga and perfectly swirled matcha latte, you see someone's messy nightstand and a note about how they hit snooze three times and scrolled on their phone for 20 minutes, and that's okay. It's so validating.
I've also seen it a ton with travel. People posting these long, thoughtful notes about how that 'must-see' viral destination was actually a crowded, expensive disappointment, and the best part of their trip was just sitting in a random neighborhood cafe people-watching.
It feels like it's all part of dismantling the pressure to perform an ideal life, not just to own ideal things. It's like the whole platform is collectively taking a deep breath and admitting that life is messy and imperfect. I wonder what the next evolution of this will be. Maybe a bigger focus on hobbies just for the sake of joy, with no goal of monetizing them or even being good at them? What do you think?
Bob: You've absolutely nailed it. That's the perfect way to put it: "dismantling the pressure to perform an ideal life." It really does feel like a collective exhale. The travel de-influencing is a huge one for me too. I saw a note the other day titled "What I Actually Did in Rome" and it was just pictures of gelato, a cat sleeping on a windowsill, and the author's feet propped up on a balcony. It was so much more appealing than another shot of the Colosseum.
And I think you're 100% right about where this is heading. In fact, I'd say that trend is already starting to bubble up. I've been calling it the "Joyful Amateur" trend in my head.
It's exactly what you described: hobbies with zero pressure. I'm seeing people posting photo carousels of their first pottery attempts, proudly showing off their lopsided, barely functional mugs. Or people learning to play the ukulele and posting a short, clumsy video of them fumbling through a chord, with a caption like, "It sounds terrible and I love it."
It's the ultimate evolution from the "anti-tutorial." First, we admit we're not perfect. Now, we're celebrating that we don't even need to be good at something to enjoy it and share it. It's reclaiming hobbies from the clutches of the "side hustle" mentality. The goal isn't to open an Etsy shop; the goal is just to have fun for an hour.
It's so liberating, isn't it? Have you seen any specific 'Joyful Amateur' hobbies on your feed that made you want to try something new, just for the fun of it?
Alice: "Joyful Amateur"—I love that! That is the absolute perfect name for it. You've completely captured the spirit of the whole thing.
And yes, my feed is full of it! The one that's really been getting to me lately is people doing these wonderfully messy, almost childish watercolor paintings. I saw one note where someone was just painting their coffee mug over and over again, and each one was a bit wobbly and the colors bled together, but the caption was just pure delight about finding a shade of blue they liked. There was zero talk of technique or composition, just the simple joy of putting color on paper.
It's so tempting. It honestly made me want to dig out my old colored pencils from a drawer and just start scribbling, with no intention of creating anything "good." It feels like permission to play again, you know?
It really does change the whole feel of the platform, turning it from a place of aspiration into a place of participation. It's less of a gallery and more of a giant, supportive craft circle.
Has it inspired you to pick anything up? Have you officially joined the ranks of the Joyful Amateurs yourself?
Bob: "Giant, supportive craft circle" is the perfect way to describe it. You've hit the nail on the head. That's what makes Rednote feel so different right now. The wobbly watercolor mug is the quintessential 'Joyful Amateur' post! It’s all about the process, not the polished product. And you're so right, it really does feel like permission to play.
And to answer your question... oh, I have absolutely joined the ranks. I'm a full-fledged, card-carrying Joyful Amateur.
For me, it's been visible mending. I had this favorite old pair of jeans that got a tear in the knee. A few years ago, I would have been bummed and probably just stopped wearing them. But I kept seeing these Rednote posts of people doing beautiful, clumsy, colorful patches on their clothes. So I bought some bright green embroidery floss, watched one five-minute "anti-tutorial" where the person mostly just winged it, and went to town.
My stitches are uneven, the pattern I tried to make is barely recognizable, but I am ridiculously proud of those jeans now. They have more character than they ever did before. I even posted a little photo carousel of my wobbly work, and it was so much fun seeing people comment with pictures of their own mending projects.
You absolutely have to get those colored pencils out! What's the first thing you think you'd draw? No pressure for it to be a masterpiece, of course—maybe just the view out your window or that vinyl collection you mentioned.
Alice: You know, this has been such a great chat. You've perfectly articulated this big shift we're seeing—away from performing perfection and towards something so much more honest and participatory. It's genuinely exciting. And to answer my own question, you've absolutely inspired me. I think I'm officially ready to join the ranks of the Joyful Amateurs. I'm going to go find those old colored pencils and just make a mess, purely for the fun of it. It feels like a much healthier, and frankly, happier way to be online.
Bob: Honestly, this conversation has just solidified it for me. All these trends—from the hyper-specific niches to celebrating our glorious failures—are all pointing in the same direction. It feels like we're all collectively reclaiming Rednote as a space for genuine connection and simple, unpolished joy. So seriously, go find those colored pencils; I'll be keeping an eye out for a wonderfully wobbly drawing of a vinyl record on my feed.