Let's make that endless scroll a little more fun...
Austin is bursting with creative energy, but not everyone here is chasing follower counts or brand deals. Some folks are just doing cool, weird, wildly impressive things that make the city more interesting. So think of this as your guide to Austin creators who aren’t influencers in the traditional sense: no curated #OOTD and no endless ads for mineral water or cold brew. Just Austinites who are building, baking, stitching, or sketching their way into our feeds with work that's very local and totally inspiring.
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photo via people.com
Showing off the fun in foster care
Only in Austin could you find a volunteer account that asks the hard-hitting question: does it dangle? This oddball project tied to Austin Pets Alive! turns everyday pet care and shelter volunteering into a running gag, where the humor lives in the dangling. This is pretty much Austin humor at its finest: low-stakes, silly, and fueled by genuine love for our city’s four-legged friends. Stay danglin', y'all.
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photo via instagram
Hollywood Prop Master
If you’ve ever geeked out over the perfect set detail in a film, Prop and Roll is the behind-the-scenes content you’ve been craving. Scott, a Hollywood props master who calls Austin home, shares everything from weird antique weapons to custom-built gadgets that make movies feel real. His feed feels like a love letter to practical effects in a digital age, and in a city that reveres both DIY culture and cinema, it makes perfect sense.
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photo via instagram
You won't believe it's cake!
Before the whole "Is It Cake?" trend became a global obsession, we're pretty sure it started with Natalie Sideserf. She basically rewired how we think about desserts by making cakes that look exactly like everyday objects: peppers, busts of celebrities, beer cans, you name it. Her hyper-realistic creations blur the line between art and pastry. In a town where food is always part of the culture, of course someone here would be the one to turn dessert into a viral guessing game.
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photo via youtube
The Card Guy
Austin’s own Ralph Tyndall is bringing back the joy of snail mail with his handmade greeting cards that are downright witty, clever, and full of personality. After leaving the tech world, he turned to card-making, creating everything from pun-filled pop-ups to sleek embossed designs that have landed him millions of views and spots on Good Morning America and NPR. His reels are a mix of satisfying craft shots and quirky humor, making it easy to see why his work resonates. Make sure you follow him on TikTok and YouTube too!
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photo via instagram
A magic carpet ride
Move over, West Elm, cuz Austin’s rug game just got loud. ATX fiber artist Tuck Rayl is the person behind Yuck Planet, the home for handmade rugs that are anything but subtle. They're bright, bold, and a little chaotic in the best way possible. It’s DIY meets maximalist, and each piece feels like it belongs in an art gallery just as much as someone’s living room.
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photo via instagram
Tiny worlds, big vibes
OMG, we LOVE this account. MiniatureATX has a knack for really setting the (mini) scene, with "Weekly mini diorama scenes from Austin to spread positive perspective." These small-scale scenes transform everyday Austin backdrops, like sidewalks, murals, and food trucks, into stages for tiny figurines to act out whole worlds. It’s street art you have to zoom in on, and it captures our city’s playful (and artistic) streak perfectly.
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photo via instagram
Vintage and delicious
If you’ve been to a kitschy birthday party lately and seen a frosted tower that looks straight out of a 1970s magazine ad, odds are it came from Gemini Cake Design. A big name in the vintage cake trend, this local account showcases desserts that are campy and glamorous. It's like if a cake were a North Loop thrift shop, if that makes sense? Gemini is baking nostalgia and turning it into a full-on art form.
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photo via B team productions
Custom Woodworking
Outer Woods is the Austin-based custom woodworking studio of maker Tanner Rowley. It's an Instagram profile full of sawdust, process shots, and oddly satisfying visual ASMR. Expect big, made-to-last builds (including community-scale tables) alongside bite-size tips and behind-the-scenes problem-solving from a pro who actually works in the brutal Central Texas heat.
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photo via Instagram
Politics for everyday Texans
Texas politics can be overwhelming (and frustrating), especially if you’re new to the city and trying to make sense of the Capitol chaos. That’s where Howdy Politics comes in, breaking down news and policy with a voice that’s approachable, often funny, and unmistakably local. It’s civic engagement without the doomscroll, and it makes following state politics feel less like homework, and more fun.
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photo via Instagram
Live Music Illustrator
You probably have never heard this before, because people never talk about it, but Austin is known as The Live Music Capital Of the World. (Please detect our sarcasm, people talk about it all the time.) Ami Rocks proves that not all local music coverage has to be through photos and reviews. Instead, they set up at shows and sketch musicians live in the moment. The result: drawings that capture not just what a show looked like, but how it felt. It's a nice change of pace from regular music coverage around here, and it just might make you wanna go see a show if you haven't been in a while.
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Did we miss someone awesome in your feed?
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