(NewsNation Now) — Michael James Schneider says he got onto Instagram largely as a joke, making fun of the selfies and mylar balloons at bridal showers, birthdays and weddings announcements which seemed to fill his feed.

But when he took those ironic messages and started tackling more serious topics like mental health and being single, his content began to take off as they resonated with people online. 

“I find quotes that speak to me and that speak to my heart and that say some truth that has never been said exactly that way before,” he said.

Now Schneider has over 500,000 followers on Instagram with messages of hope and a funny or unique perspective that he spots online. He says that they’re resonating shows how much people have in common.  

“It shows how universal what we’re all going through is and how our hearts are all affected in the same way,” Schneider said.