to be hurt by a secret Instagram account

[Bakergram]

Name changed as not to be outing.

My SIL and and I are close and have a good relationship. We see each other weekly and spend a lot of time in each others company. She is a fabulous Auntie to my children and they both adore her.
About 5 years ago a encouraged her to get into a hobby I already did. Let's just say it was baking. I encouraged her, introduced her to other bakers, took her to competitions, bought her supplies, travelled to support her and opened up a lot of opportunities for her as I was already well connected.
A mutual friend recently mentioned a post on SILs instagram related to baking. She often posts but I hadn't seen this one. When I checked it wasn't there, I assumed she had removed it. The another friend was talking about something SIL had done (a very positive thing) and pulled out her phone to show me something on SIL's instagram. The account is one that SIL started about 2 years about and is solely to do with her hobby. When I search for it I can't access it. Not, I have to request, her username says "not found". So I then checked her username from an account I manage but isn't my personal account and from this I can access her hobby related account.
I'm obviously not bothered at all by her hobby account - I think it's great but I'm so hurt she felt she had to completely hide it from me. I really don't know why she would. Should I mention it or just accept that she will have her reasons?

This might not make you feel better, but people are weird. I don’t seem like a shy or private person, but when I started a photography Instagram, I hid it from people I was close to IRL. I was quickly successful and eventually people started to realise, but the hiding has nothing to do with them, it was giving me a safe space to fail without them knowing.

Eventually it goes so far it gets awkward to then mention or follow with the account. If your relationship is good, i think remember that IRL is what matters.

If you’re up for effort and being a bit weird, you could make a fake account and follow her, find out what she’s up to. It might just be shyness / wanting some separation from people she knows IRL. Or she might be plagiarising and exploiting your works for clicks and likes!

(instagram, of all the social media, seems to create so much drama. Wonder why.)

This is a really useful insight into a different perspective, thank you.

although it’s not that she has never mentioned it, more that she has actively stopped me but no other mutual friends being part of it. I do take your points on though, especially that IRL is what really matters.