So here goes, I've ditched the Instagram life and am resolute (for now at least) on forging a new path through this world of social media, connection and creating. I predict it's going to be more like "fumbling" than forging, but I'll take that over the current state of affairs over on Instagram.
This move has been a long time coming, if I'm honest, and is really the culmination of a few factors over a fairly long period of time:
- I have found myself becoming increasingly disillusioned with the world I see on Instagram, and, yet, simultaneously more addicted. Sometimes I am able to take a step back and really observe the things I am seeing on Instagram and I end up shocked and disturbed. Faces that don't look human anymore, women all starting to look the same, "experts" who are the furthest thing from it, fake lives and inauthenticity.
- Recently, I listened to one of Brene Brown's newest podcast episodes, the one with Esther Perel, and OH MY. They discuss the new AI, being Artificial Intimacy. Yes, there's already a "new" AI. I haven't even accepted the original 'Intelligence' version, let alone feel ready for a new one. Some words that struck me:
- A deepfelt desire to write again. As a child, teenager and young adult (I no longer qualify) I filled shelves of journals full of poems, musings and collages. It's only recently dawned on me how much I used this outlet as a form of expression and stress relief. And now that I haven't done much writing in a very long time, I am acutely aware of how the stress and lack of relief thereof has compounded and begun to overwhelm me. A scene in the recent series "One Day" (I will write an entire post about this, I swear) struck me to my core. The main characters, Emma and Dexter, who at this stage are best friends, have a massive blow up and Emma returns home with bottles of alcohol to drown her sorrows. In a classic crossroads moment, instead of opening a bottle, she opens the door to the room housing her dusty old computer, sits down and begins to write. Up until that point, she has felt that her dreams of becoming a writer have failed, but that evening she begins writing the book that essentially becomes her purpose. Just one little twist in what could've been an ill-fate, becomes her life's great work. Now I wonder, if Instagram had been around in the 90's, how likely would it have been that Emma would've scrolled that night instead of sitting down to a blank page? And I wonder, what might I have created if I hadn't been scrolling all these years.
Needless to say, all of the above has left me Insta-fatigued and just...well... sick to death of the space. I no longer feel inspired when I'm there, and in fact, it makes me feel pretty crappy. That's not to say I don't follow a bunch of really inspiring people - I do. But the flood of information and "highlights reel" approach is just no longer for me. It's of a scale that I can no longer cope with, and that I firmly believe we are not designed to be able to cope with. If you've been feeling the same way, you are not alone. I wish I could relay to you all the messages I have received on this topic. Suffice to say, many of us are feeling the same way.
I must add, before I come across as all doom and gloom, that Instagram has added to my life and my business in many beautiful ways. It used to be a delightful space where I met and connected with some incredible humans. I have appreciated and treasured a multitude of conversations about so many topics. And I have had moments of true inspiration, blown away by how many insanely talented and creative people there are in this world - I have seen creations that I could never have imagined even in my wildest dreams.
But, I long for a simpler life.
And so, my approach is going to take a massive swerve. I have, to date, essentially relied on Instagram to showcase my work, network, make connections and even to make sales themselves.
Now, I am reimagining how this will work.
Moving forward, I am going to be using the old-school blog format as a kind of exhibition space. And I am EXCITED! I am imagining a space used to showcase any new works I am releasing, but that will also be a home for my writing, musings, process work, and and and. Maybe its because I have been loving this format lately. I have found it therapeutic to actively search topics and spend a little longer reading an "article" that I have sought out instead of just having thousands of unsolicited topics shoved in my face at any given time.
So this blog will be part informative and part visual and written journal.
Some of my interests that I will be including are:
- Artworks (of course)
- Architecture and Interiors work
- Process and behind the scenes
- Travel
- Photography
- The working Mom life
- Poetry
- Book Reviews
- General Commentary
It might be a bit of messy space as I learn which areas are life-giving and which aren't, but if I'm honest, my life is a bit messy at this point, so I feel it will be a true reflection of me. My hope is that it will be a space of story-telling that you might connect with.
And that's where I will sign off for this very first blog post. It is my hearts intention to make this a space of true connection, and so I hope you will feel welcome to reach out with any comments, thoughts, advice or just anything really.
I hope you will fumble along this new path with me.
