On Social Media

In the latter half of last year, I reduced my social media presence by a significant amount. As I work on my goals for the upcoming year, I will be continuing that trend. The reason is two-fold:

The first is simply that I have a lot on my creative plate to accomplish. With the massive changes in how social media (such as Instagram) works and what gets filtered to the top of the feed, I cannot be taking time away from the sewing studio to keep up with the trends. I understand the reasons for social media’s ever-changing algorithms and how artists are being encouraged to adapt. However, for the time being, I will be posting periodically so I can focus on my art work and not on being a content creator.

The second is that social media can be a mixed blessing. It can be a great place to learn new techniques, become inspired, or socialize. But it can also be a place where people fall into the comparison trap. I have had many conversations with friends, other artists, and entrepreneurs about how the fine line between being inspired by someone else's work and comparing our work to theirs is not always easy to walk.

We are all on different paths, journeys, and timelines, but sometimes we forget that, and it can be easy to get caught up in the comparison cycle. Sometimes we need to actively remind ourselves that it is great to be inspired by others and use the energy gained by seeing their work as motivation, but not to compare ourselves, our work, or our place on the journey to them. When I start to feel the comparison pressure, I know it is time to take a break.