I deleted Instagram when I went on holiday in November 2021, and I didn’t put it back on my phone until six weeks later. There was no grand reason for me doing this, I could just feel myself getting disillusioned and not enjoying the platform like I used to. I felt the pressure of trying to promote myself and my writing, and I recognised that perhaps I wasn’t in the best headspace to do that.
So, I gave myself some breathing room. I’ll be honest, I thought I would emerge from this accidental hiatus a renewed soul, who no longer even needed Instagram. People would ask me ‘are you on Instagram?’ and I could smugly say ‘no, it’s not really for me’, but really nonchalantly. I’m all about the IRL things now, thanks.
Well, dear reader, how wrong I was. I missed Instagram. There, I said it. I bloody missed it. I missed the stories, the reels, the cute puppy videos, Schitt’s Creek quotes and perving on outfits I’ll never wear. I missed it all. Ironically, I also missed photos and stories I’d been tagged in - by being so *present* I'd accidentally missed capturing memories.
I made my peace with being a terrible person that likes social media (well, literally one platform) but then I had another obstacle. I figured I should post some stuff. But what the hell do I post? Now, I’ve spoken about this before and I’ll guess that I’ll speak about it again because our relationships with social media are so bloody complicated and ever-changing that I think it’s good to step back and reevaluate things sometimes.
But for weeks I either posted nothing or one thing, then nothing. No consistency, no drive, I was still struggling. Obviously if my page was a personal one it wouldn’t matter. But I’m a writer, and I want more people to know I’m a writer, and to ultimately read my words. I know the smart women who I wish to capture as readers are hanging out on Instagram. There’s an insane pressure to use the trending audios, point at things or dance around etc. You don’t always want to do that. And whether you’re after stone cold sales or looking for customers to connect with, you shouldn’t have to. When I mentioned this in a virtual cuppas session (hosted by the gorgeous Sophie Carefull) my sentiments were echoed, but also kind of knocked out of the park.
After being offered some practical advice and gentle words, I I started to realise it really was time to step out of my own head. I decided to go back to a time when I enjoyed social media, when it was a fun platform and focus on the things I enjoyed, like silly audio clips from shows I love, and most importantly, engaging with my followers.
So, all this is to say, thanks for welcoming me back to your inbox and pop over to my page and say hello, I’m always game for a chat.