Now comes some thoughts on this stress regarding social media which I both love and hate. I have two Facebook accounts. I mostly scroll through my private Facebook now and then. I used to go through all the posts that friends and family made, but now I notice that fewer and fewer people are using their accounts to actually share their life and thoughts. It's mostly that articles and other people's posts are shared, and that can be interesting things. But also things that you absolutely do not want in your feed.
I'm in a few groups on Facebook, like about birds and cats...and also a group called “The Watercolor Painters”. That particular group cracks me up more than inspires me right now, I feel like an amateur when I compare myself to others. I know it's irrational as I at the same time urge you to ignore comparing yourself and only aim for lust.
How I use social media
But I probably use my private account a little like most people, sharing what's happening in life and other things. But it also means that I don't really take Facebook seriously and think that no one reads or is interested in what I write.
I also have an account linked to my company and sometimes I'm a bit lazy about updating there, and it can stress me out so damn much, that you should constantly add more and then reply to all the comments that result once you put something in.
Angles on posts
Being your own marketer is harder than you think, thinking up funny posts, being interesting and performing. Technically, it's not difficult, but the difficult thing is to keep a steady flow of something that feels interesting and relevant to others, without stressing yourself out.
I started with a purely private Instagram, but it has drifted over to being a combined work and private account, so there I also have to have a good balance between my private life and my designing.
How do you see this with social media?
What is interesting about the people you follow? Is it beautiful pictures or the person behind them that interests you? I understand that these are difficult questions to answer and that it depends on who you follow and so on, but these are the questions that I constantly think about when I post. I know that many people love to see my little cartoons, for example. Then I notice that I lose followers if I post too many pictures from Mallorca or our cats, so I have an idea of what you want.
I feel that I often casually pick up my phone and scroll through Instagram and all the "stories", and just stress myself out about what I myself "should" post.
I'm not a completely organized person and I easily put things off when I get too stressed in my head. And at the same time I love Instagram and sometimes Facebook.
“You lift me up”
I usually work alone and have no colleagues other than my partner, so my contact with you is via these channels. So I really have a split relationship with this, sometimes it feels like you're chasing followers and likes. And that, in turn, it becomes a receipt for how successful you are. "If you're not seen, you're not there", that's about how it feels.
There you go! Now, after a break for a while, I have put together a post that will be a product of my stress and divisiveness. A product vis-à-vis the social windows that we look into each other. Because I wouldn't want to be without you all either, because you're the ones who lift me up when I'm down. You encourage me when I doubt and you share your own lives. I just have to get better at balancing life and not letting the stress eat me up. Thank you for being there!