If you follow this blog, you already know I am currently shutting down my Facebook and Instagram pages and moving over to BlueSky. Long story short, I am no fan of Zuckerberg. Regardless of my reasons, though, I am finding a new, healthier perspective on my work and my use of social media. I might get a bit wordy here, so either bail out now and go back to scrolling through monotonous reels, or settle in for a thoughtful read. No judgment. (Okay, maybe a little judgment. I think I am quite entertaining.)
I realized recently that social media has made me lazy. Facebook and Instagram made it too easy to engage with followers without putting in much effort. Why write a new blog post when you can post a quickly edited photo or share a funny meme and get “likes” from the masses? Here on my blog, I have to actually write. I have to think, and if I want others to show interest, I have to make those thoughts comprehensible. Reading a blog post requires an attention span, whereas social media posts do not. They are a flash in the pan, so-to-speak. Writing here challenges me in the most creative ways. I never got that from Facebook or Instagram. I fell into the trap of posting “look at me” content rather than “think about this after I’m gone” content. I wholeheartedly prefer to post the latter.
So, if I am decidedly against social media, you may be wondering why I am moving over to BlueSky instead of just shutting it all down. Honestly, I need a place to advertise my work. I am a self-published author; I have no agent or publisher backing me in any way. The reality is, I need at least one social platform on which to spread the word about my creations. BlueSky appears to be a writer-friendly, nontoxic place for just that. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads (which I already deleted), is a cesspool of corporate greed, data theft, bigotry, and mind-numbing repetition. No thank you. I can’t thrive there. I end up cultivating an appearance rather than creating actual art. I no longer want to waste away under the false pretense that I am connecting with people or getting recognition. A “like” does not equal having an impact on someone. It just means you caught their attention for a split second. They’ve already forgotten you. Art makes an impact. I want to make an impact.
Suffice it to say, your beloved Twisted Libra will be blogging more often. This is my place to vent, to create, to provoke thought. I can’t do that on a social platform. At least, not in any meaningful way. I think we all got caught up in the vanity of social media. We felt connected and entertained, but at the cost of true relationships and genuine material. I never really learned anything from social media except for how negative its affects can be. I learned what I do and don’t need in life, what I will and won’t let go of as an artist. I can’t be an authentic writer if all I do is catch people’s attention briefly enough for them to tap a heart or thumbs up icon. I want people to stop, listen, and walk away altered in some positive way. Social media could never truly provide that for me. I can only find it here, in the space I built. The space where people tune in because they choose to, not because some algorithm decided to put me on their FYP. My lovelies are here because they actually care about what I have to say. That is priceless, and from now on, these folks are the only ones who matter.
Thank you for giving me time to vent this all out. I feel better now. I hope you can take something positive away from this post. Perhaps you will reconsider your own stance on social media? I’m not saying everyone should quit, just make sure you are putting the greatest focus on the things that enrich and enlighten you. Be authentic. Don’t get caught up in the algorithms and viral clips. Thinking the “likes” and attention from strangers who forget you the moment they refresh the page equates to making a true impact on someone’s life is akin to thinking the stripper actually wants you regardless of the money involved. In both scenarios, you are doomed to be forgotten.
That being said, if you don’t currently follow this blog and you found your way here, please consider subscribing. I promise no spam, no ads, and plenty of laughs (with me or at me, it can go either way). Also, feel free to stop by my cemetery! All are welcome there, and I have a delightfully wicked creation for every soul!
https://www.twistedlibracemetery.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/twistedlibra.bsky.social
Until next time…
Dancing Among the Remains 