Great post! I'm a very woo-woo spiritual person but I'm also stubborn and try to stay grounded. So, if I see a something that could be considered a sign I talk myself out but then I'll constantly see that same sign over and over again which frustrates me. Is it me wanting to believed that the sign was meant for me or is the universe being stubborn against me? 😂
I love spotting an angel number here and there, but I try to keep a level head on myself. Not everything has to be a sign, and often we should just go with our gut.
"Sometimes, looking for a sign is the sign. It’s a signal that we need to slow down and become more present." - I'm going to need 8-10 business days to digest this one.
A HUGE congrats on going two weeks without social media! This reminded me of week 4 of the Artist's Way program where I had to go a week of full deprivation (no reading, no socials, no tv) and I nearly had a mental breakdown -- okay fine, I did in fact have multiple mental breakdowns. It was excruciating, but it also laid out a very hard truth of how heavily I had been consuming content. While the point of this deprivation week was to create more art, I found myself so depleted and experiencing something akin to withdrawal symptoms? But then the following week, I felt overstimulated coming back to it all and while I was excited to go back to my old ways, I realized that my brain couldn't actually handle it. It was an eye-opening experience!
I especially resonated with the concept of looking for signs or making meaning of anything and everything. While there's a part of me that will always seek connection, look for synchronous moments and the magic that exists in our daily lives, you're absolutely right on how this need for meaning becomes so clouded and murky through the use of social media which transitioned it into this pervasive desire for self-assurance and validation. I am so guilty of seeking that out myself, and while I may not do the full deprivation that I had to during that particular week (because I wasn't allowed to read BOOKS!!), I'm definitely curious and keen to try a social media detox like the one that you did. Thank you for sharing this experience with us! It's really exciting and beautiful to see how rejuvenated and clear it's made you feel.
(A side note: Can I also just say that having previously worked in a host of communications departments and moving away from writing/content-creation as my 9-5, I am so wildly impressed by the fact that you write copy all day for work and still continue to make space to write on your blog and this newsletter?! That is so impressive!)
I’ve never gotten into the Artist’s Way, although more and more people have mentioned it in passing lately. (Is THAT a sign? 😂) Full deprivation sounds pretty rough, I think I need at least one thing – usually reading – to keep me at my ‘creative best’. But I can absolutely see where they’re coming from in terms of completely quietening your mind to focus on your own art. While I came off socials for other reasons, it’s been illuminating to find that I was totally overstimulated on there. Life feels so peaceful at the moment that I wonder whether I’ll ever go back!
Oh yes, I think some part of me will always be seeking connection and conjuring up moments of everyday magic. But I’m discovering that, lately, I can see those simply as beautiful everyday moments – no absolute need to apply a meaning to it and share everywhere. (Hang on, am I doing that now…?!) I’m definitely keeping at this detox for a few more weeks, then I’ll reassess my next steps. After all, I do miss a lot of people’s creative work online. Hoping that even more quiet, disconnected time will bring me to a mindful conclusion.
Great post! I'm a very woo-woo spiritual person but I'm also stubborn and try to stay grounded. So, if I see a something that could be considered a sign I talk myself out but then I'll constantly see that same sign over and over again which frustrates me. Is it me wanting to believed that the sign was meant for me or is the universe being stubborn against me? 😂
Relatable 😂
I love spotting an angel number here and there, but I try to keep a level head on myself. Not everything has to be a sign, and often we should just go with our gut.
"Sometimes, looking for a sign is the sign. It’s a signal that we need to slow down and become more present." - I'm going to need 8-10 business days to digest this one.
A HUGE congrats on going two weeks without social media! This reminded me of week 4 of the Artist's Way program where I had to go a week of full deprivation (no reading, no socials, no tv) and I nearly had a mental breakdown -- okay fine, I did in fact have multiple mental breakdowns. It was excruciating, but it also laid out a very hard truth of how heavily I had been consuming content. While the point of this deprivation week was to create more art, I found myself so depleted and experiencing something akin to withdrawal symptoms? But then the following week, I felt overstimulated coming back to it all and while I was excited to go back to my old ways, I realized that my brain couldn't actually handle it. It was an eye-opening experience!
I especially resonated with the concept of looking for signs or making meaning of anything and everything. While there's a part of me that will always seek connection, look for synchronous moments and the magic that exists in our daily lives, you're absolutely right on how this need for meaning becomes so clouded and murky through the use of social media which transitioned it into this pervasive desire for self-assurance and validation. I am so guilty of seeking that out myself, and while I may not do the full deprivation that I had to during that particular week (because I wasn't allowed to read BOOKS!!), I'm definitely curious and keen to try a social media detox like the one that you did. Thank you for sharing this experience with us! It's really exciting and beautiful to see how rejuvenated and clear it's made you feel.
(A side note: Can I also just say that having previously worked in a host of communications departments and moving away from writing/content-creation as my 9-5, I am so wildly impressed by the fact that you write copy all day for work and still continue to make space to write on your blog and this newsletter?! That is so impressive!)
I’ve never gotten into the Artist’s Way, although more and more people have mentioned it in passing lately. (Is THAT a sign? 😂) Full deprivation sounds pretty rough, I think I need at least one thing – usually reading – to keep me at my ‘creative best’. But I can absolutely see where they’re coming from in terms of completely quietening your mind to focus on your own art. While I came off socials for other reasons, it’s been illuminating to find that I was totally overstimulated on there. Life feels so peaceful at the moment that I wonder whether I’ll ever go back!
Oh yes, I think some part of me will always be seeking connection and conjuring up moments of everyday magic. But I’m discovering that, lately, I can see those simply as beautiful everyday moments – no absolute need to apply a meaning to it and share everywhere. (Hang on, am I doing that now…?!) I’m definitely keeping at this detox for a few more weeks, then I’ll reassess my next steps. After all, I do miss a lot of people’s creative work online. Hoping that even more quiet, disconnected time will bring me to a mindful conclusion.