What do you do when social media feels more like a burden than something that is actually useful? A crutch? Yes, crutches are sometimes very necessary and useful things, but what if you can walk perfectly well, but don’t know it, because you have this “supposed” support?

How do you convince yourself that you don’t need it and won’t fall flat on your face once you let go and try walking without it? I guess what I am asking is, how can I move forward without this supposedly helpful tool that social media sells itself as? Don’t get me wrong, I see the success stories and what it can do and has done, but as with most things the bad seem to outweigh the good much more. Especially in recent years.

I haven’t posted since my December social media sabbatical even though I am back online, I just don’t see the point. What do the likes mean? What sort of validation is that? Is being happy with what I do not enough?

I’m working. Hard. I’m currently on a one month artist residency - as of writing this - in the town of Franschhoek in the Western Cape and I’ve probably shot more work and been more productive in these two and a half weeks than the first two and a half months of this year. All the while though the phone is raised and the platforms are scrolled through and it’s a weight. A necessary evil? I’m beginning to think not.

So, here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll be posting less on those platforms and more on my website. Will I still use social media? In all likelihood, yes, I’ll use them as links to my work and processes here. What I’m busy with, what I’d like to be busy with. My struggles and my successes. I’ve finally begun on a 3 and a half year old project concept and I’m happy to report that it is - in my mind at least - going well. So, for now, I’m putting my head down again and diving back into the work that I am busy with and hopefully soon I’ll have something more to share that includes imagery and my thought process and that you can learn from.

Thanks for reading