I Wonder If You’ll “Like” This.

How many likes will this get?  Will you follow me now?

 

If you’re in a business that requires a following or you’re like me and plan to write a book, or paint or sing, we depend on that audience that we reach out to, to support our endeavors,  social media has become the stage on which we perform daily.

It’s remarkable how social media has brought long lost family members back together, how it connects us with the world, how we can keep up with all the going’s-on with loved ones, but it has also hampered our freedom from not seeking approval from others. It takes courage to reveal your innermost thoughts or your passions in front of the social media world and that world can be cruel or it can be accepting, and as much as we don’t want it to be true, we crave acceptance.  As I write this my mind can’t help but wonder if people will like it, will they like or follow my page or my blog?

Sometimes I lose sight of the fact that I’m writing for me as much as I’m writing for you.  I write because it’s therapeutic, it frees me of all the toxic words, emotions and energy that might otherwise become stuck inside of me.  When you dance or sing, it frees you too, when you are out in nature or on a busy street and you see the “perfect shot”, you take it because your camera lens is the kaleidoscope through which your emotions connect.

I write to connect with people on a soul level, to tell stories, to hold space for someone with my words and let them know, I know exactly how they feel, I write to guide people on their paths based on my own.  I have been in those dark, scary places and I have been to the top of the mountain celebrating life.

Most of us spend a good portion of our time basing at least some of our self-worth on others reactions, either in person or on social media via a like, a re tweet, a share or better yet, by following us. It’s exhausting keeping up with trying to figure out what people want to read, see or hear. We second guess ourselves, “did I share too much of myself, am I not sharing enough”.

I am in no way bashing social media, in fact, I’m grateful for it, I have made some wonderful connections with others that I wouldn’t have otherwise, I share my art form with women that are supportive to one another, I have reconnected with my own long lost relatives and I get to share all the special moments that my family and friends are having by scrolling through the photos they post.  I love social media!

But today I am writing for me and I encourage and applaud you to free yourselves and paint a picture with the colors that light up your soul, dance to or sing the songs that speak to you, take the photos you want to take because you recognize the beauty in them.

 

Create for you, because when we connect with our gifts and passions, we extend our creative hand out into the world and only then, is when someone out there can grasp it.