Collection | 2
Spring things, social media breaks, and Easter to make the world a little more beautiful!
Thanks for dropping by! Happy to bring you Collection 2 with a few beautiful things on my mind, lots of thoughts on social media after taking a break and returning, and of course some creative inspiration to complement. I feel like I’m really leaning into getting my life and visions in order and ready to act on them. I think it’s the spring air nudging a “clean and conquer” attitude! I can’t wait to hear more about what made your world beautiful - the big, the small, and the oh-so-medium because we all have perspective and relativity to learn from one another. A big theme on my mind recently. Grab a chair, grab a drink, let’s indulge in conversation!
Three Things that Made the World Beautiful Last Week
Natural nails. Crazy to say it but after a few years of pretty much nonstop at-home gel nails, I need my distance. I’ve never had the healthiest nails, but now I am in a good groove on focusing on my nail strength and embracing the natural look (and avoiding the light exposure even though I had gloves - yes I was hardcore). It’s also pretty fun to play around with normal nail polish which was unexpected. All I had to do was accept that they’ll only last a few days before I need to remove, and my high expectation problem was solved!
Our ranunculus flowers have sprouted!! This one feels like a major win because I’ve never tried to grow flowers before. Let’s hope they continue to grow up beautiful and bright!!
Easter is a special season, and the graces are many. I’m so grateful for the time spent with family and for their gracious hosting for us out-of-townies. I’ll gladly eat ham for lunch and dinner if it means we get to see everyone from both of our families.
Conversation: Thoughts on Returning to Social Media After a Break
For Lent, I fasted from Instagram and Facebook. This might seem mainstream and boring, but it was something I’ve never done before for the full season. I didn’t even give myself Sundays as I knew I personally needed a little more discipline. This decision came from feeling cluttered and unfulfilled about how I was spending my screen time - you know the habitual app opening and doom scrolling for literally no reason. Well now that we are in the Easter season, I’m here to share my thoughts and experiences.
Alright, let’s dive into some thoughts.
I chose to fast from Instagram and Facebook specifically to remove myself from the platforms my mind went blank while scrolling through. I kept Pinterest and Snapchat because I wasn’t “addicted” or mindlessly using them (I don’t have TikTok on my phone anymore - honestly a big blessing). So, I removed the apps from my home screen and turned off all of their notifications. I also couldn’t help myself but to update my bio explaining I’d be back soon (aka Easter).
I was initially concerned about missing big life updates and keeping up with friends/family. I told those close to me that I knew weren’t giving up these platforms to keep me in the loop (the desperation lol). Coincidentally, my sister was also fasting from the same platforms, so it felt like I had someone to lean on if I needed to talk. All of that aside, I was prepped and ready to disappear into the desert (and what I thought was going to be isolation from the world).
Initially, I was still in the habit of checking my phone which resulted in a very clean email inbox because I had nothing else to refresh. I used my email to fill the void of screen time (resulting in lots of unsubscribes - yay!). Eventually, this evolved to having less screen time and having a bit more free space in my brain. I transitioned to using my phone in more intentional ways, which I really enjoyed.
The second half-ish of my fast was met with another realization, even though I wasn’t consciously comparing myself to others and trying to reach a certain “beauty standard,” it was definitely happening subconsciously. I never fully understood the messages of documentaries and studies that describe how social media psychologically impacts your self-image, but it took being away for a few weeks to really understand how negatively it was impacting me. I was feeling pressure lifted off myself and definitely happier with who I am after not being inundated with thousands of “it girls” in my algorithm.
This surprised me because I didn’t think I had a problem with any of it! Little did I know… This brought up thoughts on:
What is best for me?
How can I be mindful about the media I am consuming and its impact on me?
What is my purpose of social media, and how can I start living that today?
What do I actually want to use it for?
All of these questions I have heard before, but this time, it meant a lot more.
I realized that social media is best for me as a way to connect with family and friends. Additionally, finding the right space for internet inspiration was important. The constant affiliate links, ads, limited edition drops, and influencer culture was serving me no purpose - other than to add to consumer culture and make me constantly aspire for a lifestyle that isn’t normal or sustainable. What I once loved as “lifestyle” accounts have turned into selling me on things rather than inspiring me to live a real and authentic life.
All of that to say, I did go on Instagram a couple of days for the sole purpose of unfollowing accounts. I unfollowed most influencers, brands, and people that I didn’t actually know. Anyone who used the red flag phrases of: “must have,” “items you need,” “my wishlist,” or “the best” was unfollowed. I really didn’t need anything they were selling, and if I did, I could always look back at their account or find it myself. In the end, it wasn’t serving me anymore and if I’m being brutally honest, it never was. All of this was to prepare myself for a good return once Easter arrived.
When Easter came, I logged back on. Even with unfollowing many accounts, I still felt so overwhelmed by the amount of stimulus and content in my face to consume. It was not a joyous thing, and I felt a bit cloudy after trying to make my way in the online world again. I unfollowed a few more accounts and am now less attached to what I thought was such a fun space before. One thing that brought me hope was that for the first time in a long time, I was able to fully go through all of the stories on my feed. Isn’t that a weird thing to admit/say out loud?
All in all - I really wasn’t that out of the loop on trends and news. If I missed something, it eventually came up anyways. Be it the news, friends, or even podcasts, I didn’t need to be inundated with an unnecessary amount of content daily to be in the know.
So what’s next? I think I’m still working through how I want to best use Instagram specifically. To start, I’m primarily looking at my “following” feed and avoiding the main feed and discover pages. They are still there if I ever want to view, but for now, my following feed is helping me stay intentional about my screen time in the app.
Photos and photography will always be a passion of mine, but the platforms aren’t exciting to me anymore. I’ll likely continue to post the photos I want to post, but I don’t feel any need to keep up with any trend or standard. This feeling was one I had before, but it is more solidified now.
I do want to end with a thought on influencer culture. It is amazing that so many people can make a living and support their families with the work they do on social platforms, but in my opinion, one too many people are blindly promoting products and services that they got for free. In turn, this is creating a psychological trap of unattainable illusions, beauty standards, and lifestyles that non-influencers are falling deep into. Even without realizing it. Were we actually meant to interact with hundreds of pieces of content a day?
A bit of a call to action and repeated message, BUT most of all, I encourage you to take inventory of what you consume. Step outside of yourself to understand how it is impacting your brain. Spring is a great time to clean house, intentionally be a citizen on the internet that will make you a better you in real life! We could all use some fresh air and extra happiness in being who we were meant to be!
Creative Corner
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Notes:
floral | sunshine | accessories | natural nails | hair styled
A Prayer to Share
Come Holy Spirit - to guide us in what we consume.
That what we consume fills our unique needs to become more loving and responsible versions of ourselves for the sake of our communities both in real life and online. May we bring good news and connection through your ever present graces.
Amen.
I would love to hear your take! Drop a comment, reply to my email - let’s keep the conversation going.
Thank you for being here, friend! Please subscribe to my weekly collections and if you feel so inclined, pledge for a future subscription. Go make the world beautiful (!!)
xo - Cam