Happy Friday! :) It may not be a typical Friday topic, but today I’d like to have an honest chat about something that’s been on my mind: social media. Engaging in social media means a constant influx of information, and for me it really is a love/hate relationship. Lately I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all of the “noise” while feeling like I’m losing a sense of self in the process. The truth is I’m a little tired…tired of living online, constantly trying to keep up, the selling/promoting, and sorting through all of the “noise”. It often feels like a game and to be honest sometimes I just don’t want to play. Things used to be plain and simple and somewhere along the way it all became a source of stress.
Of course there are good days and bad and I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, I just really needed to step back and acknowledge this “noise” in my online life and recognize how it has affected my life as a whole. I’m looking to get rid of the noise. That may just mean letting go of the pressure and the feeling that I need to constantly check in and “keep up” with social media. Because really, who can? It may mean having a more scheduled routine or only going on social media when I truly want to engage and connect. Getting rid of the noise also means evaluating my own thoughts and inner “noise” – eliminating doubts, comparison, second-guesses, and feelings of what I think I should be doing, and instead listening more closely to my own voice and what I want to be doing. Because that’s usually the right direction anyway.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by it all? I’m excited to make some positive changes and I’d love to hear if you can relate. I hope you join me in getting rid of the unnecessary “noise” in our lives so that we can have a better sense of self and something even better to offer the world!
Also, I thought I’d share a few links that I found useful and inspiring this week…
Jenn Stark wrote about the same topic, and she also inspired me to write this post.
I love this letter that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote to his daughter about ‘things to worry about’ and ‘things not to worry about’.
A great post by Brittni that I could really relate to (and her #1 secret to success).
More about success…secrets of the world’s most powerful women on Forbes.
Ok enough serious talk. :) I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I’m grateful to be spending the weekend with family and we’re throwing my sister a baby shower! I’ll be back here on Monday (on a lighter note:) and I’m excited to finally share photos from our trip to California!
Have a good one! xoxo
P.S. Thanks to all of you for entering my giveaway this week (if you haven’t entered, it closes tomorrow!)! I’ve got some more great giveaways lined up in the coming months so stay tuned. :)
(photo via checks and spots, original source unknown)
Friday, October 26th, 2012, 8:00 am | 
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October 26, 2012 at 8:52 am
Thank you for speaking from the heart! This is something I am constantly striving to balance. I do have a blog, but I try to do it for myself as sort of creative journal. If I continue to write about what makes me happy, then it doesn’t really matter how many (or few) followers or comments I have. I’ve finally pared back my social media interactions, limiting it to Facebook, twitter and dribbble. Trying to keep up with Google+, tumblr and flickr has left me completely exhausted and sapped all my energy and creativity for actually making things! Then what’s the point? I guess what I’m saying is I totally get it – and kudos to you for realizing it and hopefully making changes that leaves you a happier, more creative person!
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:38 am
Thanks so much for the encouragement Emily! I’m glad you can relate and I really admire your perspective! xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 9:08 am
i must ask, if putting your all into social media at times as paid off? i have been presently putting things out to the internet since 1998 and although i have never stopped, i have never fully gone into it. it just seems a bit strange to me, although i keep doing my thing i am not outsourcing or plowing full steam ahead. that being said; i do think your blog is full of courage and very neatly curated and for that i give you two thumbs up.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:35 am
Hi Ashley! I do think it has paid off, even if it’s been hard at times. But I’ve had a change in perspective that I think will only help my social engagement…and that is only participating in a way that helps me continue to find my own voice, not someone else’s. As soon as too may outside voices start to creep in, I know it’s time for a break so I can reconnect with myself and my own desire to create & share! Thanks for commenting and hope that helps! xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 9:23 am
I could not be more with you!
I have worked as a freelance designer & photographer for 5+ years and never had social media accounts (other than my personal FB page which I keep very private) until this past summer when I created some business facebook pages and then last month I created a Twitter account. And to be honest most days I don’t know why I bothered because it just feels like one more thing added to my never ending To Do List.
I wrote a blog years back on my personal blog called Intimate Corners of Privacy (http://www.achristianyoginisblog.com/2010/06/intimate-corners-of-privacy.html), about my own love hate relationship with social media and the new ways of “communicating”. And I posted a blog recently on my design blog where I touched on this as well (http://www.designingalifeblog.com/2012/10/a-moment-of-honesty.html).
The truth is, I debate myself daily about whether or not I should delete my social sites and just stick to blogging which I enjoy SO much more than the rest. But I just don’t know. I will say on the bright side that I have discovered a lot of great designers and bloggers through Twitter who I follow whether they “follow” me or not.
So, I don’t know what the answer is, accept to say that I try very hard to move beyond social media virtual communication and try very hard to “really” connect with the people I find online.
I think this is our world today and I love that you are taking the time to tune out some of the noise so you can tune in to you. :)
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:32 am
Thanks Shayla! It is our world today…which is why it feels like a constant battle. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think it’s beneficial for your business to have those accounts but it can be totally up to you how much you’d like to engage. I’ve started to remove the pressure of feeling like I need to engage constantly…it often gets lost in the “noise” anyway. ;) But I will continue to share my content and make an effort to connect beyond the screen. Hope you find the balance you need! xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 9:32 am
ps: I just tweeted about this post, ha! :)
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October 26, 2012 at 9:39 am
I can totally relate to this. Since I’m a social media manager for a big brand by day, I can’t completely disconnect, but lately I’ve forced myself to let go of the self-pressure I create related to my blog. I constantly have to remind myself it’s not my full-time job like it is for many of the bloggers I follow. I’ve been trying to take a step back, quiet the noise, and refocus my time and energy on creating and sharing content I love rather than trying to do it just to keep up.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:23 am
Well said, Lauren. Thanks for sharing and I’m so glad you can relate. Hoping we can all take steps to quiet the noise. :) xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 10:25 am
thank you for this post, colleen. lately, i’ve been having a lot of anxiety and many thoughts running wild and keeping me up late at night. i was having trouble pin-pointing where all of this stress was coming from and i think you nailed it on the head. i’m constantly worrying about how much i’m communicating online… and though it can be important, it’s also unnecessary for me to be worrying about “connecting” 24/7. the connections that are worthwhile and meant to happen will happen without me forcing it. i think i’m going to challenge myself to stay off of social media this weekend. ;) i hope you have a lovely weekend free of “noise”.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:22 am
Thanks for sharing, Erika. It’s so good to know we’re not alone…and I often feel that exact same kind of anxiety. It’s hard, but I’ve been trying to step back and realize how silly it is to waste my energy worrying or even thinking about it all. I hope you were able to step back and get some peace and perspective! xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 10:57 am
I love this post! I’ve been feeling the same way lately. I feel like I’m constantly at war with myself because I compulsively check social media, but at the same time I really feel like stepping away would do me some good. Hopefully I can swing some chill time this weekend!
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:20 am
Thanks Kate! Hope you found some time to disconnect and recharge! xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 11:52 am
Great post! It can be so difficult to find that line between how much you need to promote yourself, and how much you just need to get stuff done. Obviously I want to spend time participating in the community that has been supporting me, and also make sure my name is out there to bring more work/traffic in, but at the same time, I have to be able to get my work done, and it’s hard to find time to do it all. I do best when I stick to my to-do list and focus on just one thing at a time, not allowing myself to do anything else until it’s complete, and leave the majority of my social media time for set times. But it’s easy to get caught up in needing to check in constantly.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:20 am
Thanks for sharing, Lisa! Great points…and it is wonderful to have an online community that supports us, but balance is crucial. That’s a great point about focusing on one thing at a time and finishing a task before anything else! xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Agreed.
Social media (especially pinterest) can really be a media overload at times. It’s so important to just break away every once in a while. Take a road trip to the Porcupine Mountains (stay in a yurt!) and take photos with a disposable camera. Don’t scan them or post on instagram, just keep them in a shoebox under your bed with other old disposable camera photos from your junior prom or middle school trip to 6 flags.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:18 am
Love that Molly! The thought of taking photos and not feeling the need to share them is so refreshing! I’ve never been to the Porcupine Mountains but that sounds amazing! :) xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 2:34 pm
I so agree with this entire post. Sometimes I find myself stepping off social media for an entire day or two and I realize… I didn’t really miss anything. I have such a love/hate relationship with it, because I’ve met so many awesome people online who are now real life friends, but at the same time… there’s no substitute for fresh air and real interaction. It should never be an issue of “need to” keep up with social media, it should just be an extra way of communicating.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:15 am
Anni- seriously! I find I don’t miss it either, and I am often happier because I’m not constantly in a state of comparison, you know? Well said, social media should just be an extra way of communicating. Thanks for sharing! xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 3:04 pm
I love a little honesty about social media–and frankly, I have had to pull back to keep myself happy and sane. I am so grateful for the blog/internet friends I’ve made, but at the end of the day, if I’m chatting with them instead of my partner, my parents or the sweet girl at the checkout counter, there’s probably some balance missing. And boy if we don’t all need more balance!
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:13 am
So well said, Lena! Hoping we all find more balance… xoxo
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October 26, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Wonderful post! I can relate so much to it. The most recent post on my blog is sort of about this same thing. I’m trying to take a step back from the online world and just really live and spend my time wisely and enjoy it. I feel like it is so easy to get all wrapped up in social media and you kind of lose yourself sometimes from all the chaos.
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:12 am
Couldn’t agree more Katie! Thanks for sharing. :) xo
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October 27, 2012 at 1:57 am
I feel the same, sometimes I just want to quit the whole thing. Social media, pinterest, other blogs can sometimes make you feel so inferior – because there are so many people out there doing amazing things, getting involved with cool brands, living their dreams and it’s hard when you start comparing.
Sometimes you have to shut down the computer, take out a notebook, count your blessings, and keep dreaming up big ideas and all the things you want to do.
It’s hard but you need to balance real life and online life, and real life is just that REAL.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:11 am
I love what you said Emma-Jane!
“Sometimes you have to shut down the computer, take out a notebook, count your blessings, and keep dreaming up big ideas and all the things you want to do.”
Yes, I need much more of that! Hoping we both find more balance. xoxo
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October 27, 2012 at 11:12 am
I love this Colleen! I’ve really really enjoyed taking a break from all things social media and getting back to being actually present in my own life these days. And I love what Emma-Jane said. Social media by its very essence is everyone else’s highlight reel, while you sit there and consume it and probably at some point feel a bit left behind/left out/sorry for yourself. Promoting yourself constantly is just exhausting, and it’s eye opening to really see how my energy is so better spent on connecting in real life with people and into creating better art.
It’s hard, there are good things and bad things to social media (and everything in life), and it’s about deciding whether the good is still outweighing the bad. Tricky for sure! Hope you had a lovely weekend :) xoxo
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:10 am
Thanks so much for sharing, Jenn! That’s such a good point and is great encouragement! xoxo
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October 29, 2012 at 8:46 pm
I know that feel, bro. I know that feel haha but on a more serious note, I can totally relate. I went to a yoga class last week and I realized it was the longest time I’d spent without looking at a screen (excluding sleeping ha) in a very. long. time. It was kind of an alarming realization. Keeping up with and updating social media sometimes feels like a fulltime job. And it also made me realize the gratification I get whenever someone likes something on instagram/twitter/facebook etc. I’ve been trying to spend a little less time glued to my phone since then.
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Colleen Reply:
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:09 am
Thanks for sharing Marisa! I feel the same way…I think it’s time to focus more on in-person relationships…and not let technology dictate my life! :)
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November 4, 2012 at 3:50 pm
I can definitely relate to this post, and share your sentiments. I feel like I’m on a crazy roller coaster whenever I decide to step into the social media arena. Keeping up with all the various platforms is quite challenging, even debilitating at times. I think I have only recently been able to let go, and just do my thing regardless of results. If what I do yields real connections, then that’s the gift.
I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments and wise words. Thank you for this wonderful post, Colleen!
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Colleen Reply:
November 6th, 2012 at 10:38 am
Thanks for sharing Theresa! I love that we’re all in this together…and definitely not alone! xoxo
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November 5, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Thanks for the lovely post. Not only does this ring true for social media, but on many walks of life. There are so many instances where you feel obligated to do so many things, that what you actually want to do gets lost in the mix. It’s hard to decide where to draw the line. Pleasing yourself or others. I think there is a balance that needs to be achieved. :) On a lighter note, hittin up Milwaukee this weekend- do you have any suggestions on things to do as a couple? Preferably in the downtown area. We are into the music scene, and indie food. I am so bummed that the trampled by turtles concert is sold out at Pabst Theatre!! If you hear of any tickets for sale- send them my way! taylorraes@hotmail.com
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