The older and crankier (or maybe the older and wiser) I get, the more I think social media and being Extremely Online can be really bad for innovation and creativity. Not because of the timesink and addictive properties (or not just because of the timesink and addictive properties) but because it’s hard to dance like nobody’s looking when you’re always aware of the spyglasses trained on you.
Love this, Bear. And this is exactly why I’m pulling back from socials! I want to live in my writing again--and I can’t do that when I feel watched. 💖💖
First up, I can assure you from personal experience that crankier and wiser are not mutually exclusive. :)
Second, I've been having much the same experience. While I greatly miss the global water cooler, or 24/7 barcon, or whatever the "good days" on Twitter were, I'm in a much better headspace now that I'm just occasionally poking around on Mastodon with a strongly-curated feed. Kellan Szpara quit Twitter long before I did and once told me about the huge sense of relief he felt once free of the perceived need to have to make a statement about the Discourse of the Day, whatever it was. Not that anyone really has to say anything, but as you allude, there's a certain pressure to do so.
Anyway! We soldier on. How's the new work coming? I'm actually making new words steadily for the first time in months.
Love this, Bear. And this is exactly why I’m pulling back from socials! I want to live in my writing again--and I can’t do that when I feel watched. 💖💖
Thank you!
First up, I can assure you from personal experience that crankier and wiser are not mutually exclusive. :)
Second, I've been having much the same experience. While I greatly miss the global water cooler, or 24/7 barcon, or whatever the "good days" on Twitter were, I'm in a much better headspace now that I'm just occasionally poking around on Mastodon with a strongly-curated feed. Kellan Szpara quit Twitter long before I did and once told me about the huge sense of relief he felt once free of the perceived need to have to make a statement about the Discourse of the Day, whatever it was. Not that anyone really has to say anything, but as you allude, there's a certain pressure to do so.
Anyway! We soldier on. How's the new work coming? I'm actually making new words steadily for the first time in months.
Ooo, congrats on the new words. I'm editing away.