This has been a long time coming. Many of us have been assessing our relationship with social media. I can’t deliberate any longer. As a creator/artist, there’s a lot of pressure to show up and represent myself and my work. Yet, I have also held on to my Facebook and Instagram feeds because I greatly value the relationships and connections I’ve made. But I can’t deny the feelings that come up for me each time I log in.

I’m convinced that one of my biggest regrets in life will be the amount of time I spent on social media. There are aspects of it that I love. But with limited time, I want to be cautious about how I’m spending it. I want to focus on my research and writing this year, even more time spent outside, and living outside the world of ‘voices’ and ‘influencers’ that are telling me how I should feel about myself. I want to be in my happy place more often: exploring in the field, stepping into the past, living out my creative dreams. I’ll be doing a whole lot of that this year.

Exploring the Madara National Historical Archaeological Reserve in Bulgaria. Photo by Paul Zizka.

I’m not leaving (for now); I’m redirecting. I’ll only be logging in occasionally to manage messages, make sure things don’t fall through the cracks, and accept collabs for creative projects or upcoming workshops. I’ll be using the platforms as a communication and information tool when no other options are available.

I am not deleting anything; just leaving it dormant until I can make sense of how I want to proceed in my life and work. If you’re interested in staying in touch, reading my latest articles, and hearing about new creative projects, I’ll point out three options: my quarterly-ish Newsletter, Substack, and good, “old-fashioned” Email. Links are in bio/comments.

I’ll miss the interactions I’ve had on Meta platforms. I may be back one day; I’m not one to cut a cord entirely without considering that future circumstances might change things. But for now, this feels right in body, mind and spirit.

Mindfully,

Meghan