This is great. I wish there were a middle way, but like my fraught relationship with wine and cookies, there isn’t. I might try walking off blocks of time and no social media to start.
Yeah, some days I just have a blob vision in my head and that’s enough slack to start the scroll. If it’s an on paper framework, you know exactly what you are squandering.
What an inspiring article! It reminds me of when I was a teenager with no tv in the 70’s and early 80’s. It was shocking to everyone I knew! I drew and painted, sewed most of my wardrobe, the lead in some plays, and an A student. I always had time for my friends and my creativity was my drug!
With limited TV in my life as an adult, I was able to raise three children, work full time, get a master’s degree, still sew, paint, crochet, and cook for enjoyment!
I gave up Twitter (with 2000+ followers) several years ago because it stole my creativity… so I invented and invested my time into creating a kidlit online platform to help kidlit writers and illustrators be more creative and productive—but still be connected. But that sometimes becomes my excuse for not working on my own projects.
I love the idea of blocking for scheduled times— genius! I began this summer to only scroll in the morning for an hour before 8:00 am. I only check my network throughout the day!
Thank you for tackling this difficult subject and sharing so honestly on a social network! 🥰 I definitely have room for more improvement!
And, like, I was a kid in the 70s and 80s who watched A LOT of television, but I still did many creative things. Because at a certain point, the show ended, and I didn't like the next one, so I turned it off. There wasn't that much to choose from as far as television. I'm really interested in getting back to a place of flowing freely with creativity rather than feeling the pull of the internet.
Love this. I have been working on short stories for adults and I noticed when I have a nice notebook and a fancy leas pencil I actually get writing done on the computer.I'm just so easily distracted!! Also kidlit world has been Super SLOW for me lately!
Kidlit world is slow for EVERYONE. And what you said about getting writing done in a notebook is true for me too. I love writing first (and even second) drafts in a notebook, and then revising as I type it in.
Yes and its so satisfying to fill up a notebook.I think the hack for me was using a pencil that I know I write well with, because when I use other writing equipment and I write sloppily, I cannot read my writing.And it's really annoying. And UGH about kidlit world
A gutsy thing to write about let alone do, Julie. I feel like I don't spend THAT much time on the Internet but I'm a slave to my iPhone. So weird that this little thing has taken over my life in such a devious way. Hmm. Something to think about.
This is not exactly on topic, but I am VERY excited for you about the "$3.50 wool grandpa cardigan" and really, really hope it looks like one Kurt Cobain would've worn?? :)
I thought of you in NYC last week because I forgot to get a Cel-Ray while I was there until the end of the trip, and I spent way too long looking for a Jewish deli to get one at before I remembered the place in Seattle that had them (that I forgot I knew about). Short version: I thought of you. I'm glad to get the update on what you've been up to, and I love a good hard rubbish pile, so I totally get you on the dump swap shop. Anything one loves can be a treat! (Thank goodness!)
And, above all else, I'm SOO happy to hear you got a 10-year-old story finally pinned down in your notebook, and another one out to your editor! (Huzzah!!)
Re: the sweater: hot diggety dog! Nice work! (And perfect timing!)
And sorry to hear about your local Cel-Ray shortage. It's especially sad, because I get it from a store standpoint: it's a pretty specialty drink; I kinda love them, and even I don't want to, like, buy an entire case. I just want someone ELSE to, and then slowly sell them to me, one at a time, over a period of many years, when I am in the rare mood. And for some reason, barely anyone finds that an irresistible proposition? 😂
I think the internet replaced a cognitive function for many of us. TV did too- requires no active problem solving or intuition. Just passive involvement. This was a great post!
Lovely inspiring article, Julie, and so to the point in its honesty and its assessment of what we are up to and what our reactions are. I would say the article is also an awareness-raising piece which we all need doses of. I never bothered with social media. Substack gives me everything I need, a platform where I can find great articles (like yours), very good poetry, a few informative political sites (I don't have TV or news papers) and inroads into what other people are living with and struggling to overcome. I also get to interact with other Substackers around our writing, by the exchange of comments. Now and then I use YouTube. Premium, no adds. It's here that I am faced with the lure you describe. Thank you for that. It was VERY helpful. As long as I stick to my chosen playlists, with chosen themes (like Music or Meditations, etc.), I am fine. When I spontaneously browse I can find truly valuable gems of info, like one video about crop circles. I have also found videos that were useful in my writing. Yet, awareness IS the key. Mindfulness too. I MUST remain "the aware chooser", and not let me get lost it the algorithm maze. Because Internet is nothing but a tool. What can be used can also be abused. I am the one who decides what it will be for me. Maria
Hi Julie, this is such a great post! I'm addicted to scrolling social media. I like the connection with other people, and the instant gratification when I post a drawing people like, but in between I have to wade through tons of stuff I don't really care about, and it's draining.
I envy your escape, even though I miss your social media posts from days of yore. Thanks for the inspiration!
I so totally understand. I was addicted to social media for so, so long. I love the attention! I love the praise! I felt like a witty and wise and helpful person! But now if I go on (I still do have Instagram)—I don't know if my algorithms are messed up because I don't go on very often and I rarely post, or if this is how it is for everyone, or if this is just my reaction after not going on very often, but everything in the feed makes me feel terrible. It used to make me feel like a million bucks, and now it makes me feel like dirt.
Lately I've been on Bluesky, which is definitely better, but still is a hole you can fall into. And as I get older, my brain takes more time to think about everything, a quick reply to someone's post can take ten minutes. I need to start setting limits and time restrictions, because I have so many projects I want to do, some waiting 20 years!
One thing I've learned about myself is that I really, really, can't be on any of these platforms. They take over my brain SO quickly. And that might just be a me thing! But considering how much I manage to not work on all of the projects I want to get done, I know that, if I convince myself that social media is somehow part of the job, then that's all I'll do. That's how it's gone in the past for me, at least.
I love that this is about "the internet" and not just social media. Sometimes, when I get off socials, I find myself replacing all that screen time with scrolling wikipedia and longreads and even substack, rather mindlessly. This is such a rich essay. Thanks for sharing! <3
YES I do that too. I got off social media and sort of clapped my hands together and thought, "Well, great! I did it!" but then still I was sitting in front of my computer not writing, but doing many other things. I'm still struggling with it. It's hard!
Thank you for giving me the reminders I always need ❤️
This is great. I wish there were a middle way, but like my fraught relationship with wine and cookies, there isn’t. I might try walking off blocks of time and no social media to start.
Thanks for this!
I've started scheduling blocks the day before, so that by the time I get to my desk, there's no way I can scroll "just for a sec."
Yeah, some days I just have a blob vision in my head and that’s enough slack to start the scroll. If it’s an on paper framework, you know exactly what you are squandering.
What an inspiring article! It reminds me of when I was a teenager with no tv in the 70’s and early 80’s. It was shocking to everyone I knew! I drew and painted, sewed most of my wardrobe, the lead in some plays, and an A student. I always had time for my friends and my creativity was my drug!
With limited TV in my life as an adult, I was able to raise three children, work full time, get a master’s degree, still sew, paint, crochet, and cook for enjoyment!
I gave up Twitter (with 2000+ followers) several years ago because it stole my creativity… so I invented and invested my time into creating a kidlit online platform to help kidlit writers and illustrators be more creative and productive—but still be connected. But that sometimes becomes my excuse for not working on my own projects.
I love the idea of blocking for scheduled times— genius! I began this summer to only scroll in the morning for an hour before 8:00 am. I only check my network throughout the day!
Thank you for tackling this difficult subject and sharing so honestly on a social network! 🥰 I definitely have room for more improvement!
And, like, I was a kid in the 70s and 80s who watched A LOT of television, but I still did many creative things. Because at a certain point, the show ended, and I didn't like the next one, so I turned it off. There wasn't that much to choose from as far as television. I'm really interested in getting back to a place of flowing freely with creativity rather than feeling the pull of the internet.
Love this. I have been working on short stories for adults and I noticed when I have a nice notebook and a fancy leas pencil I actually get writing done on the computer.I'm just so easily distracted!! Also kidlit world has been Super SLOW for me lately!
Kidlit world is slow for EVERYONE. And what you said about getting writing done in a notebook is true for me too. I love writing first (and even second) drafts in a notebook, and then revising as I type it in.
Yes and its so satisfying to fill up a notebook.I think the hack for me was using a pencil that I know I write well with, because when I use other writing equipment and I write sloppily, I cannot read my writing.And it's really annoying. And UGH about kidlit world
A gutsy thing to write about let alone do, Julie. I feel like I don't spend THAT much time on the Internet but I'm a slave to my iPhone. So weird that this little thing has taken over my life in such a devious way. Hmm. Something to think about.
This is not exactly on topic, but I am VERY excited for you about the "$3.50 wool grandpa cardigan" and really, really hope it looks like one Kurt Cobain would've worn?? :)
I thought of you in NYC last week because I forgot to get a Cel-Ray while I was there until the end of the trip, and I spent way too long looking for a Jewish deli to get one at before I remembered the place in Seattle that had them (that I forgot I knew about). Short version: I thought of you. I'm glad to get the update on what you've been up to, and I love a good hard rubbish pile, so I totally get you on the dump swap shop. Anything one loves can be a treat! (Thank goodness!)
And, above all else, I'm SOO happy to hear you got a 10-year-old story finally pinned down in your notebook, and another one out to your editor! (Huzzah!!)
Of COURSE my directive has been "a Kurt Cobain sweater." So yes, it is that. Not in color, but in shape. A surprisingly hard find!
I'm so glad you got a Cel-Ray! The Cel-Ray proprietor in my town closed down and has been replaced by a boba shop. Alas.
Re: the sweater: hot diggety dog! Nice work! (And perfect timing!)
And sorry to hear about your local Cel-Ray shortage. It's especially sad, because I get it from a store standpoint: it's a pretty specialty drink; I kinda love them, and even I don't want to, like, buy an entire case. I just want someone ELSE to, and then slowly sell them to me, one at a time, over a period of many years, when I am in the rare mood. And for some reason, barely anyone finds that an irresistible proposition? 😂
I think the internet replaced a cognitive function for many of us. TV did too- requires no active problem solving or intuition. Just passive involvement. This was a great post!
Lovely inspiring article, Julie, and so to the point in its honesty and its assessment of what we are up to and what our reactions are. I would say the article is also an awareness-raising piece which we all need doses of. I never bothered with social media. Substack gives me everything I need, a platform where I can find great articles (like yours), very good poetry, a few informative political sites (I don't have TV or news papers) and inroads into what other people are living with and struggling to overcome. I also get to interact with other Substackers around our writing, by the exchange of comments. Now and then I use YouTube. Premium, no adds. It's here that I am faced with the lure you describe. Thank you for that. It was VERY helpful. As long as I stick to my chosen playlists, with chosen themes (like Music or Meditations, etc.), I am fine. When I spontaneously browse I can find truly valuable gems of info, like one video about crop circles. I have also found videos that were useful in my writing. Yet, awareness IS the key. Mindfulness too. I MUST remain "the aware chooser", and not let me get lost it the algorithm maze. Because Internet is nothing but a tool. What can be used can also be abused. I am the one who decides what it will be for me. Maria
Love this!
Hi Julie, this is such a great post! I'm addicted to scrolling social media. I like the connection with other people, and the instant gratification when I post a drawing people like, but in between I have to wade through tons of stuff I don't really care about, and it's draining.
I envy your escape, even though I miss your social media posts from days of yore. Thanks for the inspiration!
I so totally understand. I was addicted to social media for so, so long. I love the attention! I love the praise! I felt like a witty and wise and helpful person! But now if I go on (I still do have Instagram)—I don't know if my algorithms are messed up because I don't go on very often and I rarely post, or if this is how it is for everyone, or if this is just my reaction after not going on very often, but everything in the feed makes me feel terrible. It used to make me feel like a million bucks, and now it makes me feel like dirt.
Lately I've been on Bluesky, which is definitely better, but still is a hole you can fall into. And as I get older, my brain takes more time to think about everything, a quick reply to someone's post can take ten minutes. I need to start setting limits and time restrictions, because I have so many projects I want to do, some waiting 20 years!
One thing I've learned about myself is that I really, really, can't be on any of these platforms. They take over my brain SO quickly. And that might just be a me thing! But considering how much I manage to not work on all of the projects I want to get done, I know that, if I convince myself that social media is somehow part of the job, then that's all I'll do. That's how it's gone in the past for me, at least.
Oh man, this is amazing and I really needed these reminders. I also want to wake up thinking "I should write a musical!"
RIGHT? Me too! (It probably wouldn't be a musical for me, but whatever the musical equivalent is for my brain.)
So good, Julie, and just what I needed to read this morning. Thank you.
I love that this is about "the internet" and not just social media. Sometimes, when I get off socials, I find myself replacing all that screen time with scrolling wikipedia and longreads and even substack, rather mindlessly. This is such a rich essay. Thanks for sharing! <3
YES I do that too. I got off social media and sort of clapped my hands together and thought, "Well, great! I did it!" but then still I was sitting in front of my computer not writing, but doing many other things. I'm still struggling with it. It's hard!