Last night, I sat on the couch and thought it might be a good idea to scroll through Instagram to get some ideas for social posts. I mean, that’s what we all do when the creativity well runs a bit dry – right?
What started as a quest for inspiration quickly became a classic case of the ‘compare-and-despair’ game. You know the drill. You scroll, you see, and somehow you end up feeling… less. I heard my inner critic whispering, “Why would anyone want to follow you? You take terrible selfies. You live a boring life. And there are so many other people (much better than you) creating amazing content.” Sound familiar?
And that’s when I had to remind myself I was thumbing through highlight reels. Isn’t it so easy to forget that? It’s a carousel of perfect moments, sun-soaked trips, and those candid shots that scream “I woke up like this” (and you just know there’s no way that’s true). But it’s more than that; it’s a highlight reel that we compare our behind-the-scenes to. I mean, so many people are really good at curating and filtering the best bits of their lives while neatly tucking away the messy parts.
This parade of perfection – it’s overwhelming, and honestly, it can be downright exhausting. It’s no wonder that so many of us admit social media is taking its toll on our self-esteem. Can you blame us? When we’re inundated with all this hyper-curated content.
I’ll even admit that I’ve fallen into the trap of wanting to tweak and twist my own content so I can show up and mirror what I’m seeing. The problem with doing that is I wouldn’t be showing up as my authentic self. As I write this, I am clearly seeing THAT is why I often find imposter syndrome knocking at my door! Seriously, why haven’t didn’t I see that before? I feel like an imposter because I am constantly fighting the urge to BE an imposter by mimicking what everyone else is doing instead of sharing what’s important to me through my own lens of life, experiences, and knowledge.
#MindBlown
I need to create content I find important. I need to create content based on my experiences. I need to create because I want to create, not because I feel like I have to.
I’m a creative person. I think everyone is, but that’s a message for another day. I feel like I’ve lost my creativity somewhere along the way because I’ve fallen into the trap of comparing.
In years past, I created because I loved the creative process. I loved my creations. No one else needed to love what I created – because I loved it. If given the chance, my hubby would tell you the time I got the idea to hang our Christmas tree upside down “just because it was unique.” Probably not my best idea, but at the time, I was hungry to show my creative spirit, so I did it. He hated it, which made me love it even more.
Where has that spirit gone? Somewhere along the way, I’ve started creating for other people, and that’s the problem. No true artist creates their art for others. They create because they love it, and if others like it as well, that’s a bonus.
I need to get back to that. Actually, I’m getting back to that. These journal entries are a step in that direction. But I need to do that with everything I create.
So, here’s my plan. Rather than turning to social media to look for inspiration, I’m going to take some much-needed time away from the digital world to recharge and THINK.
(Talking to myself here)…
I mean, for the love of all things holy (Misty), you cannot be on this earth for almost 50 years and not have something you’ve learned that’s worthy of sharing in your own unique and authentic way.
I say this to clients all the time. It’s about time I take my own advice.
See you again on Monday. I’m excited to see the creative magic that takes place when I give myself the space I need to tap into my own creative genius again.
