Journaling.

 

Drowning in mediocracy on social media

You see something you like and follow it, but in the end it's just a jumble of all your likes and you don't pay close attention to any of it. I feel like I have a collections of things I like on all various social media platforms but no coherent focus on anything anywhere. 

I have always had a place to share my thoughts, pictures or ideas. 

When I was about 9-years-old I had my first diary. I would write about my day in school, my friends or what I had for lunch or dinner. Mundane everyday things, that felt more special when I wrote them down.

When I was a teenager there was Livejournal. Mostly it was nonsense day to day stream of thoughts but it was also somewhere to share my favourite music, films and art. Something I really enjoyed there were the communities, as it was a way to discover new things to enjoy.

Then there was Tumblr, where I'd reblog other people's content and sometimes sprinkle in my own thoughts or shared a song. Tumblr was a place to share your feelings and thoughts without really putting much thought into it. You'd see something you like or something that resonated with you and you added it onto your own blog. It felt like a stream of consciousness reflecting the ins and outs of your mind.

At some point I started using Instagram where I mostly share little snippets of my own life in picture form. On Instagram it is easier to follow artists and creators I like, as well as see what my friends and family are up to. And all this can be done without having to socialise too much and without burning myself out! Which is something I do struggle with as an autistic person. 

I've always liked having somewhere to share my passions, likes and inspirations, the platform has just changed along the years.

Getting inspired through other artists

Recently I was listening to the very first episode of the podcast Morgan Harper Nichols Show - Introducing Morgan Harper Nichols. 

In Introduction they talk about how they had wanted to create but there was this uncertainty of how and what. But they knew they always wanted to create. I could relate so much to this. I have never felt good enough to become an artist. I have never really known how to draw. I don't know how to make music. I have dabbled in many things; I'd pick up an ukulele, learned a song, I'd knit a woolly socks, draw, paint, cross stitch, make videos and write but I was never good enough to make it into something. But I always knew I wanted to create.

Morgan Harper Nichols is an artist, creator, poet and a musician. I love the artful affirmations they make, which is how I originally found them some years ago on instagram. I highly recommend having a look through @morganharpernichols

I was watching an artist I love, Phoebe Bridgers, on youtube as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, and I wanted to share the video somewhere. It felt clonky to share it on instagram and... well I didn't really want to start messaging people "look what I found". Especially when I know many of my friends don't necessarily share the same music taste. I had a little think. I wanted to have a place to collect and share things I enjoyed. It had to be somewhere where different ways to create and share could come together in a way that would give me room to expand and truly focus on that one topic at a time.

Creating something new

Over the years I have kept creating my physical paper journals, as well as trying out these different social media platforms. Now I'm going to try combine it all.

Journaling is about the process and progress. You create something out of nothing but it's never complete or perfect. There is so much freedom in trying things and making mistakes and always having a new fresh page to fill. Journaling is endless fresh starts. I feel like that is something I am good at. I am good at fresh starts; failing and trying again. Creating makes me happy and I want to do more of what makes me happy.

I want to combine my 24 years of experience in journaling and 15 years in social media and see what happens! If you want to follow along, find me on instagram @odduneventime where I'll update every time I put a post up here!

Be kind to yourself and others!