Hey…have you heard? I’m on Twitter.
First things first: you can follow me here. Please do. For sure I’ll follow you back.
Even though I’m new to Twitter, I’ve actually been on the fence for years, hesitating about jumping in. Mostly that’s because I thrive on juicy face-to-face conversations and I also struggle with the distractions of technology. I figured that if I already find it challenging to pull away from the screen then Twitter might become my own personal sinkhole.
Of course, it didn’t help that during the past few years there’s been an avalanche of blog posts, comments and articles about the addicting nature of twitter (and other social media). I’ve even seen workshops and tele-classes about how to cope. Not to mention the surplus of advice about the right and wrong way to be on Twitter.
Seems like lots of people want to give advice about social media.
Now me, I’m not much of an advice fan. Although I have my moments of needing it (or alternately getting caught in its trance), I’m absolutely certain that we all possess a quiet deep-down knowing that almost always trumps advice. In fact, much of my work is about helping women hear and trust the wise and soulful voice within. So all the early noise and advice about twitter, coupled with my own inclination toward internet overload, left me feeling wary.
But lately, I’ve been sensing a shift around social media.
People are talking about backing off. Taking digital sabbaticals. Limiting the number of their connections. Relaxing and removing the urgency. Focusing more on building community and less on the constant drone of self-promotion. Seems like the perfect time to jump in and experiment, when the pressure’s off and its popularity might be waning. And I know there are lots of lively, creative, smart, fun, thoughtful people on Twitter. I’m looking forward to engaging with them.
So in honor of Art Every Day Month, I decided to pull out my art journal and Crayola paint brush pens to see if I could capture the wise and soulful voice within that’s telling me to hop on the Twitter train.
Okay. She was totally unexpected. And she makes me laugh.
Not only did she want a hat, but she wanted a bird hat. A love bird hat. I do believe she has a rollicking sense of irony. And when I try to channel her, here’s what she tells me about Twitter: Go ahead. Try it. Experiment. Release any expectations. Do it your own way. And by all means, have fun!
How about you? I’d love to hear stories about your adventures with Twitter in particular or social media in general.
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You might have noticed that I tweaked the name of my site to Living Deep Studio. I’ve also redirected my old blog, Why Not Start Now? If you’re new here or you’ve been receiving posts from WNSN by email or reader, I’d be so grateful if you’d click here and sign up for this site. And if you’d like monthly resources for Living Deep delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe here. Thanks!
living deep studio 
interesting post… I am not a twitter fan and stick with blogging and facebook as it feels more personal…. though I have to admit to a mad pinterest habit for recipes… it is my stuck in the school pick up line saviour at the moment…xx
Oh I’m pretty sure if I got on Pinterest I would never get anything else done, Tracy. Too compelling!
I have not hopped on the twitter train. I love your bird hat lady and the fact that she gives such freeing advice! 😉
Thanks, Molly!
Hi Patty,
Funny story………I signed up for Twitter a few yrs back when I joined FB. No clue how to do it, of course. I get an email saying a have a follower – the Dali Lama – and I think somebody is pranking me for sure. Why? How? Seriously? Why the hell would he, or anyone for that matter, follow ME??? I have no clue how to tweet for godsake! Follow me WHERE? So I check this out. Indeed, his “people” have him tweeting little sayings on Twitter and I think they found me because I signed as SuZen – I am thinkin’ the Zen part got them! haha!
So I guess I’m still on the thing. Every once in a while I get a notice that somebody else is following me. I have no clue why. I am not tweeting. I actually won a “Twitter for Dummies” book in a contest. Never read it.
Do I feel left out of social media? Yes. But it doesn’t bother me at all. I’m more the observer type I guess. Fought using the computer for YEARS and my kids were shocked beyond belief when (in 1999) I started ebaying all the stuff we ‘d inherited – shocked more when I started my blog four years ago! Who knows? I may tweet in the next decade.
Hugs
SuZen
Funny story! And love your attitude about it. I think there’s no rush. And if I don’t like it, I’ll pack it in for sure.
I dipped my big toe in the Twitterverse but have found that I’m more of a blogger/facebook connector. I just dove into Pinterest a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I think because it is so visual. Tweets are like texts, short and impersonal.
Have fun discovering your own way with social media.
So true Kathryn! It is a bit like texting, which I do very little of it. I’m using hootsuite which kind of makes for more a through-line, a constructed story of sorts.
~following~ … I’m #3. :o)
Thank you. Following back!
Hi Patty, I found you through AEDM. Timely for me to see this post as I just rejoined Twitter after being on it a couple of years ago and hating it. It feels so impersonal and ‘sell-y’. I think I caved to all the reading I’ve done about how you ‘need’ to have a Twitter account to get yourself out there ~ I’m about to start up a new creative business and obviously got too much advice! Turns out I still hate it.
I prefer blogging, Pinterest and Facebook as others have mentioned, and also I’m finding Instagram to be a much more fun and personal version of Twitter, maybe because I’m an artist and like the visuals. 🙂 Hopefully it’ll turn out that I don’t ‘need’ a Twitter account after all! {I think I may have answered my own question as a result of your post – thank you!}
Hi Patty, I found you through AEDM. Timely for me to see this post as I just rejoined Twitter after being on it a couple of years ago and hating it. It feels so impersonal and ‘sell-y’. I think I caved to all the reading I’ve done about how you ‘need’ to have a Twitter account to get yourself out there ~ I’m about to start up a new creative business and obviously got too much advice! Turns out I still hate it.
I prefer blogging, Pinterest and Facebook as others have mentioned, and also I’m finding Instagram to be a much more fun and personal version of Twitter, maybe because I’m an artist and like the visuals. 🙂 Hopefully it’ll turn out that I don’t ‘need’ a Twitter account after all! {I think I may have answered my own question as a result of your post – thank you!}
I hear ya, Tara. And I adore instagram. I’ve been in biz for quite a long time and done fine without twitter. In this social media crazy era sometimes people forget how important it is to make connections in our communities. That’s how I built my business, and I think there are still huge opportunities for it. In fact, I think people are yearning to do biz with people in their communities. But that’s just my take on it. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m with you all the way on Twitter. I blog and FB, but Twitter seems like talking into the void. I think it would be great if I had a big community of people to connect with, and with full use of hashtags and such. But yes, it seems too “sell-advertise”. Maybe because so many craft-art people tweet every single thing they list on Etsy. Ugh. Block! I am on Twitter but so far can’t find the point for what I’m doing. Though…if something newsy happens…I’m all over that. Even if it’s something going on down the street someone will tweet it and I can find it by doing a hashtag search. Quite entertaining. But then there’s that addicting quality. Do I need this in my life? Not so sure.
Do I need this in my life is a question I’ll be exploring too, Ginger. Thanks!