Why I Need An Insta Break
I was honored to be chosen as one of eleven local artists in the annual Artist Spotlight in Winston-Salem, NC, for 2024. My featured collection is called “Take Flight,” featuring birds and trees.
“The Heron Blues” was juried into the Sawtooth Spotlight and is on display and for sale in their Davis Gallery through February 1. If you are considering adding it to your collection, please get in touch with me or the Sawtooth School.
“Tree of Color and Light“ is my favorite piece that I made last year. The colors, the movement, my love of trees. I feel like I am singing through the paint of this piece, and that fills my heart with joy and fulfillment.
With the new year, we have a great opportunity to take a step back and assess what worked well for us in the past year and what did not. For me, the thing that stands out in both columns is Instagram.
The Good
I have met so many of you on Instagram and grown my art practice from nothing in 2020. You have inspired, encouraged, and helped me grow into who I am today—a woman I can proudly call an ARTIST! This is exciting, and I could not have done it without you.
The art community is like nothing I have ever experienced. You are all so kind and always there to support one another. It’s very special. But, as I reflect on it more, I see that this is true both online and offline.
My word for 2025 is CONNECTION, and I have been really thinking about how I can use that word to connect with more authenticity to those whose relationships I really value and trust. Friends and family like you. <3
The Bad
AI is the worst, and Meta (Instagram & Facebook) embraces it. I understand that the future seems to be primarily guided by artificial intelligence, but that does not mean I have to like it. It is also ruining my day job in content marketing and publishing, but I digress….
With AI and Meta comes the ever-more territorial terms we agree to when we post on the Meta platforms. Our content is no longer truly ours once we post on Instagram or Facebook, but they and their AI engines can use it to create new “art” and who knows what else. They are stealing from us and giving it away to users for FREE! What could be worse for the future of our world?!?
I do not want a robot to use my art. I want my art to be valued for its humanity—as a real person creating something that did not exist before I had the idea and made it a reality.
Beyond AI, I am tired of the algorithms pushing me to post something new each day, if not multiple times a day. I am not a machine, despite what I may have led them to believe over the years. This human has limits, and they are near breaking from the production mindset I have been on as a side effect of the algorithm.
Join My Newsletter
So, since I will spend less time on social media, I plan to spend more time on my email newsletter. I am committed to making it more authentic and personal.
If you sign up, I promise not to contact you more than 1-2 times a month about what I am working on. I will also include some helpful links for art friends who might be looking for helpful resources or inspiration.
I may not know how long I will take a break or if I will ever trust the future of social media, but email has been going strong for 25+ years now. It is a channel that allows me more control over how my content is consumed. I hope you will join me there.
Take care of yourself. I am so very grateful for each of you and your willingness to take this journey with me. Having you in my little art corner means the world to me.
