Back on my Bullshit -Being More Creative

A few days ago, I fell off the wagon.  I fell into the Twitter hole.  I used Twitter to read the news.  I was in the Twitter hole for like a half hour.  I didn't feel very good after I did this.  I am really trying to stop.  However, I am torn.  I feel that in order to be a responsible citizen, I ought to read the news so I can be well informed. I re-installed it on my phone after someone I was interacting with in real life told me that they missed my humorous tweets.  I was awakened to the fact that Twitter is a happier, funnier place when I Tweet, at least for some people.  I did it for my fans, is what I am trying to say.  I will try to be mindful so I don't fall down any more holes.  I'm @demosure on Twitter, follow me and I'll follow you back!  

I am still off the Facebook mostly, that's going good.  Trying to use Facebook just to keep track of events going on and shows I can go to with my friends.  I may log on and put a link to this blog post later tonight.  I feel that this may be a helpful thing to put out to people on that platform.  I installed Facebook Messenger on my phone for communication purposes.  I feel that I am becoming a healthier social media user.  I feel better when I actively create and produce content, instead of mindlessly consuming it.  

I'm still using Instagram.  I fall down the Instagram hole for about an hour every other day.  I really like to look at pictures of interesting and pretty things!  A lot of it is cool, weird, creative stuff that my friends are doing.  I don't feel like I have a serious problem with Instagram.  Yet.  I sometimes find myself compelled to search for inspirational quotes on tranquil, awe-inspiring, nature-scapes.  I search out the cheesiest shit, and I love it, and I guess I'm owning it.  There.  Also, Instagram is probably the best way to share with the world pictures of my cute kitty-cat, Mr. Bruce.  Mr. Bruce is a transcendental being of light and love, my only roommate, and my spirit-animal teacher.  He's really, really old and he's not going to be around very long.  Why am I using my cat to rationalize my Instagram use if it's really okay?  Hmmm.  I will continue to monitor the situation.  

*photo was taken by Sayed Alamy 
https://www.guyeatsoctopus.com

I have been listening to music more and creating music more.  I am looking to start a band.  Seriously.  For real.  I took out an ad on Craigslist.  Here is the link, it's a real hoot, funny, yet it comes from a real, authentic place:
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/muc/6163944705.html?lang=en&cc=us
So far no one has responded.  But who knows?  It's only been up for a day.

I bought an album using my Google play app today!  I bought Bird-Brains by tUnE-yArDs.  I love tUnE-yArDs.  I have a huge crush on  Merrill Garbus.  omfg. Love her.  So much.  <3

I installed Snapchat on my phone.  I feel so much more hip and edgy.  Just kidding!  Kind of!  I saw a list of Snapchat friends, and then I sort of freaked out when I saw this one person's name.  I went on two dates with them, before I realized they were a toxic person without empathy and not someone I wanted in my life.  It was a teaching moment when I looked up how to block & delete (Un- Snap?) this person from my list.  After I learned how to do this, I felt more confident and bold using this app.  I am still a novice.  I am still not very good at Snapchat.  I am trying.  

Things have been going really well.  I took a look at what I needed to improve on, and I have been taking action to address this a little bit every day.  Sometimes after a long day at work and I am feeling drained I will make excuses to myself not to do art or engage in my creative pursuits.  "I'm tired!"  "I need a night off!"  "I need to recharge and not pressure myself to create stuff!"  

I'm trying to get out of my own way so I can be myself better. 

Positive Changes Starting Today

I am a creative person.  But lately, I've noticed that I have been in a rut.  I've not been creating.  Writing, music, writing music, drawing, doing all the things I do to create art.  I haven't been doing very much of that.

What have I been doing?  I have been wasting time on social media.  Twitter.  Facebook.  I have been liking temporary things that other people have been doing.  Reading articles other people have shared.  Lots of them have been interesting, and many of them have been helpful.  I've been liking and reacting to creative things other people have been doing, while neglecting that aspect in myself.

The first step of any recovery is admitting that one has a problem.  I have a problem.  I have been using social media via apps on my phone to escape.  Too much.  Last week, I uninstalled Facebook, and Facebook Messenger from my phone.  I will log onto Facebook from the internet every other day for about 15 minutes to keep current with events, interests, and my social media buddies.  This has been good.  I more mindful of my surroundings.  I am more connected to the people around me.

Today I took additional steps.  I uninstalled Twitter and Tinder from my phone.  The latter part of this week, I have noticed that I am checking Twitter for news.  After reading the news, I have been feeling very depressed.  I am a very sensitive person existing in an unfair and violent, but also inspiring and dramatic world.  I don't watch television.  Not being connected to outside news sources is an unfamiliar feeling.  It is also liberating.

So after some really wonderful friendship time, I arrived home to a different world than to the one I have been accustomed.  I didn't zone out on social media.  I picked up my apartment a bit.  I searched all over for materials for a sculpture that I started creating, but never finished.  It is painstaking work.  It isn't even a quarter complete.  I found the small wood stand that the finished work will be perched on.  I found the sculpture.  I could not find the glue that I was using.  I decided to buy a glue gun.  I gathered all of the components in a bag and I hung it over my creativity table.  The life of an artist is constantly exiting like this.

I am allowing myself to keep Instagram.  I'm not going completely Luddite!  I just shared a picture I took today of an unusual and bright double rainbow I saw in South Seattle.  I could keep a pretty picture like that to myself, but why?

Will these changes lead to increased artistic productivity?  I am writing this, obviously, so there's your answer.  I feel good about uninstalling the social media apps.

Change feels strange, but it is important to embrace doing things differently to grow as a person and artist.  I'm on it!  I'm planning to write another post in my peanut survival blog this week.  And I'm looking forward to buying a glue gun and finishing my sculpture.  this is who I am.  I am a creator.  It's time I create.