The Magic of Leaving Social Media
Do you ever complain about something so often that you catch yourself and wonder, “If I rant on about this so much, why on earth am I still doing it?”
That was me with Facebook and Instagram. Why was I using it? What was I doing on these apps if all it took was one drink to get me to wax poetic about how disconnected, envious, and distracted I felt while using them?
This isn’t to say that Social Media is some unmitigated and absolute evil. Some people have a wonderful time on these platforms. Many use them to gather and cultivate an audience for their businesses and creative work. I, however, found myself being swept away - mired in distraction, green with envy, and disconnected from my personal source of inspiration.
I’d lost the magic.
This wasn’t for lack of trying. I did so many of the little tricks to curb my use, optimize my time (just that phrase is soul-crushing!), and create boundaries. Doing this awakened me to the wily, addictive nature of social media. Even with a black and white screen, app limits with password access, and designated downtime, my brain immediately adapted.
Screen time limit reached? I didn’t even stop to think, I simply got used to entering my four-digit password to ask for more time.
I was simultaneously impressed and repulsed. Clearly, this wasn’t an issue I could reason through.
When I made the decision to stop my full-time tarot reading business one of the most alluring byproducts was that I could finally delete my accounts. I’d stopped using both platforms for personal use years ago and, in all honesty, used my Incandescent Tarot platforms with the regularity of someone who’s deeply conflicted. I posted sporadically, questioned myself into awkwardness, and tried to avoid it.
In other words, I didn’t use these spaces to their full potential. Now, I wonder if all the pressure to be on social media as a business owner of my type is rooted in truth. This is a very “hot take” and I’m speaking on a very personal level, here. The last thing I want to do is shame or pressure anyone into judging their social media presence. To each their own, and I’m full of admiration for people who can use these platforms to inspire healthily. I’m just not one of them. Off social media, however? I’m much more clear, inspired, and motivated.
When I finally hit delete, I felt like I had just walked out of an overwhelmingly loud room. Suddenly, things felt clear - I could see the horizon, hear my own heart beating. Spending so much time gazing at images from other people (and, most insidiously, brands) had dulled my own creative and spiritual perspective. Now that I’m spending more time looking out my window, reading books, and writing from this place of calm, I’m finding a huge surge of creative energy. I wonder how much I could’ve created without torturing myself to fit in and interact healthily on social media. That was, to use a tarot reference, a Fool’s errand for me. Now, however, I’m able to hear myself and create from a place of authenticity. I’m getting a lot more done.
Most importantly, however, I’m feeling the magic come back into my life. One of the main reasons I felt the need to leave social media was that my focus was becoming at once narrow and diffuse. I was gazing into a small screen and being catapulted into a big, colorful, artificial, and in many cases, manipulative world. (Remember when Instagram was just photos from friends and cool artists, but then it segued into jazzy brands and influencers?)
So much of my magic philosophy centers around awareness, love, and stewardship of our world. How could I practice this while my focus was overwhelmed by imagery from afar? Now that I’m detached from these sources, I’m astounded by how much I used them to escape from my here any now, and how much my here and now grounds and sustains me.
The magic slowly returned as I put down my phone and laptop and started tending to my everyday: writing, doing all my favorite kitchen witch cleaning spells, cooking, actually reading tarot for myself… This is what I want to fill my life with.
I’m a bit shocked by how much of myself I’ve found in the wake of my decision to leave Facebook and Instagram. So much of my decision to end Incandescent Tarot the business was because of burnout. I didn’t know at the time how much of this stemmed from the pressure to constantly market myself on social media. Now that’s gone, I wonder if there’s another way to be present as a business offline. Regardless of what form it takes, you’ll certainly see a lot more from me here and on my Mighty Network - I hope you’ll follow along for the ride.