Five reasons quitting social media as an artist has made me happier, healthier and more creative
I've been off social media a year now. The only thing I'm posting to is YouTube, and that's really so anyone who wishes to purchase my work can see me making things. Unlike a lot of people who leave social platforms and go back, I don't want to. I hadn't been happy for some time, but like a lot of artists I felt I had to be doing it. Had to be getting my stuff out there for the world, had to be hustling, had to have a presence.
I think social media had the potential to be great for connecting people, but it seems to have reached a tipping point and it's all got a bit rubbish; platforms are demanding of our time, there's poor behaviour from users, and it's becoming more documented how bad it can be for mental wellbeing.
The tipping point for me personally came when I adopted my rescue dog Riley. Like many animals that have been given up he comes with a large amount of issues, and needs a lot of time. He's half husky so he needs a lot of exercise too. I got to the point I simply didn't have the energy to deal with a lot of stuff anymore, because I needed it for him. I had to cut down on outside commitments, and it has turned out to be a good decision for many reasons.
1. I have more time
I know it's cliché but time really is the most precious thing we have. We're only given a certain amount and it's up to us to use it wisely. Like many people who keep animals, I'm acutely aware of how precious life is, and how it can end. Although I've made a few great friends from social media, for the amount of time it takes, I think it's questionable if it's been worth it as an artist for me.
To produce decent content, especially videos, takes time. I think Instagram has become particularly demoralising for many people due to the small number of views a lot of content gets. Twitter, now X, was my primary platform, and I always spent time engaging with people who commented on my posts, trying to take an interest in others, answering DM's and it's surprising what a chunk of your day that takes.
When we get pushed for time quite often the first things to go are the things that keep us healthy. It's tempting to skip the exercise session, grab quick, unhealthy meals, and stop doing the things that inspire us and nourish our souls.
Since giving up social media I'm able to devote that time to things that make my life better overall, being able to be out with my animals in nature fuels my creativity much more than staring at a phone. I've found I have more ideas for projects, and more energy and enthusiasm for them.
2. My concentration is better
Over the past five years I've really noticed a big decline in my ability to sit and concentrate on a painting. I developed this awful habit of picking up my phone all the time, I didn't even realise I was doing it. Social media is designed to be addictive, it's designed to keep us coming back with notifications, we develop a fear of missing out, and the constant stream of short content wrecks our ability to focus.
Creative people talk about flow state, where you're completely immersed in what you're doing and it becomes effortless. It truly is a beautiful state to experience. Flow is nigh on impossible to achieve where you're distracted every five minutes, and I'm afraid that includes having to stop and film stuff to make content.
Our brains can only take in a certain amount of stuff per day, and digital burnout is a thing. The sheer amount of things we're exposed to scrolling a social media feed can be pretty overwhelming at times. Cutting that out means I'm able to think more clearly and not have my mind clogged up so much.
My concentration is gradually improving, it is taking some time though. However, when I'm absorbed in detailed pen drawings, or painting my pebbles, I'm getting back to the stage where I'm able to get into flow state.
3. I'm happier away from drama
No matter how much you try to curate your feed there's a lot of drama on social media. Posts that provoke strong emotions, and therefore engagement, get pushed up by algorithms. Emotions such as hate, outrage, and feeling superior to others are actually pretty addictive. There's a lot of awful stuff that goes on online. People can ruin dogs and horses, and sadly people can try to ruin other people too with their words and actions.
I think most of us come up against enough difficult, sad, stressful and heartbreaking things within the course of our lives, without being exposed to people who want to have a dig at everyone online too. I count myself lucky that with only 2000 followers I didn't come up against some of the constant issues bigger accounts often do, and they're issues that can have an effect on people's mental wellbeing in the longer term.
I've been told I'm difficult to contact these days, and that's for good reason. Having had a contact form on my website before it was something that was misused used to harrass me for the most petty reasons, like not following people back, or men who predominantly follow females online, and I don't want them in my inbox. The only people who don't have my contact details and need to contact me are potential customers, so I ensure those are the only people who can. My life is considerably less stressful now I don't need to deal with unnecessary messages, or difficult people with an agenda.
4. I feel like I am enough
I think whatever we're exposed to there's always an element where we compare ourselves to others. As an artist, algorithms recommend lots of art stuff to you, so there's always this background radiation of feeling I'm not as productive as others, I don't seem to be selling as much as they are, perhaps my art isn't good enough. If I wasn't careful I could easily get pulled off course, thinking maybe I should make and sell other things, maybe I should be working in a different style, rather than being my authentic self.
I feel much better about myself now I'm not exposed to what everyone else is doing on a daily basis. I'm actually really happy with my life, and I feel I'm able to enjoy and appreciate that much more now.
5. It has not impacted my sales at all
I don't make a huge volume of sales and I don't make a living from my art, but I've noticed no difference in the number of sales between when I was on social media and when I left. I never used to promote, promote, promote, because I think you have to give real value to people following you, but there was basically no difference between me posting my art and not being there.
I have recently moved my shop to Etsy and actually been very pleased to make a few sales in the couple of months I've been building my shop up. I'm more than happy to have enrolled in offsite ads, I think it's a great idea. It's easy to forget that not everyone is on social media, but most people use search engines, so it can be a good way of getting found. Etsy also advertises extensively so has a natural amount of traffic too. I realise this isn't a strategy for everyone, but I would far rather have my sanity and enjoy my art, than be stressed and strung out trying to make an income from it.
In summary
My father sadly died of cancer at the same age I am now. I used to visit him in hospital during the afternoons to chat. He worked hard for my sister and I, there was never a lot of money, and his regrets at the end were not that we didn't have more, but that we hadn't spent enough time together, hadn't talked enough, hadn't done simple, rewarding things.
I have thought long and hard, and I'm sure when my time comes I will not be regretting I didn't hustle more with my art, that I didn't sell more, or have more money. I want to spend my time doing what I love, with those I love, and having a simpler life appreciating what I do have. I don't want to spend it creating content that disappears into a social media black hole, having to deal with obnoxious people on platforms, and doom scrolling.
I think we're sold a dream of a life as an artist, of the freedom, the creativity, but in all honesty I think social media and content creation can be as much of a treadmill as anything else. Certainly dealing with people online can be as stressful as working a customer service job, so I'm content with the path I've taken.
