In April I wrote about stepping away from Instagram. It felt right for me. Energizing. Freeing.

In June I wandered back. I wanted to connect with the Viroqua Food Co-Op and Viva Gallery when both were hosting my art and promoting the shows on Instagram.

After that I hopped on the app every once in a while with the intention of connecting with other artists and gardeners while sharing what I’d been up to.

It never felt comfortable.

I didn’t feel pressure. I didn’t worry about numbers. But I’d cringe each time I started the app and saw “From Facebook” pop up. And it didn’t take long for the ads (which were becoming increasingly baffling) and the heavy video content to get on my nerves. If Instagram’s mission was to keep users on the app as long as possible, they were failing horribly with me.

In my April post I wrote that “playing the game of Instagram” was no longer meaningful for me. If anything, coming back during the summer reinforced those feelings.

Although I’d stepped away, I hadn’t deleted my account. I figured it was a way to point people toward my website.

As my opinion of Facebook, now Meta (I won’t even go into that), grew worse and worse, allowing my content to remain on Instagram felt more and more wrong. And so I deleted my account.

Did you know it’s a month-long process? They want you to be able to change your mind. My month has come and gone and although I had a few twinges of worry that I was making a mistake for my business, I’m glad to be finished with Instagram.

I know I’m not the only one with these feelings. I’ve heard many other people share their thoughts about this. Some of you have written to me about it and my April post has the most comments of any of my blog posts.

What to do about social media is a personal decision. Some take the good with the bad. Some have pulled back a bit. Others quit altogether.

Quite a few who were fed up with social media returned to blogging as a way to make connections and complement their businesses.

Before social media, many creatives found community online through blogs. My creative journey was intertwined with blogging. In a previous post I wrote: “Eventually, through blogging, as I dreamed my creative dreams I found a creative community, too.”

Connection, community, inspiration, joy… blogs provide the space for all of this and more.

It’s why I love blogging. It’s why I’m going to continue to blog. And continue to read blogs.

A few more things I love about blogs:

• thoughtful, honest, authentic writing

• beautiful photographs and art

• glimpses into other lives

• recommendations — of books, movies/tv shows, art supplies, projects, recipes, etc.

• a slower pace

So many blogs have come and gone over the years and although it’s sad (and I still miss some of them), I know that nothing lasts forever.

Earlier this week as I was working on this post, Abby Glassenberg shared in the Craft Industry Alliance newsletter:

“The recent critique of Facebook's business practices, along with a desire to explore topics in a deeper more permanent way, has led many creatives to return to blogging. For years marketers advised businesses to write a blog and we have good news: blogging isn’t dead. In fact, it’s more alive and relevant now than it’s ever been.”

I’ve been dreaming of a blogging renaissance, perhaps now is the time.

Some of my favorite blogs (in no particular order):

• Little Butterfly Studio

• Sew and Sow Life

• Abigail Halpin

• The Well-Appointed Desk

• Laura Bray

• Tara Leaver

• August Wren

• Sarah Greenman

• A Wooden Nest

• Attic 24

• Wool and Home

• Posie Gets Cozy

• Rebecca Green

• Aleta Jacobson

• Petalplum

• Austin Kleon

• Dispatch from LA

• Ginny P. Worsley’s Studio Notes

• Little Truths Studio

• Rachel Wolf Clean

• Seed to Fork

• Small Things

• Jaime Haney Art

• Koosje Koene

• Be Present Be Here

• Kelly Rae Roberts

• Susan Branch

• The River Flowing

• The Rosy Life

• Tiny Happy

• Ann Wood Handmade

• Under a Tin Roof

• Helen Redfern

• Kerstin Martin

• Made by Rae

• Alisa Burke

• Sew Liberated

• Helen Hallows

• Aesthetics of Joy

My blog (and my business) has changed and evolved over time, just as I have changed and evolved over time. All along I’ve wanted to inspire and encourage. I’ve wanted to foster connection and community.

I want to continue to grow. My art. My writing. My business. And that includes my blog. I want it to be beautiful and meaningful and authentic. I want to connect with you and inspire you and encourage you to discover beauty and joy and your own creative spark.

Two weeks ago I wrote about setting intentions for the remainder of 2021. I’ve been thinking about the coming year, too. Which projects I want to tackle. What changes I want to make to my schedule and routines. Which ways I want to grow.

I have ideas and plans for the future of my blog, but I’d love to hear your thoughts, too.

What do you most like reading here? What do you wish I’d share (or share more of)? What would make my main blog page easier to navigate? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or email me if you’d prefer. I’d also love to hear about which other blogs you enjoy reading and why you enjoy them.

Thank you for being here reading my words and helping to prove that blogging truly isn’t dead.