I’m saying goodbye

(For a little while at least!)

 

I’m taking a 6 month ‘Social Sabbatical’

 

6 months of no social media.
None.

For 6 months I won’t be posting, commenting or updating my:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube or
Blog

 

Biggest Mistake Ever or Inky Genius?!

I’ve been an advocate of the Digital Detox for years, but now I’m going one step further.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE social media.

It’s an incredible gift and I’m convinced the Colouring Community wouldn’t exist without it.

However…

For a while now I’ve found the time and energy I spend on all things digital creeping up, at the determent to other parts of my creativity.

So I want to see what happens when I strip out the social media.

I’ve experimented with scheduling and outsourcing.
I’ve tried mega batching and ‘non digital’ days, but here’s the thing – I just need a big chunk of time to explore ideas and make work.

‘Make Work’
not
‘Create Content’
There’s a difference.

Will I be Forgotten?

As someone who has the privilege of talking to hundreds of thousands of you every day on social media, this plan scares the pants off me.

Will I be forgotten?
Will the algorithms hate me?
Will I become irrelevant?
Will someone else take my place in your hearts?!?!

And the answer is: Probably.

But a tonne of AMAZING things could happen too:
New ideas
A positive effect on mental health
More time!
New work
Better work!

For me, it’s a risk worth taking.

 

I want to wear an Apron again.

Ironically, the thing that finally made me decide to do this, was a photo on Instagram.
Oliver Jeffers posted this picture of him working in his studio.
And you know what I thought?
‘I want to wear an apron again’
(Well actually, being Scottish I thought ‘I want to wear a pinny again’, but I digress…)

When I was at Art School I wore a paint splattered apron every day.
I was messy and creative and I didn’t have a laptop – I just made work.
I had ideas and made things.
I made good stuff and terrible stuff and everything in between.
It was GLORIOUS.

I’m going to wear an apron again.

 

Newsletter

One thing I will continue to do, is my newsletter – all be it a little differently.

From January, the newsletters won’t be weekly, but I’ll send one out every month or so with a sneak peek at some of the things I’m working on in the studio – a preview of the new work I’ll be sharing on my socials come summer.

So if you want to see what I’m up to, you need to sign up for my newsletter!

We’ll still approve your Colouring Gallery uploads and Kim who helps me here in the studio will continue to answer Facebook Messages and studio emails on my behalf. She’s a gem!

But other than that, it will be digital silence from me till June!

 

Last Live Video

I’m going to do a Facebookand Instagram LIVE video at 3pm UK time on Wednesday 19th December to talk about my 6 month social sabbatical – why I’m doing it, what I’m scared of, if I think it will be hard?!

If you can’t join me for the live, catch up later when the video is posted to my feed.

 

Merry Christmas and See You in Summer!

So when we close down the studio computers for the holidays this week, I’ll also be deleting my apps and signing out of social media. I’m scared and excited and nervous – which is always a good sign!

It’s been another wonderful year for me in the studio and all of that was made possible by you, the people reading this! I wish each and every one of you a cheery and colourful Christmas.

See you in June!

Love, Johanna x