PART ONE

The more I stress, the less I create. 

The more I create, the less I stress.

For those feeling discouraged, let’s refocus our energy on happy endorphins! Receive heaven’s peace and remind yourself why you’ve started. Love your vibe and love your tribe. You will thrive when you stop to strive.

Remember the time you only had 5 friends following? Remember how happy it was to be recognized when you didn’t think you’ll be liked? Remember who you are and not what Instagram is telling you to be.

PART TWO

I came across a post that says, “You can’t have a strong relationship with someone you barely talk to.”

BUT my relationships are not based only on those who engaged with my content. I have a tribe who breathes into my dreams, but they don’t engage with me on social media alone. We may hardly talk, but I know they have kept me in their prayers.

As a budding artist on social networks, I focus to identify and prioritize connection that adds value to my being first. It is a boundary to guard my heart against validation and overthinking from social media.

PART THREE 

“Stepping away from this platform might give me time to reflect on my relationship with social media and prioritize other aspects of my life.”

It has been a little over two years since I started SLC on IG. It has definitely helped me sprout from a hobby to a growing entity as an artist. While I know there is much more for SLC. I also know it is no longer with IG.

It has been a ride and I said from the beginning, “All creative businesses, don’t work for IG (or any specific platform).” So I just wanted to give you permission to leave anytime you find the need to. Take your well-deserved break without missing out.

Yes, after months of debats and trying to pick up on IG I realize it is time to move on.

To most of you, I might have appeared to leave this stage so abruptly as this was all an internal struggle that I have to outwardly inform.

Here are a few red flags before I got into the decision to make this final move; saying #goodbyeinstagram. I hope this blog will help some of you who might be burned out from your small businesses, especially on IG too.

🚩I could no longer detox few days from Instagram

Take breaks they say. Yes, I used to be able to log off Instagram for a few days and just let Planoly do its work. However, I begin to find it uneasy if I do not open the app and check for messages or views. Sometimes it becomes such a habitual action that whenever I unlock my phone, I’ll search for the app. It happens while I was awake in the middle of the night too. Subconsciously I was victim to an addiction.

I don’t even turn to the other apps as frequently. Only IG. I knew for a fact, I need to do something about it.

🚩I am MORE ANXIOUS than to CREATE

For over a year, the number of followers on SLC has remained stagnant. I was becoming anxious and upset whenever I lose a follower. Although I still gain a few more or most importantly, I have real business and deals outside of IG but my heart was tangled with issues that SLC IG was not performing.

I was feeling fomo. Scrolling and asking the question, what am I doing wrong?

That’s a messed-up thought. It was a lie. Thankfully I’ve got my friends who are a gem to constantly pull me out from this pit. I was grateful for affirmation and encouragement. However, I have also reached a point where I need overflow for new additions.

🚩My Album has more photos of work than life

Let’s be honest. I don’t feel sad about it, cos I loved my visuals. But I do miss scrolling for photos of my husband and friends more. I realize I was drowning on my phone most time trying to create reels. I have probably spent lesser time taking photos of my friends and food now which I normally do a lot. Thus, flagging this last point was my sobriety to move on.

A part of me was holding back to share my life over work. I didn’t felt that anyone would be more interested in my life than my beautiful art.

then it hit me…

Over the years, IG has found its way to box us into categories. I missed how we were able to throw out a bigger net, now we are only in a pond of farmed fishes.

Having said that it means I am getting confused with what to post. More niche? More relatable? More educational? More value to my audience? Who’s my audience? Why are they not engaging back too?

Now we have to constantly catch the attention of million others that is also posting about art 🙃 you know what I mean?

Don’t get me started on floristry. I have not known more florists in Singapore than ever.

I guess it’s all experimental including the fact that post-Covid runs differently. Well, I am starting to disagree with Mosseri more than agreeing. What about you?

I need to find my own relatable community. Shall continue my slow days, listening, dreaming, and journaling until I have room for the noise social media is.

For my ongoing students, don’t worry I’ll still be working hard on Procreate Studio, sharing tutorials via newsletters, and YouTube. I’m also back on Telegram (yay)

This is not SLC quitting, I’m just diverting my attention and resources to connect differently. I want to catch big fishes so the ocean works better than staying in this pond.

Friends, especially creative business friends, don’t be afraid to reroute. If I can, so can you! Or hang around and let me get through this end of the tunnel to tell you what’s on the other side! 😬

Meanwhile, stay slow with me especially if your seasons seems slower. It’s okay to make time and smell the flowers too. Seasons changing, it’s time to rest my field and plow them for new seeds too.

x crz