So Long, Social Media…

We’ve all done it: Sitting like an automaton, mindlessly scrolling through a social media feed with no real purpose, other than boredom and habit. One day, a few weeks ago, I woke up and ended the insanity.

Years ago I cut the cord with Twitter, a cesspool, in my estimation, that is the host to endless arguing, mostly with strangers. I still have that note I made insisting that if I’m ever tempted to sign on again, NOT TO!

Then came Instagram. A much more appealing place to be for what I was interested in (fountain pens, typewriters, appreciating talented artisans and their products…) but soon, it all became hashtag this and hashtag that. It didn’t help when I wondered all too frequently how many filters were applied to posts; separating reality from filter-world had become a problem. (I refuse to use the word, challenge.) What was I actually looking at? Was I seeing the real product, or something made extra-perfect by digital filters?

And then I signed off of Instagram, too.

These days I’ve limited my time on Facebook and, if it weren‘t for the fact I help maintain a company’s Facebook business page, I would, most likely, be saying goodbye to that, too. Though you may disagree, I don’t consider this blog to be social media. I don’t flatter myself that people will scroll endlessly through my posts. Lol.

In previous posts, you might have noticed that I’ve become a fan of pocket notebooks. I recently purchased the Harvest series of Field Notes. I bought them because I appreciated the artwork and talent of American artist, John Burgoyne. The image is the full range of the Harvest series so far (or at least that I’m aware of.)

I started with the Swiss Chard notebook this spring when I planted my vegetable and herb garden. Each day I record what has been planted, what is doing well, what needs attention, etc. I use Staedtler Triplus Fineliners in complementary earth tones and, occasionally, take photos of the garden and print out small thumbprints to post in the notebook as a visual record. If I had any talent at all in drawing and illustrating, I would have included that, but I have no talent whatsoever in either.

In other times, I would have created a (computer) database, or used an “app for that,” but I find it is much more relaxing to simply sit and write and enjoy the process.

To add to this ‘analog’ endeavour, I have a small collection of vintage books on gardens, nature, and record-keeping the old-fashioned way. I volunteer at a charity shop in books and often come across interesting books, such as the one below. They are usually not in the best of shape, but the illustrations are beautiful and reminiscent of another era.

So, on this overcast afternoon at our cottage here in northern Ontario, I walked around our island snipping pieces of fern, oak leaves, and wild flowers and placed them between the frames of a vintage wooden flower press I bought a few years ago at another charity shop. It is all very simple and in keeping with a greater emphasis on what I refer to as the real world, away from the snare of social media apps.