Feeling The Instagram Ick

It's not you....it's me

When I found Substack initially my feed was a combination of gardening, parenting, and instagram disinterest. I saw post after post echoing the “ahh…such a breath of fresh air here” and “this is the community I’ve missed from Instagram”. Truthfully I couldn’t fully relate. I have used Instagram for a decade and a half at this point as both a consumer and creator, and I still enjoyed it. I didn’t come to Substack because I wanted to leave behind Instagram like so many on my feed seemed to be.

But lately I’m feeling “the ick”. You know…that sensation that you just can’t shake when something feels off. I am a small small instagram creator, I’ve had very few if any negative comments, followers, or interactions. It’s never been the people I’ve met or other accounts I’ve connected with that have left me feeling drained, in fact they really are what holds me on the app because I’ve made some genuine like minded connections on Instagram I would be sad to see go. But I am feeling a stirring lately to adjust my relationship and expectations with Instagram. I don’t think I’m ready to fully quit, there are enough elements that I do genuinely enjoy that I’ll stay.

What I’ve loved about Substack is the feeling that there are no rules, there’s no expectation, maybe it’s just who I’m seeing and following but there is so little “algorithm” talk here in the best way. So much of my instagram feed has turned into what and how to post to appease the algorithm and that makes sense if your goal is to grow an account and make an income out of it and be an “influencer”…but mine isn’t and never has been. I want to factory reset my instagram…I want to take it back to the days where you post what you’re excited to share and you engaged lovingly with other humans sharing parts of their life. I want to deconstruct the performative elements and the layers of virtue signaling or canceling. I want to stop seeing shock value posts and engagement gorging content. I want 2016 instagram back in some ways, but I do fear that it is gone forever.

Eventually this funk will fade and I’ll find some creative inspiration again, I imagine. But burnout can creep into any aspect of our lives and maybe it’s purposeful, to be like a check engine light. Maybe I’m feeling some instagram burnout because I needed a heart check on my personal social media habits and consumption, and that just has to overflow into how I create. I live and love boundaries so if my heart is tapping on my head to ask for more social media boundaries then it would be outside of my nature not to listen. I’ll come back to Instagram after a nice reset and I’m sure I’ll feel rested and energized and excited for the challenge of creation within my new boundaries, but right now I think I just need a brain break from the algorithm games.

I’ll end with some happy photos of things I’m loving offline lately…because REAL life is offline <3

Took a road trip with my baby girl to visit my long time bestie…we celebrated TWENTY years of friendship by watching our daughters play and giggle together.

Our spring plat out has been our best year to date, we’ve been so proud of the spring garden and excited to see the summer plants starting to thrive.

I’ve had some irregular weeks in the basement bakery, some normal and some lower sales. I’m chalking it up to just the hectic nature of the end of the school year and start of the summer and reminding myself to enjoy the restful slow seasons to prep for the full sprint of fall and winter baking.