I have deactivated all my social media accounts.
Moving forward I will be focusing all communications and genuine connection through my beloved Email List. Please join it and join me.
Here’s why: Authenticity, Loyalty, Art, Sanity, Democracy, and Humanity.
1— I LOVE MY EMAIL LIST so much. I share my true self there and the exchange I get from the community is so satisfying to all of us. My email list and Love Circle members deserve my full attention.
2— I give my best content to my LOVE CIRCLE of monthly donors and to my Email List community. I share videos, personal stories, scoops and all the good stuff. That content is gold to me. I share it with the people who financially and materially support my work. Giving it away for free on social media isn’t fair to them, and doesn’t feel good to me.
4—Social Media likes and follows is all about what everyone else thinks of you. This, along with televised music competitions has contributed to the degradation of originality and the rise of Copy Culture, which I am wholly disgusted by. It is killing art. I refuse to be complicit. As an artist (not a “creator” which is a label for those making product to maximize modern social commerce and has nothing to do with art), my originality is core to all I am and do. Originality is essential to humanity and the planet. Art cannot be created for approval. Life can not be lived for Likes.
3—“Just post authentically.” I’ve been told. This is an oxymoron for me. “Posting” is an inauthentic act for me. It’s not something I would normally be at all inclined to do. I’ve tried for years and it’s just not my style. I failed at MySpace, Ning, Linked In, Facebook, Twitter and now Instagram. I don’t have the personality suited to this environment. It’s not who I am. I need deeper connections. I need to live as me.
4— I don’t believe, nor have I seen evidence that “posting” and “sharing” (broadcasting) aspects of our lives or thoughts to 50-500 (or thousands) of people at once has created a healthy psychological impact on people. It has though, in my opinion, created incredible amounts of psychological harm, most of which have not been measured, and are barely noticed. I notice. I have always been one to notice the cost and impact of cultural trends. And when something is wrong, it takes courageous individuals to step up and say “I won’t be a part of this any longer,” and leave. I have deiced to be one of those individuals.
5—Nearly every time I have mentioned to someone that I am considering leaving social media, they try over and over to convince me to stay. They counter every feeling I have with a desperate argument as to why I should not leave. It’s downright creepy. This in itself is evidence that something is wildly amiss.
6— Social Media has been shown to erode the development of our species. Social Media companies have displayed a blatant disregard for their participation in the degradation of honesty, truth, safety, democracy, and mental stability. The currency of clicks and likes has done immeasurable damage. We have become puppets in a deadly theater. I refuse to participate in this. Humanity is suffering and I protest.
So, I exit.
I feel joyful about this.
Please join my email list.
My heart is there. My newsletters are truly my authentic self. I love writing my newsletters. That is the place that makes me happy, brings me joy, and where I share all that matters to me. It is where I tell you the real details about the work I am doing. If you join my Love Circle, you will get a monthly video where I share from my studio, garden, and life about my favorite music, latest projects, and everything else that is going on. I very much want to stay connected with you. Please know that.
I hope to see you there.
I will miss the pictures of your kids, gardens, hikes, and art. Feel free to email them to me any time.
Licity