A glass half full of social media

Hey, lovely bold soul!

Hope this finds you nourished and happy. I’m nourished with buckwheat pasta and greens (with chicken, olives and tomatoes, what luxury) and happy that Spring is bringing warmth and the scent of jasmine to the air.

This painting ^^^ was done on a semi overcast, semi sky-of-blue day – I couldn’t resist the notion of painting half a glass of water! Click the image to find out more and see the whole piece, or potter around here in the Bold Art Emporium. [Artwork sold]

I hope you find yourself more often in the connecting breeze of social media than smarting from the harsh winds of social-media-triggered self doubt! Sometimes viewing other people’s stuff  – good or bad – on Facebook, Twitter or even delightful instagram can be a comparison trap, right? The colourful & creative houses, gardens and recipes on Pinterest can as easily inspire inadequacy as be inspiring!

Never imagined I would write a whole post raving about social media, but here goes…

In praise of Facebook and other social media

Here’s a story of a princess in pyjamas. She’s spent days upon days in her light-filled tower, lost in hours of princess activities self-comparison and comment quibbles on social media, hoping for more friends and Likers and that one last validation that means she can unhook her dry tired eyes from the screen and go take off her princess shoes and socks, and wash her princess hands and have a glass of water and just feel like a fresh human princess again…

Our Princess – let’s randomly call her Meg – might obsess spend hours editing-in-her-head to make a just-the-right-wording, 140-characters-or-just-under Twitter comment about the customer service she received on the (royal) bus, find the right filter for a phone photo of an insulting slogan on a van pumpkin carriage or toil editing statuses to succinctity.

What if we re-frame it?

I think if it’s drawing you away from life, it might turn into a problem. However, anything that helps us notice more moments of our days is wonderful! It’s so fun finding the little beautiful or noteworthy fibres in the fabric of the day – and a great start to practicing appreciation or learning from those fibres moments!

So long as we don’t get mired in the quicksand social media, I think it can be positive. Like a selfy that helps you appreciate yourself, see yourself from a different angle and somehow makes you realise you are ok in your own skin with your own smile, so too the awareness can be a tool that helps you be present and enjoy life.

Sometimes recorded.

Sometimes shared.

And sometimes not.

Social media as a tool to connect, or notice ourselves and our surrounds can be helpful. At least once a week though, I seem to need to step right away to not feel drowned in it. Sometimes I need to unplug myself. You?

Loose ends tied in relaxed bows

I hope you have enjoyed the first of no doubt many Bold Interviews recently posted. I had fun asking and being asked 5 questions with Philippa Robert, and Leah Piken-Kolidas!

By the way, the 2015 Calendars are going steadily to good homes [sold out] – get yours if you want one! I’m not going to ‘second guess’ myself this year and get another 50 in November and be left with 30 of those in a cardboard box! Ahem. Once the 100 go, the next will be next year. Do you think I’ll need a waiting list? Haha!

If you want to find out about new artwork (and calendars) very very first, sign up to get my eNews.

Oh, and if you want to share this article – haha #irony – go ahead, there are buttons below. Did you know, if you are posting a picture of some yummy food, and you “hashtag” it with #mealforameal that virgin and partners will give someone who needs it a meal. What an easy way to be helpful!

Enjoy your hydrations, Bold Soul. And your out breaths!
Much love,
Meg x o

 

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